Daurie Rothhaar - Podcast Details

Shows

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 132: The Muppets Christmas CarolMerry Christmas!Cassie, Daurie, and Matt take a few moments out of this busy holiday season to discuss an absolutely classic -- The Muppets Christmas Carol. Of Slippers and Spindles will be back from hiatus on January 28! In the meantime, thank you for being part of our podcast family, and happy holidays to all who celebrate!Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Newsletter, bonus episodes, exclusive polls, Zoom hangouts, and more! https://patreon.com/ofslippersandspindles Visit ou...

2025-12-2552 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 131: The 10th Kingdom Wrap UpCassie, Daurie, Laura, and special guest Daniel wrap up their thoughts on the 2000 miniseries The 10th Kingdom. We discuss changes we would make to the story, the script, and the world, and leave you with our overall impressions.Of Slippers and Spindles will be taking a two month hiatus for the holidays, but we will be back in late January 2026 with our revisit of Snow White! In the meantime, catch all our bonus content on our Patreon with just a $1 monthly donation!Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our...

2025-11-2637 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 130: The 10th Kingdom Episode 5Cassie, Daurie, Laura, Matt, and special guest Daniel continue their discussion of the 2000 miniseries The 10th Kingdom with the final episode in the series, episode 5. Subtitle: The Script Doctors. We talk about how close this came to reaching its potential, Matthew's extensive apple knowledge, the inescapable pull of saying "Destiny" as an answer to every question, and how well the series as a whole addresses our Mash Up criteria.Spoilers for Star Wars and Syfy's Alice.Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers a...

2025-11-191h 31

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 129: 10th Kingdom episodes 3 and 4Cassie, Daurie, Laura, and Matt continue their discussion of the 2000 miniseries The 10th Kingdom, and look at episodes 3 and 4. Our love for Lucy Punch is on full display throughout the episode, and we also touch on our favorite elements of these two much stronger episodes -- their portrayal of Snow White and her story, the inclusion of the courtroom drama and all its tropes, and what happens when real world logic meets fairy tale rules. There's also some intense plot-doctoring discussions around the cringier elements still going strong.Join our community! View all of the b...

2025-10-291h 55

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 128: 10th Kingdom episodes 1 and 2Cassie, Daurie, Laura, and special guest Daniel dive deep into the first two episodes of the 2000 miniseries The 10th Kingdom, starring Kimberly Williams, John Larroquette, Scott Cohen, Dianne Weist, Ed O'Neill, and more. They discuss fairy tale characters in the real world and real world characters in fairy tale land, debate how to properly format magic wishes, and analyze what approaches and storylines would be handled differently if this story was told today.Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Newsletter, b...

2025-10-151h 48

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 127: Hansel and Gretel Wrap-Up and Intro to The 10th KingdomCassie and Daurie wrap up their thoughts on Hansel and Gretel, including talking about some of the other adaptations out there, and then all four cohosts join together to introduce that cult classic fairy tale mash-up, The 10th Kingdom. Featuring many a side conversation and tangent, and a truly impressive run down of "Where You Know Them From."Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Newsletter, bonus episodes, exclusive polls, Zoom hangouts, and more! https://patreon.com/ofslippersandspindles Visit our our me...

2025-10-0136 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 126: Sweetly by Jackson PearceCassie and Daurie wrap up the Hansel and Gretel era with the loosest retelling this time around, Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. They discuss modernizing fairy tales, the Twilight Effect of the early 2010s media, and how to deal with surprise werewolves. Content warning for gore and violence.Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Book Club, exclusive polls, monthly bookmarks, Zoom hangouts, and more! https://patreon.com/ofslippersandspindles Visit our our merch store, Facebook group, Instagram, Discord, an...

2025-09-1759 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 125: 2002 Hansel and Gretel movieCassie and Daurie watched the 2002 movie version of Hansel and Gretel, featuring Jacob Smith, Taylor Momsen, Howie Mandel, Alana Austin, Delta Burke, Tom Arnold, and Lynn Redgrave to answer the age old question: does it deserve that 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes? And the verdict is, yes. Yes, it really does. We watched it so you don't have to; all you have to do is listen to our discussion on how this take went so deeply wrong -- from poorly used framing devices to unnecessary character additions to incredibly weak attempts to feel modern and hip t...

2025-09-0338 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 124: A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam GidwitzCassie and Daurie give you two discussions for the price of one, as their exploration of A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz reveals a novel with Hansel and Gretel as the main characters, but a novel that isn't really a retelling of that classic story. So they pull in an old favorite and also look at how Hansel and Gretel was incorporated into Transformed: The Perils of the Frog Prince by Megan Morrison. They discuss what common elements tie all these stories together and what they have to do wit...

2025-08-2043 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 123: Cannon Movie Tales Hansel and GretelCassie and Daurie begin Hansel and Gretel's era with the Cannon Movie Tales Hansel and Gretel featuring Helen Stoltzfus, Allison Brody, Sam Carter, Gene Morrill, Bo Patterson, and more. This movie pulls heavily from the Humperdinck opera, and features the acting talents of David Warner; Hugh Pollard; Nicola Stapleton; Emily Richard; and Cloris Leachman.We discuss how Cassie is a lying liar with a bad memory, how music and camera work can foreshadow things that do not actually exist, how UNBELIEVEABLY creepy the fence children are, and more.Join our community! View all...

2025-08-0637 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 122: The Arabian Nights Wrap Up and Intro to Hansel and GretelIt's time to bid another farewell to the ultimate storyteller's tale and turn to a pair of siblings getting lost in the woods and finding a house of questionable building materials. Cassie and Laura start us off with our final thoughts on The Arabian Nights and how its walking red flag was handled overall. Then Cassie and Daurie begin a journey into an apparently overlooked classic, Hansel and Gretel. We talk through the plot of the story and the many questions it brings up, then we reveal the criteria we'll be using and...

2025-07-2356 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 116: The Goose Girl by Shannon HaleCassie, Matt, and Daurie come together to discuss the Goose Girl retelling that started it all -- The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale. Join us as we gush about the audio book, rhapsodize about how Shannon Hale names her characters, offering our opinions on the musical-in-progress, and teach you all the most important lesson you can learn from literature - what to do if you're being kidnapped.Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Book Club, exclusive polls, monthly bookmarks, Zoom hangouts, and...

