Everything you need to know about ‘Bad Cinderella’ on Broadway

Here’s a complete guide to Bad Cinderella, the newest Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to hit the stage, with a story unlike any fairytale you’ve seen before.

At Bad Cinderella, forget everything you knew about the glass slipper-wearing princess. In the seemingly idyllic kingdom of Belleville, Prince Charming is dead, the Fairy Godmother is a terrifying plastic surgeon hellbent on upholding the town’s impossibly high beauty standards, and Cinderella is a rebellious spray-painting outcast who dreams of running away and creating her destiny.

The product is a camp-infused take on the classic tale filled with heart, humor, and a happily ever after focused on Cinderella finding herself, not just her Prince Charming.

Bad Cinderella is famed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest Broadway venture since School of Rock, which closed in 2019 after a four-year run. The show got its own makeover following its West End debut, with a new title, cast, and changes to the music and lyrics.

Before getting your ticket to the ball, learn more about Bad Cinderella, including information about the cast, songs performed, fun facts, and more.

Get Bad Cinderella tickets now.

What is Bad Cinderella about?

Bad Cinderella takes place in the kingdom of Belleville, where the people are just as stunning as the idyllic scenery. The only thing standing in the way of being named the most beautiful town for the 50th year in a row? Cinderella, the rebellious outcast who rejects everything the superficial residents of Belleville stand for. Oh, and the news of a dragon slaying the Queen’s beloved son, Prince Charming.

After Cinderella vandalizes a statue honoring the fallen prince and ruins Belleville’s honor, the villagers hate her more than ever. All except for one — the other prince, Sebastian, Charming’s younger brother and Cinderella’s only friend.

The Queen holds a ball to find a bride for her only remaining heir, and Cinderella seeks the Godmother's help to transform into someone beautiful by the town’s standards after realizing her true feelings for Sebastian. But along the way, she learns that being herself is all she needs — not to win Sebastian’s heart, but to figure out her true destiny and create her own happily ever after.

Where is Bad Cinderella playing?

Bad Cinderella runs on Broadway at the Imperial Theatre at 249 W 45th Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. The Imperial Theatre opened in 1923 for the Shubert Organization, which still owns and operates the playhouse. Most recently, the Imperial Theatre was home to Ain’t Too Proud, joining the roster of past hits such as Pippin, Dreamgirls, and Les Misérables.

How long is Bad Cinderella?

Bad Cinderella runs approximately 2 hours and 25 minutes, with one 15-minute intermission. Most Broadway musicals are between 2 hours and 3 hours long, so Bad Cinderella’s runtime is average in comparison.

What days is Bad Cinderella playing?

Like most Broadway musicals, Bad Cinderella plays eight weekly performances from Tuesday through Sunday, with no shows on Monday. Wednesdays and Saturdays have a matinee performance in addition to the evening show, while Sundays only have a matinee. For the complete performance schedule and showtimes, visit the Bad Cinderella page.

When did Bad Cinderella premiere?

Bad Cinderella began as an idea from Emerald Fennell, who wrote the book, which grew into the smart, punchy musical it is today. The musical is one of the many running Broadway shows that began in London, first premiering as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. The production went through a revamp before its Broadway debut, including a new title and shortened song list. Here’s a brief Bad Cinderella timeline.

• 2019: Bad Cinderella had its first presentation for industry professionals at London’s The Other Palace as Cinderella. The reading featured Carrie Hope Fletcher as Cinderella and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt as the Stepmother; they reprised their roles in the West End.
• 2020: It is officially announced that Andrew Lloyd Webber, Emerald Fennell, and David Zippel are collaborating on a new musical adaptation of Cinderella.
• 2021: Cinderella begins previews at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London’s West End in June, nearly a year later than anticipated due to the pandemic. The show faces further delays and doesn’t open until August.
• 2022: The London production closes in June, a year after previews began. A few months later, it’s announced that a revamped version of the show will come to Broadway in 2023.
• 2023: The retooled version of the show, now called Bad Cinderella, begins Broadway performances on February 17 ahead of a March 23 opening.

Who wrote Bad Cinderella?

Bad Cinderella is the latest production from esteemed composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the music, with lyrics by David Zippel and a book by Emerald Fennell, who came up with the original idea for the new story.

Webber, one of today's most celebrated theatre composers, has created hits like Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and The Phantom of the Opera. His most recent musical to open on Broadway was the popular School of Rock in 2015, while The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Lyricist David Zippel is best known for writing the lyrics to the 1989 musical City of Angels and Disney animated movies Hercules and Mulan alongside composer Alan Menken. He teamed up with Menken again in 2019 for The Public Theater’s musical adaptation of Hercules.

Emerald Fennell is an English actress, filmmaker, and writer who penned episodes for the hit BBC series Killing Eve. She later directed and wrote the 2020 film Promising Young Woman, which won her a Best Original Screenplay Oscar.

Bad Cinderella characters

The denizens of Belleville aren’t exactly who you remember from the classic fairytale. Here is the main cast of characters in Bad Cinderella.

