He's not your 'stereotypical' Prince, and this is not your stereotypical 'Cinderella'

A pit band, foreground, plays the musical's score during a dress rehearsal of Spaulding High School's version of Cinderella on Wednesday in the school auditorium (Rochester Voice photos)

ROCHESTER - Theatergoers attending Spaulding High School's production of "Cinderella" will notice a few new wrinkles from its original plot, according to musical director Nikki Luciano-Bourgeois, and the cast is good with that.
The 2013 Rodgers and Hammerstein version of the plot has some interesting twists, noted Luciano-Bourgeois moments before cast members took to the stage of the Joanne Houston Auditorium on Wednesday.
"One of the stepsisters is good," she said. "And Cinderella comes off as a character of substance. And there's a subplot. There is a revolution brewing among the people to help the downtrodden."

The Prince, played by Nick Kanelos, in white, orders guards to search and find Cinderella after she disappears from the palace ballroom.

Luciano-Bourgeois said theatergoers will find a very positive message from this version.
"It's a happy and positive message," she added. "They'll leave feeling anything is possible. If you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen."
Two students each are slated to play the leading roles of Cinderella and The Prince; on Wednesday freshman Mollie Pedersen was playing Cinderella and the Prince was played by sophomore Nick Kanelos, who said getting to play the Prince was "so cool."
"He's not your stereotypical prince," he said. "He's very modest."
Pedersen said she was thrilled to play Cinderella, and said her favorite part of the musical is the scene where she has the "transformation from rags to ball gown."
Luciano-Bourgeois said the transformation scenes are very special, because they're not done with extravagant special effects, but instead with "old time theatrical magic."
All the leading roles will be mic'd up for the play, and during sound checks prior to the starting of the rehearsal there was much laughter as many in the cast took turns adlibbing lines to the delight of peers.
Luciano-Bourgeois credits character coach and comedian Dave McLaughlin with bringing out much of the collective humor an esprit de corps.
Nearly 100 Spaulding High School students have been working on the play since January, with the final weeks seeing them rehearse five hours a day.
The 55-member cast is complemented by a 20-person technical crew and a 15-member pit band.
Rochester Elementary students are invited to attend the opening night on Wednesday for a chance to meet and greet with characters during intermission and after the show.
Tickets are $8 for students and seniors, $10 for adults. Visit www.spauldingmusic.com for more information.
Showtimes:
• March 20 (6:30 pm)
• March 21 (6:30 pm)
• March 22 (7:00 pm)
• March 23 (2:00 pm and 7:00 pm)
• March 24 (2:00 pm)