2025-04-172h 04

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 112: Cinderella Wrap-Up and Intro to The Goose GirlIt's time to bid another farewell to our (riches to) rags to riches girlie and introduce ourselves to . . . ANOTHER riches to rags to riches girlie! Cassie, Daurie, Laura, and Matt begin this episode with our final thoughts on Cinderella, and the potential for future adaptations. As always, we discuss our ideas for how we would like to retold the story ourselves. Then Cassie and Matthew begin their journey into a new story, which is The Goose Girl by the Brothers Grimm. We talk through the plot of the story and the many questions it brings u...

2025-02-1955 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 111: Just Ella by Margaret Peterson HaddixIn the final episode of our third Cinderella era, Daurie and Cassie come together to discuss the classic Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix, an exploration of what happens after Happily Ever After, when life for Ella has become an endless round of lessons and restrictions and even worse, Prince Charming turns out to be more like Prince Boring. Why can't she talk with him the way she can with Jed, her earnest young tutor? Slowly, Ella comes to realize she doesn't want the life she fought so hard to win. But breaking her engagement proves more di...

2025-02-051h 12

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Episode 108: Introducing Our Third Cinderella EraMeet new cohosts Daurie, Laura, and Matt, and hear their thoughts on fairy tales in general, and this month's line up of Cinderella stories in particular.

2025-01-0141 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre In Loving MemoryDrew RothhaarFebruary 16, 1990 - February 21, 2023"To die will be an awfully big adventure."Thank you all so much for being part of our lives the past two years.

2023-02-2205 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 83: The 12 Dancing Princesses Wrap Up & Intro to AladdinIt's time to dance our way out of June's story and make a wish to start July's story: Aladdin! Drew and Cassie wrap up our final thoughts on The 12 Dancing Princesses, and Drew shares some thoughts on the reasons he doesn't care for the original story while Cassie helps sort through these ideas. As we discuss our own ideas for how we would retell the tale, Drew connects The 12 Dancing Princesses to a different, perhaps more beloved, story, and Cassie goes into detail about "Deliverance," her version of the story that she's been hinting to throughout the month. Then...

2022-07-031h 01

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 82: Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses (2006)"I could dance forever and ever and ever."In our final week of The 12 Dancing Princesses Month, Drew and Cassie are joined by Drew's sister, Daurie, to discuss perhaps the world's most popular retelling of the story, the 2006 film Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses. Barbie plays the role of Genevieve, the 7th of 12 sisters whose father decides they must learn to be "proper princesses." When their instructor begins to suck all of the joy out of their lives, the 12 princesses find a magic portal to a secret world where they can dance to their hearts' content. We...

2022-06-2956 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 81: House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig“Nights like this were meant to be shared, remembered, and talked about for years."The 12 Dancing Princesses Month continues as Drew and Cassie take a look at the popular 2019 YA novel House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig. This book follows Annaleigh Thaumas, the sixth of twelve sisters, who lives a sheltered life at her family's stronghold in Highmoor. The four eldest Thaumas daughters have died over the last few years, and rumors are spreading that the family is cursed. As Annaleigh's remaining sisters begin to sneak out every night to attend glittering ba...

2022-06-2248 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 80: The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine“Dancing was a dangerous game, but it meant that at night, at least, they knew what to do with themselves.” We continue our month of exploring The 12 Dancing Princesses with The Girls at the Kingfisher Club by Genevieve Valentine. This YA retelling removes all magic from the story and recontextualizes it by dropping the twelve young women into the Roaring '20s! Jo Hamilton and her eleven sisters live their lives trapped in the house of their father, who almost never acknowledges them, but they find freedom by sneaking out at night and dancing in the...

2022-06-1549 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 79: Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George“She was, surprisingly, an exquisite dancer." We journey into Week 2 of The 12 Dancing Princesses Month with one of Cassie's favorite fairy tale retellings of all time, Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George. Cassie loves this book and was pretty anxious to hear what Drew's opinion would be after reading it for the first time! Set in the fictional kingdom of Westfalin, this YA novel from 2009 remains faithful to the original story while digging deeper to answer the many questions the fairy tale raises. Galen is a young soldier returning from war and Ro...

2022-06-081h 05

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 78: Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Dancing Princesses (1987)"I have no patience for hearts and flowers and young men who brag about this victory and that. There's more to life than romance." We begin our month discussing The 12 Dancing Princesses by returning once again to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre! This time we are looking at the series' final episode, season 6, episode 3, The Dancing Princesses, starring Lesley Ann Warren. Although the number of sisters is slimmed down to 6 instead of 12, once again Faerie Tale Theatre remains fairly faithful to the original story. We discuss the rhyming names, the soldier's moustache, Lesley A...

2022-06-0144 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 77: The Frog Prince Wrap Up & Intro to The 12 Dancing PrincessesIt's time to let one story croak and dance into a new tale: The 12 Dancing Princesses! But first, Drew and Cassie wrap up their final thoughts on The Frog Prince. We acknowledge some of the similarities between this month's books and movies, we read a listener email about Iron Henry, and we discuss our thoughts on how we would adapt the story. Then we move on to our next fairy tale! We talk through the plot of The 12 Dancing Princesses, then we reveal our criteria and which books and movies we'll be looking at throughout the month of June!

2022-05-2949 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 76: Disney's The Princess and the Frog (2009)"There is no way I am kissing a frog and eating a bug on the same day!" It's the final week of The Frog Prince Month, which means it's Disney week! We are taking a look at Disney's version of this story, 2009's The Princess and the Frog, starring Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Jennifer Cody, John Goodman, Oprah Winfrey, and more! This animated movie, loosely based on the book The Frog Princess by E. D. Baker, is a little bit meta as it inverts the classic tale. When a frog appears to T...

2022-05-2557 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 75: Water Song by Suzanne WeynIn our third week discussing The Frog Prince, Drew and Cassie are looking at Water Song by Suzanne Weyn, the 10th book in the Once Upon A Time YA series from the early 2000s. This book sets the story during World War I and follows Emma, a British socialite who has found herself isolated in her family's mansion along the warfront in Belgium. A soldier named Jack seeks refuge from a gas attack in Emma's well, and soon the two find themselves confined to the house by German soldiers. They must fake a marriage as they also...

2022-05-1843 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 74: Transformed: The Perils of the Frog Prince by Megan Morrison"Lose yourself to be found. Transform to be transformed." Drew and Cassie are revisiting their favorite fairy tale series, the Tyme novels by Megan Morrison! The third book, Transformed: The Perils of the Frog Prince, follows Prince Syrah of the Olive Isles, an arrogant young man who makes a wish that backfires and turns him into a frog! A sudden, deadly plague descends upon the people of Yellow Country, and as a small creature, Syrah finds himself privy to a lot of crucial and private information. He soon finds himself playing detective, trying to discover t...

