Face Off Theater opens Cinderella, the Remix this Friday at the Carver Center at the Kalamazoo Civic Complex, with performances running two weekends. Co-directors Bianca Washington and Gregory Miller, and lead actor Nikita Rose join Cara Lieurance for a preview.
The show reimagines the classic fairy tale in hip-hop Hollywood, where Cinderella is an aspiring DJ in a world that only allows men to DJ. The glass slipper becomes a DJ glove, and the royal ball becomes a jam hosted by rapper J Prince. Cinderella navigates it all through her alter ego, DJ Sincere. "Cinderella is saving herself," Miller says, "by choosing to go after the things that she is passionate about."
Washington and Miller drew heavily on 1990s hip-hop, known as the Golden Era, curating pre-show music spotlighting female MCs of that period alongside original tracks written for the production. Music consultant Dr. Kandace Lavender, known in the community as DC Lavender, helped the cast find cadence and rhythm in their raps. Rose also conducted independent research into DJing technique. "There's 15 different ways to do scratching on a DJ set," she notes, adding that embodying the character physically became her deepest focus.
For Rose, returning to the stage after roughly two years away carries personal weight. "I feel like myself again," she says. The show also reflects her own life as an emerging music artist with three singles out and a debut EP in progress.
The production incorporates Face Off's newer youth program, YETTA (Youth Empowerment Through the Arts), with cohort members shadowing the stage manager and running sound.
Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday this weekend, with additional performances May 8–9. General admission is $20, with pay-what-you-wish and community access options available. Tickets and details are at faceofftheatre.com.
The interview was summarized by Claude AI and edited by the author.