Blue Bloods star Sami Gayle’s return to the stage did not last as long as she may have hoped. She starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s latest Broadway musical, Bad Cinderella. It did not earn the same acclaim as the master’s Cats or Phantom of the Opera and gave its last performance on June 4 at the Imperial Theatre. Gayle played the evil stepsister Adele, while Lindey Genao played the title role.
“Endlessly grateful for every human who made my return back to Broadway possible, and for every person on this beautiful experience whose contributions make it so inexpressibly special,” Gayle wrote on Instagram on May 11. “This production has been a PURE JOY to work on. You still have 3.5 weeks to experience it for yourself! Join us as we sing, dance, and act our hearts out!”
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Bad Cinderella began previews in February and had its opening on March 23. The show ended with 33 previews and 85 performances, reports Playbill. Laurence Connor, who directed the original West End production, helmed the show on Broadway.
Bad Cinderella featured a book by Emerald Fennell (Promising Young Woman), with music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by David Zippel. It was a reimagining of the classic fairy tale. It received mostly negative reviews and failed to find an audience. It received no Tony nominations, which was the final nail in the coffin.
The show previously struggled on the West End, as it was forced to play before crowds capped at 50% at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. It opened in June 2021 and closed a year later. The U.K. production was known as Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella and starred Carrie Hope Fletcher in the title role.
Since Bad Cinderella closed so soon, Broadway is without a Lloyd Webber production for the first time since 1979. The EGOT club member has crafted the music for long-running hits like Evita, Cats and The Phantom of the Opera. Cats was on Broadway for 18 years, while Phantom finished a 35-year run in April.
Gayle played Nicky Reagan-Boyle, the onscreen daughter of Bridget Moynahan and Peter Herrmann, on Blue Bloods. She remained a main cast member until Season 10 when her character left New York for another opportunity in San Francisco. Gayle returned for the Season 13 finale on Friday, May 19. Jennifer Esposito and Tony Terraciano also made guest appearances in the episode, titled “Forgive Us Our Trespasses.” Blue Bloods airs Fridays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS and is streaming on Paramount+.