2022-05-111h 04

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 73: Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: The Tale of the Frog Prince (1982)"Pardon me, could you not make so much noise? You're scaring away all the flies." For our first week of The Frog Prince Month, we watched the premiere episode of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre from 1982, The Tale of the Frog Prince, starring Robin Williams, Teri Garr, and Eric Idle. This relatively faithful adaptation of the Grimms' fairy tale gets pretty wacky, with an over-the-top performance from the spoiled princess and stand-up comedian version of the frog. We discuss theories on Grizelda the Witch, the magic, floating, golden ball, Robin Williams' frog costume, the antagonistic d...

2022-05-0441 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 72: The Wizard of Oz Wrap Up & Intro to The Frog PrinceIt's time to tap our heels together three times to leave Oz behind and splash our way into a new fairy tale: The Frog Prince! Drew and Cassie wrap up their final thoughts on The Wizard of Oz, including discussing why adapting Oz seems to elude authors and reading an email from a listener explaining a gap in our knowledge about The Wiz. Before we leave the Yellow Brick Road behind, as we do every month, we discuss our own ideas about how we would retell Oz (although, of course, Cassie already has)! Then it's time to move on...

2022-05-0151 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 71: Wicked by Gregory Maguire, Winnie Holzman, and Stephen Schwartz"Are people born wicked? Or is wickedness thrust upon them?" We're nearing the end of the Yellow Brick Road! For our final week in The Wizard of Oz Month, Drew and Cassie discuss Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire as well as the 2003 Broadway musical adaptation with a book by Winnie Holzman and music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, originally starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Wicked follows the story of Elphaba, a young woman who was born in the land of Oz with g...

2022-04-272h 19

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 70: The Muppets' Wizard of Oz (2005)"There's only room for one diva in Oz, and that is MOI!" Drew and Cassie are here to discussing the third Oz adaptation of the month, the 2005 TV film The Muppets' Wizard of Oz starring Ashanti, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzie Bear, Pepe the King Prawn, and many more Muppets and humans alike! This particular adaptation begins in a modern-day Kansas, where Dorothy dreams of becoming a big star by joining the Muppets Tour. When the tornado drops Dorothy in Oz, she finds herself in a land entirely inhabited by Muppets - even h...

2022-04-2044 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 69: The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical by Charlie Smalls and William F. Brown"Come on and ease on down, ease on down the road..." For our second week in The Wizard of Oz Month, we're discussing the 1975 Broadway musical The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. In addition to reading the show's script, we watched the 1979 film adaptation starring Diana Ross and Michael Jackson as well as the 2015 production of The Wiz Live! starring Shanice Williams, Queen Latifah, David Alan Grier, and more. This cultural sensation's plot is remarkably faithful t...

2022-04-131h 18

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 68: The Wizard of Oz (1939)"Are you a good witch or a bad witch?" We are starting The Wizard of Oz Month with the classic 1939 film starring Judy Garland, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, Frank Morgan, and Margaret Hamilton. Drew and Cassie start by revisiting their personal connections to this nostalgic musical film before talking through the plot that has been majorly streamlined from L. Frank Baum's original novel. We talk through many of the smart and fun changes the movie makes, like expanding the Kansas scene and swapping out the silver shoes for ruby slippers. We t...

2022-04-061h 22

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 67: Peter Pan Wrap Up & Intro to The Wizard of OzIt's time to fly away from Neverland and get caught up in a tornado that will whisk us off to Oz! But first we have some exciting announcements: we now have MERCHANDISE available, and we are launching our PATREON! Pledging just $1 a month gets you all kinds of fun perks that we outline for you. Then we dive into some final thoughts on Peter Pan, and ask our traditional question of how we would adapt the story ourselves. Then we begin the journey down the yellow brick road! We talk about our personal connections to Oz before discussing the...

2022-03-301h 14

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 66: Disney's Peter Pan (1954)“When there's a smile in your heart, there's no better time to start…” It's Disney week! We're talking about Disney's 1953 animated classic version of Peter Pan, featuring the voices of Bobby Driscoll, Hans Conried, and Kathryn Beaumont. Drew grew up on this movie and, unsurprisingly, it holds a special place in his heart. Cassie, on the other hand... is not a fan. It was a long journey for the Disney company to figure out how they were going to retell J. M. Barrie's play and novel, so we discuss some of the history behind the movie...

2022-03-231h 26

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 65: Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, and Rick Elice"To have faith is to have wings." In our third week of Peter Pan Month, we are looking at the novel Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson as well as the stage adaptation written by Rick Elice and starring Christian Borle, Adam Chanler-Berat, and Celia Keenan-Bolger. This Peter Pan prequel/reboot follows the adventures of Peter, an orphan being sold into slavery, and a girl named Molly who is protecting a chest full of starstuff, a magical substance with immense power. Trials on the treacherous seas lead to wild e...

2022-03-161h 15

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 64: Peter Pan (2003)"I do believe in fairies! I do! I do!" Drew and Cassie are here to gush over the 2003 film adaptation of Peter Pan starring Jeremy Sumpter, Jason Isaacs, and Rachel Hurd-Wood! This film knows that Wendy is the protagonist and focuses on the underlying romantic tensions between Peter and Wendy in some beautiful and unique ways. We talk about the movie's incredible soundtrack, a generation's crush on Jeremy Sumpter, adaptation vs. retelling, Barrie's vision for a film version of Peter Pan, the many wonderful performances from the three leads as well as Carsen Gray, Ludivine S...

2022-03-091h 44

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 63: Peter Pan (1954, 2000)"Just think of lovely things, and your heart will fly on wings..." Drew and Cassie are joined by Leah from YA Book Chat to discuss the 1954 musical version of Peter Pan! With music and lyrics by Jule Styne, Mark Charlap, Betty Comden, Adolph Green, and Carolyn Leigh, the original Broadway production starred Mary Martin as Peter Pan and Cyril Ritchard as Captain Hook. An adaptation of this production was televised in 1955, 1956, and 1960. Olympic gymnast Cathy Rigby would eventually claim the role of Peter, and famously played the role on stage for over four decades. For t...

2022-03-021h 48

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 62: Alice in Wonderland Wrap Up & Intro to Peter PanIt's time to leave the rabbit hole behind and fly off to Neverland! Drew and Cassie give their final thoughts on Alice in Wonderland and its place in history before moving on to our next story, Peter Pan by Sir J. M. Barrie. This is by far the longest and most complex story we've looked at so far, so we work our way through the story's plot, along the way discussing Barrie's unique writing style, Peter as the embodiment of childhood, the rich details of the novel, the parallels between Captain Hook and Mr. Darling, the intentionality of symbolism...

