Enchanted FR

Helpful animals.

Cackling stepsisters.

A prince in search of his true love.

Fort Recovery High School will bring a classic fairy tale to the stage this weekend with its production of the musical “Cinderella.”

"The kids have been working hard,” said director Reid Knuth. “There's so many different versions of Cinderella out there that each one's a little different. ... It's not just like the Disney movie.”

Fort Recovery will be performing the Enchanted version — performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday in the Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School auditeria — which has the same songs as the original Rodgers and Hammerstein show but is based on the 1997 film with Brandy performing as Cinderella. Songs and the script have been updated for more of a pop and contemporary feel.

The story is well-known.

Cinderella is left to live with her stepmother and two stepsisters following the death of her father. She is treated more as servant than daughter.

When a ball is called to find a wife for the prince, she is able to attend through the help of her magical fairy godmother and some woodland friends. She and the prince make a connection, but she rushes to leave before the magic wears off at midnight leaving only a glass slipper behind.

With only the slipper to go by, the search for the prince’s one true love ensues.

That search is Knuth’s favorite part of the show.

"I kind of gave free rein to the actors,” he said. “They just kind of go and do their thing. It's a little different every night and it's always funny.”

While “Cinderella” is a love story at its heart, there’s plenty of humor throughout.

The steward, played by Gavin Heitkamp, brings his own dry brand of humor, often while trying to fight off the advances of the stepmother (Megan Weitzel).

The stepsisters, portrayed by Carley Buckland and Ashlyn Cantu, offer the more in-your-face variety of the laughs with their constant cackling and general lack of self-awareness.

"It's so fun,” said Buckland. “I love it. It's like something I'm not used to and just getting to boss her around, boss Cinderella around, eye roll, it's amazing. I love it."

 "You get to react more and be as dramatic as you can, and I like that a lot,” added Cantu.

    The cast of Fort Recovery’s production of “Cinderella” was responsible for costumes, set design and choreography for the show. “All of it is kid-driven,” said director Reid Knuth. (The Commercial Review/Ray Cooney)

In between the humorous moments, both Cinderella and the prince (Zach Schoenlein) struggle to find themselves. They long to break free from their boring everyday lives and find that possibility in each other.

"There's a lot of really funny moments but there's also a lot of really heartwarming moments,” said junior Leah Wuebker, who portrays the title character. “It really covers all the bases.”

Wuebker gets to make the progression for the girl tucked in her own little corner to a princess ready for the spotlight. Her favorite moment in the show is when that transformation happens with the help of Fairy Godmother (Grace Lochtefeld), as Cinderella sheds her drab dress for a dazzling ball gown in front of the audience’s eyes.

"It's amazing. It's really great being able to portray all her different emotions,” Wuebker said. “She's very submissive to her stepmother, but then she really starts to break out of her shell once she realizes what she's worth and that she's worth more than what her stepmother says. It's really just fun to play that part.”

The cast — it also includes Finley Thompson as Young Cinderella, Chase Fiely as King Maximilian and Cora Kremer as Queen Constantina — is responsible for much more than just their lines and songs on stage. Just about everything the audience sees comes from the students.

"The kids have been putting in a lot of work,” said Knuth. “One of the things that we do at the high school that I don't think is standard is the kids do a lot of the design. All the set, all the costumes, all the choreography were done by kids. All of it is kid-driven.”

Tickets are $8 for students and $10 for adults and will be available at the door. Children ages 5 and younger will be admitted for free.