Thomas H. Beheler (left) as Troll and Pat Reynolds as Prince Alfred, make their way through the kingdom announcing the royal ball in “Cindrella Waltz,” Colonial Players’ latest production, which ran through Jan. 21.

By Dylan Roche

Once upon a time, a local Annapolis theatre company staged a retelling of Cinderella, changing the way adult audiences view fairy tales forever. Colonial Players continues its tradition of excellence with its latest production, “Cinderella Waltz” by Dan Nigro, which opened Jan. 6. “Cinderella Waltz” is fun because it is a zany, madcap adventure from beginning to end, full of rapid-fire rhythmic dialogue and countless one-liners, outlandish characters and hilarious gags. But it’s also provocative, full of subtle quips and unique surprises that call to question the way fairy tales have shaped modern culture’s perception of romance and happily-ever-after.

Here, our heroine is named Rosie Snow (played with wide-eyed charisma by Liza Warder), kept as a maid on her family farm by her loudmouthed stepmother (Kathryn Huston). The wicked stepsisters, named Goneril (Olga Petrovic) and Regan (Sam Alagna) in an appropriate nod to Shakespeare’s duo of evil sisters in “King Lear,” are the preferred daughters, despite the fact that Goneril is brutally mean and Regan is completely brainless. And when Prince Alfred (Pat Reynolds) announces a ball, Rosie’s dreams depend upon the magic of a screwball fairy named Mother Magee (Monica Garcia, in a delightfully outlandish performance).

With no shortage of scene-chewing amongst the actors, the audience enjoys a continuously amusing performance by actors who know how to play well off each other. The result is an endlessly enjoyable parade of character performance.

Petrovic and Alagna are well cast the wicked stepsisters; Petrovic is sharp-tongued and intense in her portrayal of harsh Goneril, while Alagna gives pitch-perfect delivery of Regan’s airheaded nature. Garcia’s Mother Magee is a hilarious showcase of humor. Meanwhile, Reynolds’ is a master of dry humor with blasé attitude and English accent.

In supporting roles, Dann Alagna plays Zed, the village idiot, and Thomas H. Beheler plays Troll, Prince Alf’s valet. Alagna shows a well-crafted character, moving from frightening pariah to Rosey’s friend. Beheler shows excellent comic timing and sense of humor in line delivery.

Warder is a fairy tale protagonist the audience can seriously root for. She is both spunky and sweet, and effectively captures a hopefulness and everyman quality that makes her entirely relatable. The villain here, her harpy of a stepmother, is played with fiery energy by Huston in an immensely enjoyable performance. Rosey’s father is played by Tim Sayles, an amusing portrayal of a buffoon unable to help his daughter’s plight.

Director Jennifer Parris brings the audience a revisionist fairy tale as it should be told, full of energy and heart. There is a satisfying balance between over-the-top humor and down-to-earth warmth.

With such a dynamic cast of talent, it is no small feat that the production staff creates as lively and vibrant a world—Beth Terranova’s costumes and Chartlotte Robinson’s property designs are outlandish, colorful, and creative. Full of imaginative vision and amusing details (the back of Mother Magee’s dress is fixed with a constant wedgie, a crossroad is marked with familiar fantasy locations, and the floor of the theatre is painted to resemble the open pages of a fairy tale storybook), the setting of “Cinderella Waltz” is effectively animated.

To have caught this funny and philosophical production was to indeed enjoy a happy ending. Colonial Players next will stage Neil Simon’s comedy, “Chapter Two,” opening on Feb. 10 and running through March 3. For more information, go to www.thecolonialplayers.org.