2022-02-271h 38

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 61: Disney and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland (1951, 2010)"I give myself very good advice... but I very seldom follow it." Drew and Cassie are joined by Drew's sister-in-law, Emily, for our final week talking about Alice's Adventures in Wonderland! First, we talk through the 1951 animated film, then we take a look at the 2010 live action reboot directed by Tim Burton, starring Mia Wasikowsa, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Anne Hathaway. We discuss the universal inclusion of the Tweedles in Wonderland, the cut song "Beneath the Laughing Sky," the new character of the Doorknob, the Disneyfication of The Walrus and the C...

2022-02-231h 34

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 60: Heartless by Marissa Meyer"Off with their heads!" For this week's special Valentine's episode, we are looking at Heartless by Marissa Meyer! Drew and Cassie are joined by Bethanie A. Finger from Prince Kai Fan Pod, the Marissa Meyer Book Club Podcast to discuss this 2016 YA prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Heartless follows Catherine, a young woman who wants to open the finest bakery in Wonderland, but is being held back by her duty to her family as well as an impending -and unwanted - engagement to the King of Hearts. When Cath encounters Jest, the han...

2022-02-161h 42

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 59: Alice in Wonderland (1999)"When I used to read about fairy tales, I never thought I would end up in the middle of one." For our second week of Alice in Wonderland Month, Drew and Cassie are taking a look at the 1999 TV film starring Tina Majorino, Whoopi Goldberg, Miranda Richardson, Martin Short, Ben Kingsley, Gene Wilder, and many, many more. This adaptation of the Alice story sticks very faithfully to the original Lewis Carroll book, but also adds a few Looking-Glass characters and introduces a lovely framework that gives meaning to Alice's journey. We discuss the movie's strange u...

2022-02-0939 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 58: Alice (2009)"Believe it or not, we are in your head!" Things are getting curiouser and curiouser as we begin our Alice in Wonderland month! In this episode, Drew and Cassie discuss Alice, the 2009 TV min-series from Showcase and Syfy starring Caterina Scorsone, Kathy Bates, Andrew Lee-Potts, Matt Frewer, Colm Meany, Philip Winchester, and Tim Curry. This Alice is a contemporary judo instructor, and her Wonderland is reimagined as a dystopia injected with elements of sci-fi and fantasy. Alice finds herself wrapped up in plot to take down the Queen of Hearts, who has been kidnapping people f...

2022-02-021h 13

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 57: The Snow Queen Wrap Up & Intro to Alice in WonderlandIt's time to let the snow melt away and head down the rabbit hole - and through the looking glass, too! Drew and Cassie are back from hiatus to give their final thoughts on The Snow Queen and, as always, talk about our ideas for how we would retell the tale. Then we begin our discussion on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. Cassie gives us a fascinating glimpse into the importance of Carroll's works in the history of children's literature before we discuss our opinions on the original Alice books. Then we...

2022-01-261h 00

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 56: Disney's Frozen (2013)"The lack of resemblance to The Snow Queen never bothered me anyway." Look, we like Frozen. But is it a retelling of The Snow Queen? Drew and Cassie are here to sort it all out! Disney's 2013 animated film tells the tale of Elsa, a princess who is about to be crowned queen, but is also grappling with hiding her secret magic powers of ice and snow. These secret powers have estranged Elsa from her sister, Anna. But when Elsa's powers come to light, she flees, and Anna must journey up the North Mountain to try t...

2021-12-291h 36

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 55: Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige"The more you see of evil, the more evil seems limitless. I guess the same goes for good, but I haven't seen as much of that." In our fourth week of discussing The Snow Queen, we are talking about Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige. This 2016 YA novel follows the ventures of Snow, a seventeen-year-old girl who has spent most of her life in Whittaker Psychiatric. Snow's life turns upside down when the boy she loves is pulled into an alternate world and as she follows him, Snow learns that she is from this alternate world a...

2021-12-2257 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 54: Robbergirl by ST Gibson"Loving something doesn't mean that you own it." It's a very special episode!! For the first time in six and a half years, Drew and Cassie were together in-person, and we got to record this episode sitting at the same table in the same room! This week we're talking about our third adaptation of The Snow Queen, Robbergirl by ST Gibson. This retelling is unique in a couple ways, primarily because it shifts perspective to that of the robbergirl, here named Helvig. When Helvig and her band find a young woman named Gerda in the f...

2021-12-1543 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 53: Hallmark’s Snow Queen (2002)"If you wake me up during the summer, I'll make you suffer." This week, Drew and Cassie are joined again by Cassie's brother, Matt, to talk about Snow Queen, the 2002 Hallmark mini-series starring Bridget Fonda, Chelsea Hobbs, and Jeremy Guilbaut. This version recasts Gerda and Kai as young adults who fall in love when Kai is hired to work at Gerda's father's hotel. Their romance is interrupted by the arrival of the Snow Queen, who spirits Kai away to force him to piece together a magic mirror, sending Gerda on a journey through the domains o...

2021-12-081h 27

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 52: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu"She had believed that because someone needed saving they were savable." We begin our month discussing The Snow Queen with middle-grade novel Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu. This book's protagonist is Hazel, a fifth-grader who is having a tough time in her life at the moment. This is exacerbated when her best friend, Jack, suddenly changes... and then disappears. Hazel embarks a complicated journey through an enchanted forest to rescue Jack from the Snow Queen - and comes across a few other Hans Christian Andersen stories along the way. We discuss the book's title, the decisions t...

2021-12-011h 02

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 51: Into the Woods Wrap Up & Intro to The Snow QueenIt's time to let the curtain fall on Into the Woods and start to get icy! We start off by working through some final thoughts on Into the Woods, including discussion of the musical's ultimate message, our feelings on design concepts of the show, and a few extra personal experiences we forgot to mention. This all culminates in our assignment for the month: fancasting our dream versions of Into the Woods - you won't want to miss our legendary ideas for who should play the Witch, Cassie's clever casting for the stepsisters, or Drew's choice for Granny/Cinderella's Mother...

2021-11-2858 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 50: Into the Woods - The CriteriaIt's our 50th episode! We're here to “stop and take stock,” just like Cinderella did while standing there stuck on the steps of the palace. In this next episode about the 1987 musical Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, Drew and Cassie take a look back. As part of our podcast's premise, we traditionally set criteria each month in order to compare the various fairy tale retellings. Since Into the Woods includes four separate fairy tales, we pulled the criteria from the our previous months covering Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack and the...

