Cinderella takes out a full page ad in the New York Times – is Belleville headed for Broadway

Now here's one you don't see all too often (and certainly not during a pandemic) – the recently opened production of Cinderella has decided to take out a full-page ad in a newspaper… in New York!

Emphasising that anyone that is US-based can currently jet over to the UK to experience Cinderella without having to quarantine (in a big bid to promote international tourism), you can't help but get the feeling that the move is also a small push to start hyping the show ahead of a possible Atlantic crossing.

So, is there the chance of a Belleville Ball on Broadway? As we've retired the "Gossip" section of WhatsOnStage, it is worth mentioning we were pointed in the direction of the ad by people who may know far more than we do (without revealing our sources, make of that what you will), so thought it was worth starting a snare-drum roll ahead of any official reveals.

While nothing is obviously set in stone (and from here on in is complete conjecture), we can't help but wonder, maybe Cinderella would be the perfect fit at somewhere like the Winter Gardens after The Music Man, which was also the home of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of School of Rock (which went on to run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London). That said, the Cinderella team may be aiming for a venue of a similar capacity to the 1024-seater Gillian Lynne, where the show is currently running.

It was recently pointed out how UK-grown productions are taking up a lot of real estate on Broadway this season – from The Lehman Trilogy to Caroline, or Change, Company, Girl from the North Country, and, of course, Six. So it'd be no surprise if Cinderella did the same.

Seeing as it's opened to glowing reviews from across the press, there is very little to dispute a possible transfer – Lloyd Webber shows have a tendency of hotfooting it across the Atlantic. Throw into the mix book writer Emerald Fennell's Oscar win for her hit film Promising Young Woman and the lyrical prowess of David Zippel and there's a healthy offering for NYC audiences.

If all of this might eventually come to pass, then New York audiences may as well get over here and watch it in the UK first. It's on sale below.