Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella starring Brandy and Whitney Houston is officially coming to Disney+. On Thursday (Feb. 4th)! Disney announced that the musical will premiere on the streaming service “at the stroke of midnight” on Feb. 12.
While appearing on The View, Brandy also makes the announcement alongside her Cinderella co-star Whoopi Goldberg. The two stars reflected on Brandy’s groundbreaking role as the first Black princess.
“It meant everything to me because first of all, I got to work with my childhood idols, Whitney Houston, Whoopi Goldberg, Bernadette Peters,” she said. “The impact that it had on me and the lives of so many families and girls that look like me, it was just unbelievable. Looking back, I can now share this with my daughter and watch it.”
In addition to becoming a fan favorite, the musical movie was also a significant success. It earned seven Emmy nominations in 1998, winning for art direction for a variety or music program.
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The film became a cult classic since it premiered on Nov. 2, 1997. More than 60 million viewers tuned into the televised movie of the live-action fairy tale adaptation. Cinderella starred Brandy as Cinderella and Houston as her fairy godmother. While featuring a diverse A-list cast, the film became a staple to many black girls growing up in the 2000s.
Castmates included Victor Garber, Bernadette Peters, Paolo Montalban, and Jason Alexander, and spawned the classic Rodgers & Hammerstein soundtrack.
“I’m so excited that ‘Cinderella’ has a home now at Disney+ and we can celebrate and share and inspire a whole new generation,” added Brandy, who also shared the advice she received from the late Houston shortly before her passing in 2012. “She told me to please promise her to always be myself, like never change for anyone,” she said.
Earlier this week, Brandy’s album b7 was nominated for Outstanding Album at the 52nd NAACP Image Awards.