2021-11-2442 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 49: Adapting Into the Woods - Disney, Broadway Junior, and Hudson Talbott"People make mistakes. Fathers, mothers, people make mistakes…" Our journey through Into the Woods continues! This week, Drew and Cassie look at how Into the Woods has been adapted in a few different ways. First we break down the 2014 film starring Meryl Streep, James Corden, Emily Blunt, Anna Kendrick, and Chris Pine. We discuss the adaptations between mediums in general, Disney's changes to the Narrator and the Mysterious Man, the changes to important songs like On the Steps of the Palace, giving away plot twists too early, Johnny Depp as the Wolf, the bri...

2021-11-171h 59

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 48: Into the Woods - Act II"Once upon a time... later..." This week, Drew and Cassie are joined by Cassie's brother, Matthew, to explore the deconstruction of fairy tales in Act II of Into the Woods. In Act I, the Baker and his Wife collected the cow as white as milk, the cape as red blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold. They successfully lifted the curse on their house and now they have a baby, as they've wished for so long. Now, they are living "happily ever after," as are Cinderella, Jack, Little R...

2021-11-102h 15

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 47: Into the Woods - Act I"Do you know what you wish? Are you certain what you wish it what you want?" Have we said "we're excited" enough yet? Probably, but we're going to say it approximately fifty more times. Drew and Cassie are joined by Drew's sister, Daurie, to work our way through the complexities of Act I of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods. This 1987 musical tells the tale of a Baker and his Wife who learn that their next-door neighbor, a Witch, was once wronged by the Baker's father and so she placed a spell on t...

2021-11-032h 09

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 46: Jack and the Beanstalk Wrap Up & Intro to Into the WoodsThis month we're mixing it up! Rather than focusing on various retellings of a specific tale like we usually we do, we're spending the entire month of November on just one retelling! In this episode, we start by wrapping up our final thoughts on Jack and the Beanstalk by recapping some of the recurring ideas that we found throughout the various retellings we looked at in October. We also discuss how Cassie and Drew would each retell Jack and the Beanstalk - and Drew comes up with his on the spot. Then we finally start our journey into the...

2021-10-3149 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 45: Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001)"All the wealth, all the power, everything we have springs from the greed of your ancestor." In the final week of Jack and the Beanstalk month, Drew and Cassie discuss Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story. This retelling is a 3-episode mini-series from Hallmark that aired in 2001 and features an all-star cast that includes Matthew Modine, Jon Voight, Mia Sara, Vanessa Redgrave, Richard Attenborough, JJ Feild, Jonathan Hyde, and Daryl Hannah. Modine plays Jack Robinson, a wealthy man living in contemporary New York City who soon learns that he is the last descendant of the Jack f...

2021-10-271h 11

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 44: The World Above by Cameron DokeyAll right, friends, this is a fun one. Drew and Cassie are here to duke it out over a disagreement that has lasted many years! This week's retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk is The World Above by Cameron Dokey. This is the last book in the Once Upon A Time book series, which ran from 2002-2010 and retold various fairy tales as written by different authors. Cameron Dokey's take on the Jack tale focuses less on Jack and more on his sister, Gen, who goes on her own adventure. This version is based on the tale as written b...

2021-10-2053 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 43: Crazy Jack by Donna Jo NapoliThis week, we return to one of the queens of fairy tale retellings, Donna Jo Napoli. Her reimagining of the Jack and the Beanstalk tale, Crazy Jack, came out in 1999 and focuses on a Jack who is dealing with the trauma of losing his father. When a handful of beans provide a possible clue to his father's disappearance seven years ago, Jack can't stop himself from chasing the truth. Drew and Cassie discuss the romanticization of farming, the introduction of women in Jack retellings, our general opinions of Napoli books, the hazy presence of magic, rainbows, and...

2021-10-1350 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 42: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)"Fee, fi, fo, fum, Ask not whence the thunder comes For between heaven and earth is a perilous place Home to a fearsome giant race." For our first week of Jack and the Beanstalk Month, Drew and Cassie are here to talk about Jack the Giant Slayer! This 2013 film has an all-star cast including Nicholas Holt, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane, and Bill Nighy. Along the way, we discuss beanstalk violence, Sisters of the Never Sea, fear of heights, fear of depths, the portrayal of royalty in fairy tale retellings, the...

2021-10-061h 07

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 41: Little Red Riding Hood Wrap Up & Intro to Jack and the BeanstalkIt's time to let Little Red skip off into the woods and climb into the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk! Drew and Cassie give their final thoughts on Little Red Riding Hood, including how they have interpreted the story in their own writing. Then we work our way through an examination of October's tale, Jack and the Beanstalk. Plus, we reveal the criteria for Jack and which retellings we'll be watching and reading! Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Book Club, e...

2021-10-0353 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 40: Hoodwinked (2005)"What big ears you have!" "All the better to hear your many criticisms with." It's episode 40! Drew and Cassie are here to talk about this week's retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, Hoodwinked! We discuss this movie's shockingly star-studded including Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, Jim Belushi, David Ogden Stiers, and Andy Dick. We take a look at the way the movie plays with its non-traditional storytelling format and unique take on each of the Little Red character tropes. Plus, we reveal which fairy tale we will be discussing in October! J...

2021-09-2943 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 39: Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge"Whatever creature you turn into, whatever form you take, I won't let go of you." In our third week of Little Red Riding Hood Month, Drew and Cassie discuss Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge. We once again find ourselves asking the question, "What does it take to count a book or movie as a true adaptation?" This novel, purported to be "inspired by" the story of Little Red, focuses on Rachelle, a young woman who finds herself struggling to save her world while also trapped in a classic YA love triangle. We discuss our strong f...

2021-09-2243 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 38: Red by Liesl Shurtliff"Funny, that we always told stories with wolves and beasts and demons as villains, but in real life it seemed the humans were always the worst enemies." For our second week of Little Red Riding Hood Month, we are journeying back into the world of the (Fairly) True Tales Series through the third book in the sreies, Red by Liesl Shurtliff! After we thoroughly enjoyed Shurtliff's Grump during Snow White Month, we are excited to find out how she has reimagined the girl in the red cape. This middle grade novel focuses on Red, a...

