Cinderella, portrayed by Sarah Harvey, will be featured in the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company production of “Cinderella.” (Photo Provided)

MARIETTA — The Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company will present the classic fairy tale ballet “Cinderella” at 7 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Marietta High School Auditorium.

Reserved seat tickets for the ballet are $15 for adults and $8 for children under 18. There will also be general admission seats available, and additional information on how to buy tickets can be found at movballet.com and click on the performances page.

Tickets can be purchased in person, with cash or check only, beginning April 2 at the MOVB Offices, 1311 Ann St., Parkersburg, with box office hours from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Tickets will also be available at the door the night of the performance.

Specially priced group tickets are also available. Please call the Ballet Company offices for more information, visit the website at movballet.com or contact movdance1@gmail.com.

The ballet is based on the original classic story written by Charles Perrault, but with a new comedic twist for the MOVB version of the story.

The Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company will present “Cinderella” April 12 at Marietta High School. The cast includes, clockwise from left, Stepsister by Jolene Troisi, Stepmother by Rebecca Segrest, Stepsister by Suzy Gunter and Cinderella by Sarah Harvey. (Photo Provided)

The ballet opens with Cinderella’s father announcing that he has taken a new wife and she will now have a new stepmother and stepsisters. As time goes by they become a new family. One day they receive a message that the Kingdom will hold a Ball for the Prince to select a new bride to be his princess and future queen when he becomes the King. Ladies and princesses from other realms will all be invited.

The stepsisters become very excited and the stepmother sends the father off to buy new dresses and to secure dancing lessons for her daughters. Two Dance Masters arrive to instruct the girls in the proper style of dance for the ball but become very frustrated with the sisters lack of coordination and promptly leave.

Cinderella begs to be allowed to attend but the stepmother tells her that would not be possible. Cinderella is very saddened by this and dreams of attending the Ball when a beggar woman appears asking for bread. Cinderella, being very kind and generous, gives her the last loaf of bread. Little did she know this random act of kindness would grant her a wish from a Fairy Godmother who returns later with her Fairies of Seasons to help Cinderella prepare for the Ball.

At the Ball the Prince is smitten with Cinderella and asks her to marry him, but the clock strikes midnight and she must flee as instructed by the Fairy Godmother, before anyone can detect her true identity. Back home, everyone is very tired after the grand party but another message is received telling them the Prince will be visiting all of the local homes in hopes of finding the princess that accidentally dropped her dancing shoe at the Ball – for she is the princess he loves and he must find her.

Everyone, of course, tries to make the shoe fit them except Cinderella who has hidden behind the fireplace in fear that her stepmother will find out that she disobeyed and attended the Ball, but when the shoe flies her way, she cant resist but try it on because she still has the matching shoe. She tiptoes out of hiding and shows the prince and all is forgiven as Cinderella invites the Father, stepmother and stepsisters to join her in her new life at the Castle.

The cast will include:

* Cinderella – Sarah Harvey

* Fairy GodMother – Bethany Truax

* The StepMother – Rebecca Segrest

* The Stepsisters – Suzy Gunter and Jolene Troisi

* The Father – Danny Bayer

* The Prince – Brendon Thompson

* The Dance Masters – Keegan Marsh and Elliott Akeman

* The Fairies of the Seasons – Mallory Thomas, Helena Smith, Meggan Starcher and Amelia Auville

* The Messengers – Violet Bevins and Dana Tibbs

* Court and Wedding Ensemble – Emillia Weltner, Liliana Parsons, Avery Cornecelli, Tessa Barker. Danae Tibbs, Violet Bevins, Emma Holt. Millicent Fleak, Keegan Marsh, Elliott Akeman, Kaleb Windland

* Maid of Honor – Kitri Held

Thirty students from the MOVB Academy of Fine Arts, the official school of instruction for the MOVB company, will dance the roles of the royal children and flower girls.

MOVB is a professional, non-profit dance group that performs concerts, lecture demonstrations and Arts in Education performances annually. MOVB has toured extensively throughout West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Ohio since 1983 presenting specially produced one hour versions of the current ballet through the highly acclaimed “School Days Performing Arts Series.” This special arts in education program has allowed over 30,000 public school children to see a live arts performance who may otherwise never have the opportunity.