At some point in life, most girls come to face the crushing reality that an immense castle, shimmering white steed, and ornate, billowing pink dress are simply pieces of a princess fantasy.
But Holly Veach, N. 18, is an exception. With the Sun City Theatre Company’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” set to run from April 26 to 29, she has found her fantasy come true.
“I lived in that fairytale land, thinking I would be a princess one day, and now I am onstage,” Veach, who plays Cinderella, said.
As a longtime fan of “Cinderella,” starring Lesley Ann Warren, Veach had a head start before taking on the role.
“It came out yearly; it was shown at least once a year, maybe more, but every time it was on TV, I was just glued to the TV,” Veach said. “It’s my all-time favorite movie when I was growing up. I already know all the songs.”
With the songs down, Veach can focus on memorizing her lines, something she practices nearly every day with her aunt.
When it came to the dances, Veach learned her steps from a certain townsman of Cinderella’s village.
That townsman is Veach’s father, Joe Nitti, N.29. Nitti, who had taken ballroom dance lessons in the early ’90s, taught Veach dances like the Gavotte.
“I wanted to dance socially. I didn’t want to do dancing for competition,” Nitti said of his lessons.
Nitti, who said the highlight of his lessons was dancing the tango at 63 years old with a 23-year-old partner, is now more glad that they led to him performing with his daughter.
“That’s how I got him to try out for the play. [Dancing] was the hook, and now I get to share the stage with my father,” Veach said.
Although the two never interact in the play, the joy both feel in sharing the stage gleams in the bright, fond glances they give each other.
“It gives me great pleasure to be standing even during practice here, so you can imagine what it will be like in the plays,” Nitti said. “Because when I’m watching my daughter going through the parts, [I’m] like any proud father and then some.”
This is not the first time Nitti has taken pride in his daughter’s performance. She first portrayed Tzeitel in Sun City’s production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” then Kim McAfee in “Bye Bye Birdie.” Veach also sang in the Sun City Idols Group prior to “Cinderella.”
Nitti himself has no acting experience; his biography for the play reads: “Joe appeared in a stage production of a Christmas pageant 62 years ago in high school.”
Even so, Joe said he has become more comfortable onstage and enjoys being part of the production.
Even with her acting chops and love of the character, Veach acknowledged “Cinderella” has been a challenge. She also spoke about how impressed she has been with the Theatre Company since moving to Sun City.
“You wonder how you could actually do it all: how do you remember all the lines, you want to give such a great performance, and it comes off through all the practice,” she said. “They’re very diligent and structured, and you just learn what you have to learn, and it’s nerve-wracking and fun and amazing all at the same time.”
Performing in “Cinderella” together not only has value in the time Veach and Nitti spend together onstage, but in the memories their time and work will create.
“I think that in my quiet moments when I think about it, it brings a tear to my eye, it really does,” Veach said. “When I have the video to watch in years to come, it’ll be awesome.”
In this case, where a father is not breaking the bad news to his daughter about the princess pipedream, but actually being a part of it, Veach said a certain line from “Cinderella” came to mind.
“Oh, yes, your highness, if you wish hard enough and believe in what you’re wishing, even foolish dreams come true.”