2021-09-1552 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 37: Red Riding Hood (2011)"I know there must be a God, because you're the devil." It's officially the first week of Little Red Riding Hood month! This week's retelling is Red Riding Hood, the 2011 film starring Amanda Seyfried. We start off by discussing the importance of the year this movie came out and its promotional tactics, then we dive into this werewolf mystery. Did Cassie figure out who the werewolf was? Did the retelling pass the criteria? In which country did the podcast suddenly chart? And what do brown contacts have to do with this movie? You'll have to l...

2021-09-0849 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 36: Intro to Little Red Riding HoodWe're back! After our hiatus, Drew and Cassie return to the podcast full time! September's fairy tale is Little Red Riding Hood, so we discuss the history of the tale and break down some of the major differences between the most well-known versions as recorded by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. If it's been a while since you've read them, you may be surprised at the endings to these stories! We also detail our criteria for the retellings and reveal which film and book adaptations of Little Red we will be looking at this month! Plus we've got p...

2021-09-0142 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 35: Snow White Wrap Up & Life UpdateWe're not fully back, but we're briefly back! Since we've been on hiatus since February, Drew and Cassie give an update on how our lives have changed over the past few months, and then we give our final thoughts on the retellings of Snow White we looked at so long ago. We discuss Disney's influence on the tale's prevalence in our culture, thoughts on some adaptations we didn't discuss in February, Cassie issues an important apology, and as always, we share our ideas on how we would like to retell Snow White! Join our community! View all o...

2021-07-2138 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 34: Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)"Some day my prince will come..." Well, today is "some day" and this episode is your prince! We recorded this episode back in February, and extenuating circumstances delayed it's release, but it's finally here! You can enjoy Drew and Cassie's debate once again as we disagree on Snow White's personality but agree that the sequence where the Evil Queen rushing down the stairs with her cape billowing is excellent. In addition to the 1937 animated film, we also discuss the stage adaptation that was produced for the MUNY in St. Louis and then filmed at Radio C...

2021-07-071h 31

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre An Important AnnouncementOf Slippers and Spindles is taking an indefinite hiatus while Drew deals with some health issues. We hope to be back with you soon.

2021-02-2401 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 33: Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust"If the love you for anything, it will be your beauty." In the third week of our Snow White Month, Drew and Cassie are here to discuss Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust. This 2017 novel switches perspectives between two characters: Mina, who learns that her magician father replaced her true heart with a heart of glass and eventually ascends to the role of queen in a kingdom of eternal winter, and Lynet, her stepdaughter, who is shocked to learn that she is a clone of her father's dead wife, created by the same magician u...

2021-02-1754 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 32: Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)"Lips red as blood, hair black as night, bring me your heart, my dear, dear Snow White." This week, Drew and Cassie are joined by Maggie and V from the I Met You On LJ podcast to talk about the 2012 film Snow White and the Huntsman starring Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, and Chris Hemsworth! We discuss the film's strengths and weaknesses, world-building, bird imagery, Jupiter Ascending, the miscasting of the dwarfs, Countess Erzsébet Báthory, women in power through history, map hopping, The Matrix, a breakdown of Snow White's big speech, the twist on th...

2021-02-101h 59

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 31: Grump by Liesl Shurtliff"Life is one big mirror. That which we put out into the world will always come back to us." We're kicking off our Snow White Month with the middle grade book Grump by Liesl Shurtliff! This take on the fairy tale is told from the perspective of Borlen a.k.a. Grump, one of the seven dwarfs. Having spent his whole life underground but wishing to visit the surface, Borlen finds himself in a predicament when he is magically bound to follow the orders of both Queen E.V.I.L. and her stepdaughter, Snow...

2021-02-0353 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 30: The Little Mermaid Wrap Up & Intro to Snow WhiteIt's time to let The Little Mermaid sail off into the sunset as we end January and bite into a new fairy tale for February: Snow White! We start off this episode wrapping up our final thoughts on The Little Mermaid, including our own ideas for how we would like to retell the story ourselves. Then we sink our teeth into the history of Snow White and summarize the version told by the Brothers Grimm, including some changes to the tale as we commonly know it today. And of course, we reveal which Snow White books and movies we...

2021-01-311h 02

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 29: Disney's The Little Mermaid (1989)"Watch and you'll see, someday I'll be part of your world!" It's Disney week, and Drew and Cassie are here to battle it out! We break down the story, characters, music, and more of Disney's 1989 animated film, and explore further into changes made for the 2008 stage adaptation. We discuss the incorporation of Broadway-style storytelling, Triton as a father figure, Disney characters with Shakespearean names, updates to Ursula and Eric's characters for the stage musical, the Little Mermaid Extended Universe, Disney sequels, theme parks, dinglehoppers, and who is more annoying: Scuttle, Olaf, or Jaq...

2021-01-271h 56

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 28: The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember"There's something a little monstrous in both of us. And maybe it has to be that way for us to survive." In the third week of our Little Mermaid Month, we read The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember! This 2017 novel tells the story of Ersel, a mermaid living in frozen seas far north, who becomes entangled in the tricky dealings of the Norse god Loki. Among other things, we discuss the question of how much of a classic story must remain intact for a new version to still be a retelling, not just as it r...

2021-01-2043 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 27: Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon"Go and you will see that nothing is as wonderful as our dreams can make it." In our second week of Little Mermaid Month, we are looking at Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon. This 2011 novel alternates points of view between Lenia, the mermaid, and Margrethe, the princess on the beach who finds the prince, as their lives entwine closer and closer together until they reach an unexpected ending to the classic tale. We discuss the relationship between the two leading women, the not-so-charming prince, parallels within the two narratives, speculation on Margrethe's lineage and prophecy, the b...

2021-01-131h 12

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 26: Rusalochka (1976)"You will be will be eternal like a dream." We open our month of discussing The Little Mermaid with the 1976 live action Russian film, Rusalochka. This movie makes some big - and often bizarre - changes to the original tale, and we're here to break it down! We talk about a little mermaid who keeps her voice, the random isolated musical numbers, new characters, whiplash plot points, the mermaid's agency as a character, and much more! Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of...

2021-01-0656 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 25: Beauty and the Beast Wrap Up & Intro to The Little MermaidIt's time to close the book on Beauty and the Beast and dive into The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen! We first discuss our main takeaways from Beauty and the Beast and how we would like to retell it as writers ourselves. Then we break down the original story of The Little Mermaid, including discussion of birthday buddies, the tale's true ending, the time Drew played the Prince, Cassie's pattern of twisting her ankle on Wednesdays, and the beginnings of what is sure to be a month-long debate about the nature of the Sea Witch. Plus find out...

