[SmallTownIngenue]

Sorry if this has been discussed to death, but I'm doing the show now as Cinderella and I'm curious what people's opinions are about an implied relationship between the Baker and Cinderella at the end of the show. We were discussing it at rehearsal with the whole cast, and the actor playing the Baker doesn't really think there would be a very romantic relationship between them, mainly because he thinks they would have more of a brother/sister/friendship bond, but others thought since they all agree to live together in the end and she is helping him raise his son, that maybe they would eventually fall in love.

As for me, I'm not really sure about either. I think maybe the Baker probably has a little crush on Cinderella before he actually gets to know her, but I'm not really sure about Cinderella's feeling towards him.

Thoughts? I really want to flesh out my character and her connections with the other characters in the show, so this is why I'm curious.

[Apples2for10]

I always thought that after they moved in together, they tried to deny their feelings for a while but eventually became an item.

[Cinderelli]

That's a really sweet idea, I'd never thought of that.

It doesn't appear to be very important to the storyline, but think about it. Aren't Cinderella and the Baker the only purely good characters? Sure, they both have wavering moments, but fairytale karma leaves them alive at the end, along with Jack and Red (thieving and bloodthirsty). They would make a nice couple.

[Baker]

I think the Baker is pretty faithful to his wife and her death breaks him down. Cinderella feels very motherly toward his child in the absence of his real mother. The Final Four move in together, and eventually Jack and Little Red's bickering cools down, and they marry and settle into their own home. The Baker and Cinderella develop feelings for each other over time, but the death of the Baker's Wife has become something of a taboo subject. So there's this giant elephant in the room and no one is really sure how to deal with it - the Baker's Son knows that his mother is dead, but doesn't know the details. Eventually, there's a very emotional episode where the Baker breaks down, the Son discovers the truth, and Cinderella helps the Baker move on and yes, they marry.

The flaw in this could be that the Baker's Wife encourages the Baker to tell the Son the whole story. But I don't think he does. He intends to. He has managed to overcome grieving his father in "No More" and we hope that he has learned his lesson and will be able to properly cope with the Baker's Wife's death. But as Cinderella's final "I wish!" demonstrates, humans (and especially humans in fairy tales) live in cycles. "This has all happened before and it will all happen again" type of deal. Something must send the Baker's Son "into the woods," and perhaps it is the full understanding of his wife's death.

Having said all that... I don't think their attraction for one another would appear at the end of the show. Cinderella could give some hints at it, since her separation from her Prince was pretty final and she's pretty content with the end of that relationship. The Baker though is still caught up in the emotions of losing his Wife and trying to prepare a future for his Son, so I don't think he's ready to look at Cinderella romantically yet.

Just my thoughts.

[fjays]

Well said, Baker!
I totally agree with the "History doesn't repeat itself, it only rhymes" kinda thing, where life just goes in circles, as do these fairytales..

I always thought that the Baker and Cindy would get together, but much after the show finishes.. Although not much would be hinted at during the actual show.

[actor]

I don't think that Cinderella and the baker are romantically interested in each other by the end of the show. When the baker runs to Cinderella for help, it's very much a tense Princess/Peasant relationship. After Cinderella realises that royal life isn't really who she is, she moves in with the baker, as friends, to help him raise his child. After all, all 4 characters have no one left in their lives at that point so why not all pull together? It also reflects the "No one is alone" theme.

Whether they end up in a relationship after "Happily ever after"... who knows? I suppose it's open to interpretation. I don't think they feel that way at the end of the show though. I suppose it would add an interesting parrellel between the Prince/Baker's wife, Baker/Cinderella switched relationships.

[SmallTownIngenue]

Thanks for all your input guys!

Well after blocking the final scenes in Act II yesterday, my director made it pretty clear that he wanted to imply a future relationship between the Baker and Cinderella, such as a few meaningful glances when he returns after No More, but I doubt that they act on any feelings for a while after the show. But I think eventually they did.