-1997- — Cinderella

At the ball, Prince Christopher is bored until Cinderella arrives. They instantly connect, dancing and singing "Ten Minutes Ago." The Prince, tired of formalities, sends everyone away so he can be alone with her. They fall in love during "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?" At midnight, Cinderella flees, losing her glass slipper. The Prince launches a kingdom-wide search. When the steward, Lionel (Jason Alexander of Seinfeld fame), arrives at Cinderella’s home, the stepmother locks Cinderella in the tower. The stepsisters try to force their feet into the slipper. Eventually, Cinderella escapes (with help from the mice, who have a surprisingly elaborate subplot), presents her other slipper, and forgives her stepfamily. The finale features a joyous wedding and a reprise of "Impossible."

Instead, Houston pivoted. She took on the role of producer and insisted on playing the Fairy Godmother. As she famously said, "I can be a fairy godmother, sing a song, look fabulous, and go home." She didn't just produce; she funded the project. The $12 million budget (a staggering sum for a TV movie at the time) largely came from her own pocket, as she viewed the film as a legacy project for her production company, BrownHouse Productions.

The chemistry between the two women was palpable. In the show-stopping number "Impossible," the narrative subtext of the scene shifted from a magical intervention to a passing of the torch. Houston, serving as a mentor figure both on-screen and off, guided Brandy through the performance. It was a moment of Black excellence that resonated deeply with audiences who had rarely seen themselves represented in the "princess" archetype. Brandy’s portrayal was delicate, earnest, and vocally distinct, offering a Cinderella who was resilient rather than merely passive. cinderella -1997-

Visually, this created a royal family that looked like no other. A Black mother, a white father, and an Asian son. The film never acknowledged this; it never made a joke about it or explained it. It simply was . In 1997, this was a radical statement. It normalized the idea that royalty—and by extension, love and heroism—had no specific skin color. It taught a generation of children that families come in all forms and that a Prince Charming could look like anyone.

For millions who grew up in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the image of a princess in a silver gown with an impossibly tiny waist isn’t associated with an animated mouse or a live-action Disney remake. It’s associated with a sparkling, head-to-toe diamond-encrusted dress, a jaw-dropping reveal at a palace staircase, and the voice of Brandy Norwood. At the ball, Prince Christopher is bored until

: A duet between Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother during the magical transformation. "Ten Minutes Ago"

If you want to watch it, the film is currently available to stream on and Amazon Prime Video (as of 2025). The Prince launches a kingdom-wide search

But Houston’s most radical decision was her choice for Cinderella: a 17-year-old singer-actress from Mississippi named Brandy Norwood.

More Than a Dream: Why Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘Cinderella’ (1997) Remains the Gold Standard of Fairy Tale Musicals

: Minerva and Calliope, provide comedic relief through their clumsy attempts to woo the Prince. Lionel (Jason Alexander) : The Prince's loyal valet and confidant. Musical Highlights The film features the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein score with additional songs added for this version: "The Prince Is Giving a Ball"

By the mid-1990s, however, the landscape of entertainment had shifted. Producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan wanted to revive the musical for a new generation, but they faced significant hurdles. The original 1957 broadcast had been performed live and recorded on kinescope, meaning the quality was grainy by modern standards. Furthermore, the 1965 version had been locked away in the Disney vaults, unseen for years due to rights issues.