Cinderella Takes the Stage: A Brentwood Musical Production

This February, the Killy Theatre was filled with music and dancing as it was transformed into a fairy tale world of royal balls, fairy godmothers, and glass slippers. The production of Brentwood’s 2026 musical Cinderella has been in full swing since September, and the time has finally come for the cast to showcase their incredible talent and hard work to the school and local community. 

Since the initial week of auditions to the final week of dress rehearsals, the cast has spent months developing a complex and phenomenal show. This process included learning lyrics and harmonizations, figuring out how to move through choreography in poofy skirts and character shoes, as well as blocking scenes and incorporating dynamic sets and props. During these months, each cast member worked to develop their unique character, and as a whole, the cast became a close-knit team who supported one another through the challenge of putting on a musical. 

Preceding the performances was an intense week of dress rehearsals; this stage of the production is what Mrs Widenmaier refers to as “the marathon”. Students gave up numerous nights of prep and instead donned their costumes and mics, had hair and makeup done, and spent five nights in the theatre, running through the entire show with a live orchestra. Despite the sleep deprivation and academic distress caused by the persistent late nights and managing busy schedules outside of musical, the cast persevered and showed up each night to work through scenes, clean up choreography, and fully embody each character, to ensure that theexperience of the audience would be truly magical. 

The week of performances finally arrived! Staff, students, parents and locals filled the theatre and had a great time watching their friends and children singing and dancing onstage – especially the ones wearing wigs and bonnets – and provided an engaging and supportive audience. A shoutout to Kerrington G, who played Cinderella, and Jaxen L, who played Prince Charming, for their amazing performances as lead characters. The energy, emotion, and talent brought to the stage by the entire cast was outstanding. On top of that, the colourful costumes, imaginative moving sets, ensemble numbers, and solos created a truly impressive show that made each performance unforgettable. Chloe D, Hope 26 shared “Musical theatre is such a rewarding experience. I feel so grateful to be working alongside such talented cast and crew members”. 

While the cast delivered the show to the audience, there were multiple teams working tirelessly behind the scenes to make this production possible. Under the direction of Ms Britton-Foster, the stage crew worked as a unit to coordinate the moving pieces of each set, develop and cue the lighting for each scene, and keep everything running smoothly. Lila C, Hope ‘26, shared that “being backstage taught me the importance of working together, and learning from each other".  This year's production was particularly impressive because of its elaborate costumes, made possible by the extraordinary work of Ms Thelma Grobbelaar and Ms Wanda Chow Lindberg. In collaboration with the laundry team, they sourced specialty fabrics, designed pieces that are both impressive and functional, and hand-crafted an elaborate wardrobe of fairytail-esque outfits, enabling the actors to feel their most confident onstage. 

A huge thanks and recognition for the adults who led the cast through the production process and accomplished the impressive feat of putting on a musical. Thank you to Director Ms Widernmaier, Choreographers Ms Rae and Ms Gutierrez,, and singing instructor Mr Keddy for their passion and relentless dedication to the musical program. Ms Rae shares: “The students were incredible, they gave an amazing performance and should be proud of themselves. The culture we created throughout the year allowed everyone to thrive onstage”.

After the last close of the curtain, it was safe to say that many months of hard work were worth it, and this talented class was rewarded with the thrill and joy of performing onstage. From the first rehearsal to the final bow, the production of Cinderella was a reminder of what passion, teamwork, and dedication can create. 

Tema BC, Hope, ‘26