Who’s kidding whom? The only legitimate connection that the current production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” has to the world of opera is that the lyricist’s father owned his own opera house here in Manhattan. It is possible, although a bit of a stretch, to classify “Carousel” as operatic, but a staged version of a Julie Andrews television special? Please.

Now having disposed of the curmudgeonly rant, let me tell you how much I enjoyed the entire “Cinderella” event. Dressing up this particular scullery maid and taking her to a ball required a transformation equal to turning a pumpkin and mice into a royal coach and four, but the New York City Opera was up to the task.

On Friday evening, the atmosphere in the lobby was much more vibrant than usual. It was as if the cold rain that was falling had driven the neighboring Big Apple Circus indoors. There were vendors hawking souvenir programs, people selling raffle tickets, a life-sized Cinderella with her face cut out so that a little girl could insert her own and receive a photograph as a memento. And there were dozens of said heavenly creatures, decidedly from the bridge and tunnel crowd and roughly ranging in age from seven to twelve, all dressed up and attending their first ever opera (or whatever).

This production was indeed designed for their delicate sensibilities. A totally non-threatening story line, in this version Cinderella actually gets along reasonably well with her family and, although she stays until midnight at the ball, there are no consequences. Not exactly Rossini, Massenet, or Prokofiev, the music is unique: an entire score of Richard Rodgers with absolutely no memorable songs. In fact, it would be mean-spirited and ultimately irrelevant to discuss musical values. And yet, everything worked. The entire performance was splendidly entertaining.

I was at first unsuccessful in determining how to convey to my readers the genre and style of the piece until Dick Van Patten made his appearance as the king. Then it dawned on me: it was like one of those travel specials that sitcoms have in around their fifth year, when the plots are starting to seem a little ripe: Eight Is Enough Goes to Europe. No great conflicts, no character development, no problem. And, since the amplification system was turned way up, there was little or no sense of live music. We have come full circle; “Cinderella” is life imitating television. Where is McCluhan when you really need him?

The cast as a whole was fabulous. My own favorite was Renee Taylor as the queen, her nostalgic “Boys and Girls Like You and Me” poignant almost to the point where an adult might feel some emotion. There was a lot of generational feel to the ensemble, ranging in solo vocal parts from young children to great godparents. Lea De-Laria and Ana Gasteyer, as the two stepsisters, were way over the top, but what roles are more suited to caricature than these?

John Epperson as the stepmother was nothing short of terrific. Known professionally as Lypsinka, he has forged a fine career for himself wrapped in a persona. Being well over six feet tall, he had a ball (sorry, some puns are simply irresistible) dancing with the prince and trying on the slipper, and those of us of a certain age howled with delight at his Gloria Swanson imitations.

For me, the only two weak performances were those of the principals. Sarah Uriarte Berry has a pleasant enough voice, I suppose, but hardly any breath control. But then again, she was only competing against Julie Andrews, so she was fine. Christopher Sieber looked marvelous as the prince, but was surprisingly weak as both an actor and a singer – but wait, I promised not to discuss musical values.

And then there was Eartha Kitt. Her appearance, behind a flash of lightning, elicited the biggest round of applause from a crowd that clapped for everything. She had but to stand there to elevate this version to the next level. No matter that the sound engineers had to crank up the volume of the mikes so much that she literally crackled when she sang. Her very presence transformed our night into a fairy tale.

So here’s the strategy: Take the girls to get them accustomed to the experience and then come back in the spring for something a little meatier. But don’t miss “Cinderella”: It’s the most fun that you will ever have at the New York State Theater without actually going to an opera.

Just one more thought: City Opera may once again be at the cutting edge. What with crossover king Peter Gelb taking charge at the Metropolitan, this type of production may well be the future of opera on Lincoln Center Plaza.

Until November 21 (Lincoln Center, 212-307-4100).