2021-01-031h 02

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 24: Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2017), Part 2"Now I know she'll never leave me, even as she runs away..." We're back for Part 2! In the second helping of our conversation about Disney's Beauty and the Beast, we break down the 2017 live action reboot, the movie's presence in the theme parks, and our adaptation criteria. This time we talk about changes both big and small, character revisions, the yellow dress, the novelization, French characters who speak with British accents and apparently don't know French, object design, Gaston stomping cabbages, new curse specs, the mistakes made with the revision of Lefou, symbolic choreography, Evermore v...

2021-01-011h 23

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 23: Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1990, 1994), Part 1"For who could ever learn to love a beast?" We could! This episode begins our discussion of a masterpiece among the Disney animated canon and a masterpiece when it comes to adapting Beauty and the Beast. In fact, our conversation went so long that we're bringing it to you in two parts! In today's episode, we recap the 1991 animated classic and discuss how it was reimagined for the Broadway stage in 1994. We talk about our adoration for the film's music and visuals, the first Disney movies we saw in theatres, fun f...

2020-12-301h 54

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 22: Beast by Donna Jo Napoli"I am a lion. and I will die a lion, for no human woman will ever love me." We head to Persia this week to discuss the novel Beast by Donna Jo Napoli! Our fourth Beauty and the Beast retelling this month explores the Beast's point of view, here the scholar prince Orasmyn, transformed into a lion as punishment for a hubristic mistake. We explore Orasmyn's antics as he's stuck in the body of a lion, his relationship with religion, his dynamic with this version of Belle, the use of language, and our frustration with en...

2020-12-2349 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 21: Beastly by Alex Flinn"Just because something is beautiful doesn't mean it's good." This week, we are joined by special guest Bethanie A. Finger from Prince Kai Fan Pod to discuss our first contemporary retelling of a fairy tale, Beastly by Alex Flinn! This book is told from the perspective of the beast character, now a popular and arrogant teenage boy from New York City, and explores how the story of Beauty and the Beast translates to the modern world of 2007. We talk about MySpace and Xanga, Love, Simon, the pitfalls of writing contemporary fiction, the end of the H...

2020-12-161h 52

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 20: Cannon Movie Tales: Beauty and the Beast (1987)"Try to find me and know me... no matter how I may be hidden from you." We read a lot of books and watch a lot of movies that we dearly love on this podcast, but every once in a while we throw a wild card into the mix, and that's what we're doing this week! We dive into the Cannon Movie Tales' 1987 movie musical version of Beauty and the Beast starring Rebecca De Mornay and John Savage. We talk about wacky character choices, bizarre music, rough acting, brutal dialogue, and admittedly decent costumes. Plus, f...

2020-12-091h 03

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 19: Beauty by Robin McKinley"He cannot be so bad if he loves roses so much." Beauty by Robin McKinley is one of the first modern fairy tale retellings as we know them today, so there's no better way to start our Beauty and the Beast Month! Truly, this novel helped shape the genre that this podcast is all about. Drew's friend, Laura, joins us to talk about this formative adaptation of one of her favorite tales! Along the way we discuss the importance of names in this novel, the strength of Beauty's characterization, and much more. Plus, we drool o...

2020-12-021h 25

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 18: Rapunzel Wrap Up & Intro to Beauty and the BeastIt's time to say goodbye to Rapunzel for now and hello to Beauty and the Beast! Drew and Cassie give their final thoughts on the adaptations of Rapunzel we looked at this month and as always, offer some ideas on how we would retell this story ourselves. Then we jump right into the history of Beauty and the Beast and summarize the fairy tale as we know it today, offering plenty of commentary on the way. We also reveal the five adaptations of Beauty and the Beast we will be exploring throughout the month of December! Join o...

2020-11-2959 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 17: Disney's Tangled (2010)"Flower gleam and glow, let your power shine..."We are joined again by Drew's sister, Daurie, to talk about her favorite movie, Tangled! We discuss the Disneyfication of the Rapunzel tale, Cassie's out-of-the-box first time watching this movie, Daurie's friend who had to ban the movie from her house, real-life lantern launches, Percy Jackson, 20th Century Fox's Anastasia, anonymous penpal stories, and so much more. Plus, we reveal the fairy tale we will be discussing in December! Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the O...

2020-11-251h 27

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 16: Zel by Donna Jo NapoliIn the third week of Rapunzel Month, we head into the Swiss Alps in the 1500s to discuss Zel by Donna Jo Napoli. This literary retelling of the tale dives into the psychology of not just Rapunzel but also the prince and witch characters by alternating perspectives through its text. This novel was fascinating to cover, because it was one of the first fairy tale retellings for both Cassie and Drew! Plus this week you'll experience Drew coming up with a conspiracy theory about a goose, and you'll hear the tragic tale of Cassie's elementary school first l...

2020-11-181h 00

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 15: Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon & Dean Hale, Illustrated by Nathan Hale"WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE: RAPUNZEL. For horse thieving, kidnapping, jail breaking, and using her hair in a manner other than nature intended!" Yee-haw! We're puttin' on our cowboy hats and fancy boots and shiny spurs as we're fixin' to head into the Wild West! This week we're talking about Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale and illustrated by Nathan Hale. Just like last week, we see Rapunzel team up with Jack (of Beanstalk fame), this time in a graphic novel that transforms our tower-trapped maiden into a spirited cowgirl who uses her famously long br...

2020-11-1150 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 14: Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel by Megan Morrison"'Look around you as you as you travel,' she said. 'Listen and be willing to hear. Because the Redlands itself is at steak, prisoner child, and when it is threatened, so is Tyme.'" We launch Rapunzel Month with an exploration of the first book in the Tyme series, Grounded: The Adventures of Rapunzel by Megan Morrison. Rapunzel meets Jack the Beanstalker in this remarkably creative retelling full of magic, fairies, witches, giants, adventures, kidnappings, reunions, redemption, incredible world-building, complex relationships, and a jack tournament. Cassie and Drew spend the hour gushing over their l...

2020-11-041h 07

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 13: Sleeping Beauty Wrap Up & Intro to RapunzelWe're abandoning one princess in a tower for another! It's already the end of our time discussing Sleeping Beauty! We cap off this month by giving our final thoughts on this tale, talking about the Sleeping Beauty musical we performed in as children, and revealing how we would retell this story ourselves. Then it's time to move into our fairy tale for November: Rapunzel! We deep dive into the major changes the Brothers Grimm made between the two editions of the story they published in 1812 and 1857, looping in discussion of one of its predecessors, Petrosinella by Giambattista Basile. We...

