A new stage musical sees classic princesses radicalized by feminist literature — and the musical stylings of Britney Spears. No, this is not a fever dream.
The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C., announced Thursday that it will be staging the premiere run of the cleverly named “Once Upon a One More Time” beginning on Nov. 30, 2021 through Jan. 22, 2022.
The musical’s synopsis reads: “Once Upon a Time … Cinderella, Snow White, and the other fairytale princesses gather for their book club, when — oh, baby, baby! — a rogue fairy godmother drops ‘The Feminine Mystique’ into their corseted laps, spurring a royal revelation.”
The show is a blend of plot points from classic fairy tales. It’s also a jukebox musical a la “Mamma Mia.” But instead of ABBA tunes, audiences will be humming along to some of Spears’ greatest hits, including “Oops!… I Did It Again,” “Lucky,” “Stronger” and “Toxic.”
The Washington production will be directed and choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid with a book written by Jon Hartmere.
Before the pandemic, “Once Upon a One More Time” was slated for an inaugural Chicago run before opening on Broadway. Back in 2019, the Princess of Pop herself gave the show her blessing.
“I’m so excited to have a musical with my songs — especially one that takes place in such a magical world filled with characters that I grew up on, who I love and adore.” she said.
Tickets go on sale this summer.
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