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Cinderella is getting a new stepmother -- and a closing date.
Producers of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderellaannounced Wednesday that the production will end its nearly two-year run on Jan. 3 -- but not beforeThe Real Housewives of Atlanta's NeNe Leakesassumes the role of our heroine's nemesis, known here as "Madame."
Eakes will play the role from Nov. 25 to the closing. Prior to that, it will be portrayed -- from Sept. 9 to Nov. 22 -- by another TV name: Sherri Shepherd (above) of The View fame. First played in the production by Harriet Harris, Madame was also a showcase for Fran Drescher, for six months earlier this year.
Cinderella -- or Ella, as we are introduced to her here -- has also drawn a few noted personalities since Laura Osnes earned a Tony nomination and a Drama Desk Awardfor the part, among them pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen and Keke Palmer, who is scheduled to play the role through closing.
A national tour of Cinderella is set to launch in Providence, R.I., on Oct. 10.