2020-11-0155 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 12: Disney's Sleeping Beauty & Maleficent"They say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true." In the final week of Sleeping Beauty Month, Drew and Cassie explore two adaptations of the fairy tale from the Walt Disney Company. First up is the 1959 animated feature, including discussion of the fairies as the true leads and the pronunciation of the word "homage." Then we examine Maleficent, the 2014 live action reimagining of the original film starring Angelina Jolie and Elle Fanning, which differs in major ways and delves into some deeper themes and concepts. And at...

2020-10-281h 18

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 11: Sleeping Beauty: The One Who Took The Really Long Nap by Wendy MassIn the third week of Sleeping Beauty Month, we dive into the middle grade book Sleeping Beauty: The One Who Took The Really Long Nap by Wendy Mass. We explore Mass's inclusion of the ogre mother-in-law from the Charles Perrault version of Sleeping Beauty, overprotective parents, twin castles, and questions of identity that we would love to see explored more in this tale! Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Book Club, exclusive polls, monthly bookmarks, Zoom hangouts, and more! https://p...

2020-10-2152 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 10: Spindle's End by Robin McKinley"We may not like it, but we need human friends, because we have human enemies whether we will or nay." After a struggle spanning multiple decades, Cassie has finally managed to swindle Drew into reading Spindle's End by Robin McKinley. As we continue on into the second week of Sleeping Beauty Month, we discuss the clever ways in which McKinley breathes life into this tale while simultaneously twisting and maintaining the story's origins. We discuss the book's relationship dynamics, the permeation of magic through the story, and much more, plus Cassie sheds light on the n...

2020-10-141h 28

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 9: Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre: Sleeping Beauty (1983)"Do I dare to awake you to reality?" This week, Drew and Cassie themselves break down as they break down the Sleeping Beauty episode of Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. This television episode from 1983 features an all-star cast, including Bernadette Peters, Christopher Reeve, and Carol Kane, but oh boy, does this script go off the rails! Cassie has to lead Drew through several portions of this one because he has no idea what's going on. We discuss virtuous characters in a script full of inappropriate jokes, a character named Squire Tuck, a villain who is d...

2020-10-0752 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 8: Cinderella Wrap Up & Intro to Sleeping BeautyWe're fleeing from the ball and heading into a tower wrapped in thorns! In the first-ever monthly Sunday Bonus Episode, Drew and Cassie conclude Cinderella Month with final thoughts and observations, and Drew confesses his first and only missed stage entrance which just so happened to be in a play that brought together multiple versions of Cinderella from across different cultures. Before we leave Cinderella behind, we each talk about versions of Cinderella that we have written ourselves! Then, we launch Sleeping Beauty Month by tracking its history through the Italian, French, and German reincarnations of the...

2020-10-0450 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 7: Disney's Cinderella (1950, 2015)"A dream is a wish your heart makes..." In the final week of Cinderella Month, Drew and Cassie discuss Disney's versions of Cinderella! First we talk about the 1950 animated feature and its two sequels, and in the second half we gush over the incredible live action reboot from 2015 starring Lily James and Cate Blanchett. Then we go on to talk about Cinderella's presence in the Disney theme parks, and even more! We find cinematic parallels, break down important and poignant moments, and admired Richard Madden's alarmingly blue eyes. Perhaps most importantly, Drew reveals a surprising c...

2020-09-301h 48

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 6: Ever After: A Cinderella Story (1998)"A bird may love a fish, seniore, but where would they live?" Cinderella Month continues as Drew and Cassie discuss the 1998 blockbuster Ever After, starring Drew Barrymore and Anjelica Huston. This week, we discuss how this film brilliantly addresses the plot transgressions of the original fairy tale as it gives its Cinderella new agency, develops a narrative for the prince, breathes life into the stepmother's motivations, and casts the one and only historical Leonardo da Vinci in the role of the fairy godmother. Plus, you can enjoy our complaints of historical inaccuracy in Hollywood!

2020-09-231h 13

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 5: Cinder by Marissa Meyer"She was a cyborg, and she would never go to a ball." Cyborgs and androids and Roombas, oh my! What happens when you replace the famous glass slipper with a robotic foot? Cinderella Month continues as Drew and Cassie discuss the first book in The Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder by Marissa Meyer. We talk about the ways in which this retelling takes the tale back to its Chinese roots while also projecting forward into the sci-fi future, the clever dynamics and parallels between this Cinderella and her prince, our favorite nods to the French version o...

2020-09-1649 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 4: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella"Impossible things are happening every day!" In the second week of Cinderella Month, Cassie and Drew are joined by Drew's sister, Daurie, to talk about the musical adaptation of the fairy tale by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. We examine the ways this classic musical has evolved the years, from Julie Andrews's performance to Brandy Norwood's and more. Hear about the choices Cassie made as a fairy tale enthusiast when she directed the show, Daurie's experience playing Queen Constantina, and how the stepsisters traumatized Drew as a child! Join our community! View al...

2020-09-091h 14

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 3: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine"'My gift is obedience. Ella will always be obedient. Now stop crying, child.' I stopped.” Cassie and Drew break down the first retelling of Cinderella Month as we gush over the novel Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine and critique the infamous movie adaptation starring Anne Hathaway and Hugh Dancy. Is the novel the best Cinderella adaptation of all time? Is the movie version even a Cinderella retelling? Plus, which Shrek character does Heidi Klum parallel as Brumihlda the Giant? Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patr...

2020-09-0357 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 2: Intro to CinderellaThey say a pair of shoes can save your life, just ask Cinderella... or Cendrillon... or Aschenputtel or Cinder-Maid or Rhodopis or Ye Xian or Tam or Cenerentola or any of the many heroines dating as far back as the first century A.D. who fit the profile of the young woman who rises above her station thanks to the loss of a piece of footwear. Drew and Cassie kick off Cinderella month by discussing the basic elements of this classic tale, comparing the differences of the two most popular versions, and revealing which book and film...

2020-08-2742 min

Of Slippers and Spindles - Fairy Tale Retellings and Adaptations in Books, Film, and Theatre Ep. 1: Once Upon A TimeIn Of Slipper and Spindle's inaugural episode, Drew and Cassie discuss the origins of their friendship, their introductions to fairy tale retellings, and the reasons they love fairy tales so much! Along the way, they also reveal their favorite fairy tales, explore what exactly is the difference between myths, legends, fables, folk tales, and fairy tales, and set up the mission and future format of this podcast! Join our community! View all of the benefits of joining our Patreon including the Official Of Slippers and Spindles Book Club, exclusive polls, monthly bookmarks, Zo...

2020-08-2638 min