Theater Thursday - Once Upon a One More Time

We were given complimentary tickets to Once Upon a One More Time for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: Once Upon a One More Time

Where:  Marquis Theatre 

              210 W. 46th St.

              New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 10 and Up

Me - Once Upon One More Time is a jukebox musical featuring music by Brittany Spears. The show is about Cinderella questioning her happily ever after and leading other female fairy tale characters in a revolution to try to change their stories. It is such a fun show! 

There is not a lot of backstory provided for the characters, and the little there is is a bit convoluted which can be confusing if you think too hard about it. However, the actual story of the show is simple and easy to follow.  I wasn't sure if Brittany Spears' catalog of music would be able to coalesce into a cohesive story, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the songs chosen not only made sense within the plot but really enhanced it. Some of the lyrics in certain songs were slightly altered to better suit the characters, but not in an obtrusive way. In fact, it often contributed to the humor. The soundtrack of the show includes most of the big hits you would expect, such as Baby One More Time and Toxic, as well as some deeper cuts and everything in between. 

The singing, dancing, and acting are such a joy to watch! The whole cast is extremely talented, but there are a few particularly noteworthy performances. Aisha Jackson as Snow White sings gorgeously and brings such a bubbly and endearing quality to her role. Jennifer Simard is hilarious as always. Between her rigid movements, sardonic comments, and excellent comedic timing, she had me laughing every time she was on stage.

However, in my opinion, the true standout of the show is Justin Guarini as Prince Charming. The Prince is such a humorous character, but there's heart to him as well, and Guarini portrays each facet with equal skill and flair.  Additionally, his singing is incredible. He has such a nice gravelly quality to his voice yet he can also hit high notes smoothly and seemingly with ease. He's a fantastic dancer too! His movements flow effortlessly, and he has such an electric energy. He has such a commanding overall stage presence that makes it impossible to look away from him any time he's in a scene. The numbers he performs are my favorite parts of the show and I find myself wishing I could see him perform them again before they're even over.  

The show definitely won't be for everyone. If you dislike Brittany Spears' music, jukebox musicals, fairytale retellings, or stories with a lot of silliness and whimsy, you probably wouldn't enjoy it. However, if you like those things as well as phenomenal performances, and stories that contain important messages and themes without taking themselves too seriously, I would highly recommend seeing Once Upon a One More Time.

Mom -  Once Upon a One More Time is everything that Bad Cinderella wanted to be but wasn't. Both are about classic female fairy tale characters rejecting their customary narratives. However, while Cinderella's fate in the former is still largely determined by the actions of the male characters, this Cinderella and her fairy tale cohorts take their fate into their own hands. 

On the surface, this may seem like a light little musical full of familiar characters, but there is much more to this show than that. It takes a hard look at the plight of our favorite female fairy tale characters and exposes some hard truths about their stories and the way women are treated in these stories. However, all is revealed through a lively, energetic, and fun story punctuated by Brittany Spears' songs. 

 Anyone who is surprised at the idea of Spears' music driving the plot of a musical or who scratches their head at the very prospect should know that the show actually works surprisingly well.  The story is meaningful, interesting, and fun. The songs are well-chosen and have been tweaked just enough to make them fit seamlessly into the plot. The choreography fits the music and even includes some actual Spears video choreography but it all works in a way that serves the story.

 The cast is well-chosen, and they shine in their respective roles. The always incredible, Jennifer Simard is one of the standouts in another of her patently hilarious turns this time as Cinderella's stepmother. However, there are many other great performances as well too many to go into them all here. All in all, the show is a joyous, boisterous, good time with an important message at its core.

And that's our view. For more information about Once Upon a One More Time or to purchase tickets, visit onemoretimemusical.com

Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop.

Photo credits:

All Once Upon a One More Time production photos by Matthew Murpy

Images used in this post have been sent to us from publicists, artists, and/or  PR firms.
If there is a problem with the rights to any image, please contact us here, and we will look into the matter.