Act One

The scene begins in the realm of the Fairy Godmother. Two helpers introduce her, and the Fairy Godmother appears. She sings that, if you ever need any help, all you need to do is call for her, and she will tend to you ("Hi Diddle Dee"). She then gets down to business and pulls out the list of their neediest cases of the day. At the top of the list is Ella. She is 18, an orphan and lives with her stepmother and two stepsisters. Her mother died years ago, and her father remarried. He then died, and she has been forced to become a servant to her stepmother and stepsisters. She is forced to sleep in the kitchen and sits among the cinders dreaming of being rescued. They laugh at her and have taken to calling her Cinder-Ella. This nickname inspires the Fairy Godmother, who realizes just how magical the name Cinderella is. She and her helpers rush off to look in on Ella and see if she is worthy of their help.

The three arrive at the stepmother's house and find Cinderella asleep among the ashes. They awaken her but remain invisible. She awakens, confused, thinking that she heard a voice and rushes into the main hall. She is upset and disgraced and wonders what will become of her life ("What Will Become of Me"). Her stepmother comes in and yells at her for being in the main hall, then rushes off to check on her beloved daughters. The two stepsisters, Gertrude and Henrietta, enter. They bicker between themselves, but their mother pacifies them and completely dotes upon their every word and move. They have much work to do, so they call for Cinderella. They begin bullying and bossing Cinderella around ("Get to Work"). As she is busy doing the ironing, Gertrude sends her to her room to fetch her perfume; she is lending some to Henrietta. Cinderella returns with her starch in one hand and the perfume in the other. Henrietta grabs the wrong bottle and will not listen when Cinderella tries to correct her. She douses herself with starch. Stepmother is furious and thinks that Cinderella has taken to playing tricks on them. She begins to beat her for her "trick." Fairy Godmother has seen enough; this girl is certainly worthy of their help. She has an inspired idea, which she only begins to explain to her helpers. Prince Charming must marry by his 21st birthday, which is at midnight that very night. That is all that she tells them. She sends them to the castle to check up on what is happening as she looks up some spells.

The helpers disguise themselves as Royal Guards. King Darling III enters the hall where they stand. He is old and can barely see but is very good natured and darling (after all, that is his name). He is very gentle and kind and fair, and everyone is dear to him ("King Darling III"). Prince Charming enters, and his father wishes him a happy birthday. His father insists that he must follow the rules and marry, but he refuses. He has not found anyone yet with whom he is in love. As a last resort, his father will throw a huge ball in honor of his birthday and invite all single women in the kingdom to attend, so that he may find a wife. The Helpers report back to the Fairy Godmother, and she is pleased. Cinderella will attend the ball that night.

Back at the house, Cinderella is hard at work, as always. The Helpers arrive to deliver the invitations to the ball. All unmarried women are to attend the ball at the stroke of nine, and, at the stroke of twelve, the Prince will pick his bride ("Invitation")! The two sisters and their mother scramble to prepare and they daydream of what the ball will be like. They are sure that they will be a hit at the ball and win over the prince ("At the Ball"). Stepmother and her daughters head out for the ball, leaving Cinderella all alone. She dreams of what it would be like to attend the ball, then wonders again what is to become of her. Just then, the Fairy Godmother appears to Cinderella. If she wishes to go to the ball, then she shall. She is to go and sit with a handful of cinders in her lap and imagine the most beautiful dress. Meanwhile, Fairy Godmother turns a pumpkin into a golden coach. The two helpers are to be disguised as noblemen and escort her to the ball. Cinderella appears in a gorgeous gown and glass slippers. The Fairy Godmother's only warning is that the spell will only last until midnight, then everything will turn back to what it was.

Act Two

The Fairy Godmother watches from her realm and must get to the ball herself. Everything else is in order. Everyone is dancing at the ball and trying to win over the Prince. He does not seem interested in any of the women, however. His father is worried since it is already after ten o'clock. Just then, the Prince spots a golden coach arriving that is carrying the most beautiful princess that he has ever seen. Cinderella enters. The Prince greets her and asks who she is. She says that she must remain unknown and that she is from the Land of Enchantment. The helpers are sent to keep the stepsisters away from the prince while Cinderella dances with him. Just to make sure, the Fairy Godmother casts a spell that, every time they dance, they begin to sneeze. Stepmother and the sisters are disgusted and, thinking quick on her feet, Henrietta explains that it is a new dance ("Sneeze Polka"). The Stepmother is doing everything that she can to get the Prince to propose to one of her daughters, but he only has eyes for the Enchanted Princess, Cinderella. The Prince asks Cinderella to be his bride, and she says yes. As he announces this to his father and the guests, the clock strikes midnight, and Cinderella runs off. He chases after her but all that he can find of her is one glass slipper.

It is a week later, and the King and Prince have been searching everywhere to find the Enchanted Princess. The Prince insists that the only way to find her is to go to every woman in the Kingdom and see whose foot fits the glass slipper. His father grants him permission to go ahead with this plan. They search every house in the kingdom until they finally arrive at the Stepmother's house.

The women await the arrival of the Prince. Cinderella insists that she, too, must be allowed to try on the slipper, but Stepmother will not hear of it. She locks Cinderella in the kitchen closet so that she will not be seen. All three women try on the slipper, but it does not fit any of them. The Prince must give up; his princess is nowhere to be found. The Fairy Godmother is watching and cannot let it end like this. She makes Cinderella sneeze. The women try to cover it up and pretend that it was one of them, but the guards find Cinderella in the other room, after all. She tries on the slipper, and it fits perfectly. She and the Prince are to be married; he has finally found his Princess! The Stepmother and Stepsisters rush to her, begging her forgiveness. Cinderella forgives them all and invites them to live in the castle with them, and they will all live happily ever after.