Cinderella at LifeHouse

By: Christian Shepherd

Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy of:

Bruce K. Manson

Photo Description:

Cinderella (Autumn Manson) displays her new dress for the Ball bestowed upon her by the angelic Godmother (Diana Handy) in LifeHouse Theater’s musical “Cinderella."

Last Saturday, Jan. 24, LifeHouse Theatre, a theatrical arts service organization, who has recently partnered with Syntax Creative in an effort to bring their productions to a new range of listeners, presented the return of their “Cinderella” performance, a musical adaption of the classic fiction. The production has won several awards and was written by LifeHouse Theatre founder and president Wayne R. Scott. Opening night was Saturday evening, Jan. 10. “Cinderella,” directed by Brady Greer Huffman and choreographed by Bethanne Boone, is brought to life by a cast of veteran Inland Empire performers through notable roles such as the wicked stepsisters, the prince and the fairy godmother. Joining Huffman and Boone were Jeremy Yeo, music director, Tim Mahoney, set designer, and Cristy Conrad-Wiley, costume designer. “We are looking forward to starting off the New Year with all the fun, magic and touching moments of this smash hit musical,” comments Scott. “We are blessed to have so many talented performers helping us return this timeless tale to the LifeHouse stage. Many new surprises are in store.” Autumn Manson took on the lead role of Cinderella, and was accompanied by Ivy Manson and Krista Blair, Sage Manson, Chloe Wazdetskey, and Isaac Handy as the stepsisters, Liz the Lizard, sibling mice Max and Mortimer, and the fairy godmother, respectively. LifeHouse has recently partnered with Syntax Creative in an effort to bring their productions to as many listeners as possible. LifeHouse stage dramas, including Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, The Emporer’s New Clothes, The Misadventures of Tom Sawyer and Pride and Prejudice, are all available at digital service providers such as iTunes, Amazon and Spotify. “After speaking with [Syntax CEO] Timothy Trudeau, it became evident to us that Syntax Creative understood our product and was passionate about it,” Jeff DeWitt, General Manager of LifeHouse Productions, said. “This, in turn, has excited and encouraged us to get the word out and let more of the world know about the incredible stories being told through LifeHouse Theater On-the-Air audio dramas.” “According to the consumer, streaming and other digital service providers have become the method of choice for consumption,” Trudeau said. “This is why I believe the radio-drama category could experience a resurgence as we grow past terrestrial limitations. We’re essentially taking a well-produced product from the seats of Redlands to the streets and wetlands — in other words, the entire globe. Their footprint and influence will be dramatically increased, while our content offering will continue to be diversified.” “We are excited about the opportunities afforded by our partnership with Syntax,” LifeHouse Productions’ President Wayne Scott, producer and narrator of the series, said. “Our dynamic stories will find new audiences with the convenient access Syntax is providing.