A Cinderella story

Sarah Loveys plays Cinderella in the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Nova Scotia production. (Danny Abriel Photo)

It's hard to resist Cinderella. The story of a plucky girl forced to become a servant to her own family is all about overcoming the odds and staying true to your dreams.

Sarah Loveys can relate—and not because she has a mean stepmom and cranky stepsisters. She doesn’t. Rather, like Cinderella, she knows a thing or two about perseverance and hard work.

Growing up in Conception Bay, Nfld., she always loved singing—it’s she just wasn’t that good at it. She sang her heart out, auditioning for as many musicals and school plays as she could. And, although her parents never discouraged her, they did enroll her in voice lessons.

“I just kept working at it and working at it,” says Ms. Loveys, 21, a soprano who just finished the third-year of her music degree at Dalhousie. “I auditioned everywhere and was turned down again and again.”

But the lessons and hard work paid off when she snagged her first role and was cast as an orphan in Annie, one of the musicals staged annually by Peter MacDonald Productions in St. John’s, Nfld.

These days, the Dalhousie music student who just finished her third year of studies feels like a princess at the ball: she snagged the title role of Cinderella in the Gilbert & Sullivan Society of Nova Scotia’s spring show. Cinderella opens Saturday, May 2 at the Al Whittle Theatre (Acadia Cinema) in Wolfville and then tours the province, with stops in Halifax, New Glasgow, Truro and Annapolis Royal.

It’s a big show, featuring a cast of 30 and a full orchestra in some venues. Directed by Jolene Patterson, the musical takes an original spin on the classic tale by retooling the lyrics to favourite G&S melodies. Ms. Loveys will play opposite Matt McLean—car salesman at MacPhee Pontiac Buick by day, Prince Charming by night.

“I’m thrilled to be able to perform on a large stage and with such wonderful people,” she says.