It's a classic story.

A young woman forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and self-centered stepsisters dreams of a better life.

Meanwhile, the king and queen get ready for a big birthday celebration for the prince in hopes their son will find a suitable bride. As Cinderella's stepsisters get ready for the ball, hoping they will catch the prince's eye, they laugh at Cinderella's dreams, leaving her home alone. Soon after, with the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is transformed into a princess and sets out to find her prince.

"Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella" features the classic beloved tunes such as "In My Own Little Corner" and "Ten Minutes Ago" in this charming and hilarious production on stage now at Joe Jefferson Players, Alabama's oldest continuing community theater.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's 1957 adaption of the timeless fairytale is a musical written for television that starred Julie Andrews, but later played on stage, with music by Richard Rodgers and a book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based upon the fairy tale Cinderella, particularly the French version Cendrillon, ou la petite pantoufle de verre ("Cinderella, or The Little Glass Slipper"), by Charles Perrault. The television show was the most widely viewed program in the history of the medium at that time.

JJP is holding a special Sunday matinee performance on the second Sunday performance, Aug. 25.

"We will have a royal ball performance where we encourage our patrons to don their best prince and princess outfits," said Lisa Hellman, who is in the show and on the board of directors for JJP. "We will have Southern Cream food truck out front of the theater from noon to 2 p.m. for our patrons to enjoy some delicious, sweet treats before the show. There will be a fairytale step and repeat photo spot before and after the performance. Patrons will be able to take pictures with our cast in full costume after the show. We will also have a special 'Cinderella’s Pumpkin Punch' (sherbet and sprite) to serve at intermission."

The show is directed by Richard Foster, with choreography by Rebekah Howard and music direction by Daniel Driskell.

Cinderella runs through Sept. 1, with performances on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at https://joejeffersonplayers.com/buy-tickets/. For ticketing questions, patrons can call or email the box office at (251) 471-1534 or email Boxoffice@joejeffersonplayers.com.