By Cheryl Thornburg

Megan Heinrich, Christine Maziarz and Tony Perez in "Cinderella"

  There is nothing quite like seeing “Cinderella” through the eyes of a child and last weekend I did just that. I took my granddaughters, age 7 and 9, to see Reading Civic Theatre’s production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic.

  The production, as always, has lots of talented performers, but there’s something transformative when a little girl gets to see and meet Cinderella. The magic becomes real.

  RCT’s Cinderella, Megan Heinrich, is perfection in this role. Every note, every gesture, every smile embodies the classic heroine. Her clear, sweet soprano makes “In My Own Little Corner” memorable and blends so well in duets with her godmother (“Impossible”) and the prince (“Do I Love You Because You’re Beautiful?” and “Ten Minutes Ago”).

  Tony Perez plays the prince with an ease and assurance befitting royalty and his smooth, silky tenor is “charming.”

  Cinderella’s magical Godmother is played by Christine Maziarz with a twinkle in her eye and a playful lilt in her voice that makes this character so much fun to watch.

  Laura Stewart on the other hands gets to show her mean side as the stepmother who dotes on her own daughters and makes Cinderella's life miserable. Stewart seems to relish this role, delivering line after line with delightful wickedness. She showcases her vocal talent in numbers like “A Lovely Night.”

  Sandra Bennett and Daphne McMaster get to play some of the most fun parts in the show as the not-so-nice stepsisters, Portia and Joy. They both have a flair for comedy and are particularly entertaining in “Stepsisters’ Lament.”

  Other featured performers include Geoff Littlefield as The King, Ellen Bryan  as The Queen, and  Colin Long as the Herald. The large cast also includes Karen Levesque, Randy Miller, Gregory Boyer, Jewell A. Brown, Pete Clauser, Ken Cowan, Dean M. Fichthorn, Emily Jordan, Kathy A. Miller, Katelyn Murphy, Karleigh Patton, Shirley Pisano, Logan Stewert-Mugno, Mikayla Stratton and Danelle Wagner.

  The show is directed by Debra Silas with Amanda Delbo as musical director and Jeannette DeAngelo  as assistant director.

  "Cinderella" runs through Sunday Aug. 12. All performances are in Francis Hall Theatre located at Alvernia University. Please note that seating is reserved. Tickets for all shows are available online. Visit www.readingcivic.org to purchase your tickets now or call 610-373-3311 to ensure the best seats. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices are $28 for adults and $20 for children 12 and under. When available, tickets will be sold at the door.

   For more information, go to www.readingcivic.org.