The new Britney Spears jukebox musical, Once upon a One More Time, has received generally positive reviews from theater critics for its world premiere in Washington, DC. The creative team includes John Hartmere (book), David Leveaux (creative consultant), Keone & Mari Madrid (direction, choreography), Britt Bonney (music direction), Loren Elstein (costumes, hair), Anna Fleischle (sets), Sonoyo Nishikawa (lights), Andrew Keister (sound), Sven Ortel (video, projections), and Ashley Rae Callahan (wigs). The show plays at Shakespeare Theatre Company through January 9.
The cast includes Briga Heelan (Cinderella), Justin Guarini (Prince Charming), Emily Skinner (Stepmother), Aisha Jackson (Snow White), Brooke Dillman (Original Fairy Godmother), Mimi Scardulla and Tess Soltau (Stepsisters), Ashley Chiu (Sleeping Beauty), Raymond J. Lee (Clumsy), Wonu Ogunfowora (Rapunzel), Ryan Steele (Prince Erudite), Morgan Weed (Princess and the Pea), Lauren Zakrin (Little Mermaid), Michael McGrath (Narrator), and Adrianna & Mila Weir (Little Girl), with ensemble members Belinda Allyn (Belle), Stephen Brower (Prince Suave), Jennifer Florentino (Little Red Riding Hood), Selene Haro (Gretl), Joshua Johnson (Prince Brawny), Amy Hillner Larsen (Goldilocks), Kevin Trinio Perdido (Prince Mischievous), Stephen Scott Wormley (Prince Affable), and swings Matt Allen, Salisha Thomas, Matthew Tiberi, and Diana Vaden.
Guarini and Heelan (photo by Matthew Murphy)
Broadway World (Hannah Wing): The musical’s story is a bit more Grimm than Disney as the princesses and other familiar fairytale characters struggle to find their voices against the Narrator and his patriarchal world. … This modern fairytale is missing something that even the magic of a fantastic cast and high-quality production might not be able to fix. A Cinderella-focused story can only go so far, especially as it has been done time and time again. … Once Upon a One More Time is close to “happily ever after,” but it has some workshopping to do before it becomes a fairy tale fit for Broadway royalty.
DC Metro (Nicole Hertvik): It works. Somehow, Once Upon a One More Time and its improbable storyline featuring Britney Spears, Betty Friedan, and fairy tale princesses works. The incongruous musical … is as thought-provoking as it is toe-tapping, as clever as it is hilarious, as bold as it is shiny. It sounds like the world’s wackiest idea for a musical until you’ve seen it, but by golly, it works. … Once Upon a One More Time is a full-fledged, grade A, gold star success and exactly the party we need. … Once Upon a One More Time is a bona fide success. Catch this one, DC, before it hightails it to Broadway.
Georgetown Dish (Peter Rosenstein): Go see and enjoy Once Upon a One More Time now. It’s a great big fun night in the theater. Whether it gets to Broadway is another question. … The show is in pre-Broadway mode and it appears that’s a good thing. It doesn’t seem quite ready for Broadway. The set design sometimes seems a little chaotic and there often seem to be too many people on stage at one time. … Yet each number on its own is wonderful. This is why shows do out-of-town tryouts. It is my hope this show gets tightened up so Broadway audiences will get to see it. There is so much that is really great about it. This talented cast should be on Broadway.
New York Times (Maya Phillips): From the outside, Once Upon a One More Time looked like the kind of splashy show you might find on Broadway. … But as I watched the show, I wondered: Who is the target audience for this? So many Broadway shows are aimed at a general audience, and similarly, Once Upon a One More Time seems to want to appeal to both children and adults. … In aiming for a Broadway stage, Once Upon a One More Time still seems to be figuring out what its prospective audience would look like. With its blatant messaging about female empowerment and revisionist approach … Once Upon a One More Time reflects the broad strokes of modern-day feminism but shies away from anything too hefty or complex.