Cinderella

Julia Ramey March 6, 2008 4:00AM

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The character Cinderella has seen many incarnations, from Disney’s wistful songbird to Drew Barrymore’s defiant dreamer in Ever After. The latter version disposed of the notion of Cinderella as a mild pushover. But as it turns out, Houston Ballet artistic director and choreographer Stanton Welch beat Barrymore to this image of the heroine: His 1997 version of Cinderella, staged first in Australia, imagines her as no soot-covered martyr, but rather as a tomboyish rebel who fights back. This month the Houston Ballet brings Welch’s production, a lavish show with 200-plus costumes, stateside. It should please classical ballet adherents — but it has a truly modern ending, as the spunky star pairs off not with the egocentric prince, but (spoiler alert!) with his mild-mannered valet. 7:30 p.m. today. Through March 16. Wortham Theater Center, 501 Texas. For a full schedule, call 713-227-2787 or visit www.houstonballet.org. $17 to $134
Thu., March 6, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., March 8, 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 9, 2 p.m.; Fri., March 14, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., March 15, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sun., March 16, 2 p.m., 2008