A happily ever after | Photo: YouTube/Shirtless Violinist
Imagine some of our favorite fairy tales were told with diversity in mind — that’s what this take on the classic Cinderella story does.
Matthew Olsheski, better known as the Shirtless Violinist on YouTube, decided to tell his own fairy tale.
Olsheski is a trained violinist and wanted to bring the beauty of this instrument to new audiences in creative ways. He’s certainly done that, as shown by his nearly 18,000 subscribers.
He previously told GSN it was important to him to also represent his identity as an openly gay man.
In this new video, Olsheski plays the prince who finds true love when another man, dressed in a beautiful gown, enters the ballroom. It’s set to a beautiful instrumental rendition of Cinderella music.
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Relatable stories for the gay community
‘Cinderella is such an iconic story, beloved by many, so we aimed to make it “extra” special,’ Olsheski told GSN in an email.
He began making these videos with his partner Paul and their first fairy tale twist was Beauty and the Beast.
‘What struck us both was how relatable these classic stories are to the gay community. They often depict characters who don’t fit into society’s expectations, long to be accepted, and discover love in a less conventional way. However, these are always depicted as heterosexual love stories,’ he continued. ‘We wanted to tell them from the perspective of a gay couple.’
As for the two stepsisters and their dancing, Olsheski says they’re played by two dancers from their local university in western Washington.
It was also a conscious decision to have the Prince be interested in them as well.
‘We also wanted to play with gender roles and fluid attraction, suggesting that our Prince Charming might be Pansexual.’
‘In the end, this was about having fun and making people smile,’ Olsheski concluded. ‘We hope it managed to do that!’
