This Jukebox Musical is using the songs of ACDC to retell the story of Cinderella.
A Charming Damsel, Cinderella
Our story opens on a happy Australian family. The mother, father, and daughter are laughing and dancing. But soon, a dark force takes the mother away (“Hells Bells”), leaving the father and daughter distraught. The father struggles to keep things together, falling into a depression and drinking heavily (“Whiskey on the Rocks”). The daughter, Ella, tries her best to keep the father’s spirits up. She begins to think that he needs to remarry, and she wishes that he could find someone to help him find his way (“Mistress for Christmas”).
Eventually, the father does meet another woman, and he quickly falls for her (“Thunderstruck”). Ella has her misgivings about the new woman, but she doesn’t want to upset her father, so she puts on a smile and watches the wedding happen (“Highway to Hell”). As it turns out, Ella was right to be skeptical of the new woman. She was only after the family money, and, once she has it, she has Ella’s father killed (“Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”). Ella is crushed at the loss of her father, and she’s even further depressed when the new woman moves her two daughters into the family home. Ella’s stepmother and stepsisters force her to do work around the house, mocking her for her dirty clothes and calling her “Cinderella” (“Kick You When You’re Down”).
Cinderella tries her best to be good and to not resent her stepfamily, but she has a hard time, watching them change her home and take advantage of her (“Problem Child”). Cinderella takes to singing as she works, and she makes animal friends who help to keep her spirits up (“Rock the Blues Away”). Her cruel stepmother belittles Cidnerella’s singing, but Cinderella doesn’t let it get her down (“Rock and Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution”).
Time passes, and a prince comes through the area. His staff announces that there will be a party where the single prince will be meeting young women (“Big Balls”). Cinderella’s stepsisters both begin planning for the ball, and Cinderella wonders what it would be like to attend (“If You Dare”). She sews herself a gown, hoping that she can sneak out and attend the ball (“Shot in the Dark”), but the stepsisters find it. Outraged at the idea of Cinderella competing against them for the prince’s hand, the cruel stepsisters, tear the gown to shreds (“Smash and Grab”). They laugh at Cinderella as they leave for the ball with their mother.
Cinderella cries and believes that she will never be happy again. Just then, a fairy godmother comes down and tells Cinderella not to give up (“Back in Black”). The godmother uses her magic to give Cinderella a beautiful new gown and transportation to the party, but she tells her that she must be back before midnight. Cinderella thanks her godmother and makes her way to the ball. There, she meets the prince, and the two dance, falling in love. Cinderella is having the best night of her life, and she loses track of time (“Miss Adventure”). As the clock begins to strike twelve (“Hells Bells” reprise), Cinderella hurries away before the prince can ask her her name, but she does drop a glass slipper. The next day, the prince tells his staff that he has to find the lovely young woman that he was dancing with (“She Shook Me All Night Long”).
The prince’s staff looks all throughout the area, bringing the glass slipper to try on the foot of any young woman who might believe that she was the prince’s love. Cinderella’s stepmother tries to shut her away in the attic so that she can’t be found by the staff. Cinderella desperately wants to break out of the attic (“Burning Alive”), and her animal friends help her to escape. The staff try the glass slipper on each of the stepsisters, but it doesn’t fit. Just as they’re about to try Cinderella’s foot, her stepmother pretends to slip, breaking the glass slipper (“Smash and Grab” reprise). Luckily, Cinderella has the other glass slipper. She puts it on, and the staff cheers, bringing her back to the prince. Cinderella and the prince have a lavish wedding (“Big Balls” reprise) and live happily ever after.