• Cinderella: A goth, rebellious outcast loathed by the town of Belleville. She lives with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters and works as a maid. She dreams of running away but falls in love with Prince Sebastian, her only friend.
• The Stepmother: Cinderella’s callous stepmother who tries to get Prince Sebastian to marry one of her daughters.
• The Queen: The queen of Belleville and mother of Prince Charming and Prince Sebastian. She throws a ball to find a bride for Sebastian after Charming dies in battle.
• Prince Sebastian: Cinderella’s only friend and the heir to the Belleville throne after the death of his brother, Prince Charming.
• Adele: Cinderella’s stepsister. She is destined to marry Prince Sebastian after kissing him at midnight.
• Marie: Cinderella’s other stepsister, who is jealous of her sister Adele.
• The Godmother: A plastic surgeon who makes everyone in Belleville look beautiful.

Bad Cinderella songs

The Bad Cinderella musical numbers differ slightly from the version that ran in the West End. Webber cut some songs and added others, such as “Easy to Be Me” replacing “Unbreakable.” Some songs underwent significant changes, including “Bad Cinderella,” which features the same melody but many new lyrics. Here is every song in Bad Cinderella on Broadway.

Act 1

• "Buns 'n' Roses / Beauty is Our Duty" – Townspeople, Marie, Adele, Queen, Prince Sebastian
• "It Has to Be Her" – Townspeople
• "Bad Cinderella" – Cinderella
• "So Long" – Cinderella and Prince Sebastian
• "Unfair" – Adele, Marie and The Stepmother
• "Easy to Be Me" – Cinderella
• "Hunk's Song" – The Hunks
• "Man's Man" – Queen, The Hunks
• "So Long" (Reprise) – Cinderella and Prince Sebastian
• "Only You, Lonely You" – Prince Sebastian
• "I Know You" – Stepmother and The Queen
• "The Village Square" – Townspeople, The Hunks, Stepmother
• "Unfair" (Reprise) – The Stepmother, Adele, and Marie
• "Beauty Has a Price" – Cinderella and Godmother

Act 2

• "Entr'acte" – Orchestra
• "The Ball" – Cinderella, Prince Sebastian, Queen, Stepmother, Adele, Marie, Townspeople
• "I Know I Have a Heart (Because You Broke It)" – Cinderella
• "I'm No Longer Me" – Prince Sebastian, Queen, The Hunks
• "Moment of Triumph" – The Stepmother, Adele, and Marie
• "Easy to Be Me" (Reprise) - Cinderella
• "Ego Has a Price" – Marie
• "The Wedding March" – Orchestra
• "Man's Man" (Reprise) – Prince Charming
• "Marry for Love" – Prince Charming, Townspeople
• "Far Too Late" – Cinderella
• "Cinderella's Soliloquy" – Cinderella
• "The Wedding Party" – Townspeople, The Hunks, Prince Sebastian, Queen, Stepmother, Marie
• "Final Scene" – Cinderella, Prince Sebastian

What awards has Bad Cinderella won?

The West End production of Cinderella was well-received, although it faced a rocky run due to Covid-19 closures. Critics generally enjoyed the fairytale retelling, finding it fresh and fun. A five-star review for The Guardian called the show “terrifically [over the top] and silly but warm and inclusive.”

The West End cast recording was nominated for Best Musical Theater Album at the Grammy Awards. Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, who played the Stepmother, was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical at the Olivier Awards. Carrie Hope Fletcher, who played Cinderella, won Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Musical at the WhatsOnStage Awards.

Major productions of Bad Cinderella

So far, the only production of Bad Cinderella before Broadway was the original West End run, which was just called Cinderella. The musical was first workshopped in 2019 at The Other Palace in London, with Carrie Hope Fletcher playing Cinderella. Then, the show transferred to the West End in 2021 and now moves to Broadway in 2023.

Fun facts about Bad Cinderella

Still looking for more on Bad Cinderella? Allow us to be your fairy godmother with these fun facts about the production, cast, crew, and more.

• The original production in the West End included a revolving orchestra. During the ball scene at the top of Act II, the orchestra seats revolved, moving opposite the stage.
• Linedy Genao, who’s originating the role of Cinderella on Broadway, has a Cinderella story of her own. She went to business school only to get cast in her first Broadway show (On Your Feet! in 2015) with no professional experience outside high school productions.
• Genao recorded a Spanish-language version of the title track.
• Stage veteran Carolee Carmello, who plays the Stepmother, has originated several roles on Broadway. These include Lucille Frank in Parade, which is currently having its first Broadway revival.
• The 2021 cast album featured some songs cut from the production. Adam Lambert performed one, “The Vanquishing Of The Three-Headed Sea Witch,” as Prince Charming. Emerald Fennell, who wrote the book, made a cameo appearance on another, “Only You, Lonely You,” performed by Todrick Hall.

How to get Bad Cinderella tickets

Bad Cinderella is a fun, refreshing twist on a classic with tunes you’ll be humming for days after, as with any Andrew Lloyd Webber show. Secure your spot at the ball by getting tickets now.

Bad Cinderella tickets are available now. Get tickets to Bad Cinderella on New York Theatre Guide.

Photo credit: Linedy Genao and the company of Bad Cinderella on Broadway. (Photo by Matthew Murphy)

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