Get ready to be enchanted by the new Broadway musical, Once Upon A One More Time, opening tonight! This show is a tribute to the Brothers Grimm, the sisters of the Second Wave, and the one and only Britney Spears. With hits like “Toxic,” “Baby One More Time,” and “Work Bitch,” this musical is a gift you didn’t know you wanted. But it’s not just the music that makes this show special. The husband and wife director and choreographers, Keone & Mari Madrid, have collaborated with book writer Jon Hartmere to create a technicolor confection that’s smart, funny, and splendid to look at.
The premise may seem familiar – a group of fairy tale characters like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty – but this show puts a fresh spin on these classic characters. The women of fairy land meet weekly for their “Scroll Club,” where they discuss Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, a Bible of ’60s feminism. Cinderella begins to feel a vague dissatisfaction with her life and starts to question whether she wants to continue living the same old fairy tale. With the help of the Original Fairy Godmother, she discovers the power of education and feminism, and soon the other women of fairy land follow suit.
The cast is superb, with Briga Heelan as the grounded center, Aisha Jackson as bestie Snow White, Justin Guarini as the perfect prince, and Jennifer Simard stealing scene after scene as the wicked Stepmother. Simard and comedienne Brooke Dillman, who plays the Original Fairy Godmother, deliver impeccable comic timing and steal our hearts.
Once Upon A One More Time is a delightful show that’s unexpected and enchanting. Don’t miss it at Broadway’s Marquis Theatre, directed and choreographed by Keone & Mari Madrid, with music by Britney Spears and a principal cast that includes Briga Heelan, Justin Guarini, Aisha Jackson, Jennifer Simard, Adam Godley, Brooke Dillman, and more. Running time is 2 hours and 30 minutes, including intermission.
