Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana charm as Cinderella and Prince Topher. Photo by Carol Rosegg.

Indeed, as the classic fairy tale tells her story, Cinderella's good luck was precisely that—luck. But as the new Broadway production frames it, Cinderella truly deserves her happy ending.

Using Rodgers and Hammerstein's score from their 1957 TV movie, book writer Douglas Carter Beane ("Lysistrata Jones") has re-imagined Cinderella's circumstances. For the most part, the story is familiar: an orphaned young woman (Laura Osnes) is living with her evil stepmother (Harriet Harris) and stepsisters (Ann Harada and Marla Mindelle). One day, the prince (Santino Fontana) gives a ball, and with the help of her fairy godmother (Victoria Clark), Cinderella is able to attend, with one caveat—she must be back before midnight.

But in this new version of the musical, Cinderella actually has a backbone, and does more than mope around, waiting for some magical intervention to save the day. In this world, actions have consequences, and Cinderella's good karma eventually pays off (though she is aggravatingly altruistic at times). By the same turn, Jean-Michele (Greg Hildreth) tries to point out to the prince that blindly ruling the kingdom isn't working out so well for all the kingdom's citizens. Most interestingly, though, one of the stepsisters, Gabrielle (Mindelle), isn't evil at all—she's actually sympathetic!

These slight modifications give the show the dimensionality it severely lacked before, making the more outlandish aspects of the story considerably more believable. Unfortunately, the book flounders a bit tonally, with moments where it's unclear whether it is catering to children or adults. Regardless, Beane's book makes some crucial changes, and the show is better for it.

The cast is quite strong, and sing Rodgers and Hammerstein's score beautifully. Josh Rhodes' balletic choreography is beautiful, and wonderfully danced by the company. While William Ivey Long's costume design and Anna Louizos' scenic design seem a bit familiar, that's not necessarily a bad thing, as they lend credence to the fairy tale aspect of the show. Osnes' costume changes are breathtaking, and work well with director Mark Brokaw's interpretation of the show's magical tone.

While "Cinderella" isn't a perfect show (indeed, it could benefit from excising some the gags that just don't land), it is remarkably charming. More importantly, though, the show's heroine is, for once, a heroine, and someone parents need not feel guilty for letting their children idolize. And when such a heroine is presented gift-wrapped in a package as delightful as "Cinderella," who can object?

Reach Theater Editor Katie here; follow her on Twitter here.

"Cinderella" is playing at the Broadway Theatre (Broadway at 53rd St., New York, NY). Tickets are $45-$147. More information can be found at CinderellaOnBroadway.com.