Brandy and Whitney Houston’s “Cinderella” cast reunite on ABC

Grab your glass slippers – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is coming back to TV.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the popular fairytale musical, ABC will air a special edition of the news program “20/20,” reuniting the cast of the made-for-television movie, which airs August 23. All of the film’s surviving cast — including Brandy as the titular princess, Paolo Montalban as the prince, Jason Alexander as his valet Lionel, Whoopi Goldberg as the queen, Victor Garber as the king, Bernadette Peters as the evil stepmother, and Veanne Cox as one of the stepsisters — will serve on the return special, which follows the first airing of the original film in two decades.

The third televised version of the 1957 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II musical – which originally starred Julie Andrews in the title role – Cinderella first premiered on ABC in November 1997. The film received mixed reviews at the time, but was a hit with ratings. Aired to 60 million viewers on its original broadcast. Over time, the film became a classic and became known for the groundbreaking diversity of its cast, including Brandy as Black Cinderella and Montalban as the Filipino prince. The film was released on Disney+ last year during Black History Month after Brandy himself campaigned for it to be included in the service.

In addition to reuniting the original cast, the 20/20 special will also feature behind-the-scenes footage with the late Houston and interviews with producers Debra Martin Chase and Neil Meron, and costume designer Ellen Mirojnick. The special will feature interviews with personalities such as Billy Porter, who played the fairy godmother in last year’s version of Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast stage actor Jade Jones, and explores how the original film’s diverse cast Representation in Hollywood influenced singer Todrick Hall.

“We are delighted to be celebrating the 25th anniversary of this groundbreaking incarnation of ‘Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ on its original network,” said Imogen Lloyd Webber, SVP at Concord Theatricals, in a statement on behalf of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s unforgettable score is truly timeless – it continues to enthrall listeners 80 years after their partnership began and 65 years since their ‘Cinderella’ first enthralled the largest audiences in television history.”