Nicely, truly, having seen an earlier incarnation of this bombastic, mechanical leisure in 2021 at D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Firm, I do know that it performs out because it did earlier than. Little has been executed to handle its deficiencies. The central flaw is a slipshod story that simply doesn’t monitor — I do know, I do know, it’s all presupposed to be a sugary coconut-cream cupcake of a present, not meant to awaken severe palates. Nonetheless, Jon Hartmere’s guide is such a hodgepodge of disjointed concepts that software program intervention may even have helped.
The premise is that every one of a kid’s favourite fairy-tale princesses — from folklore and Disney alike — dwell out their days in a metaphysical inexperienced room, ready to be summoned to work by a wizardly Narrator, performed by Adam Godley (of the Tony-winning “The Lehman Trilogy,” amongst different nice issues. Oh, why, Adam?). Their labors begin (how? the place?) every time an actual child reads their story. The whole lot is copacetic till the day Cinderella (the mega-appealing Briga Heelan) is presented by her fairy godmother (Brooke Dillman, channeling Josephine the Plumber from the outdated Comet commercials) a replica of Betty Friedan’s “The Female Mystique.”
Releasing the ladies — Cinderella, Snow White (Aisha Jackson), Rapunzel (Gabrielle Beckford), Sleeping Magnificence (Ashley Chiu), the Little Mermaid (Lauren Zakrin) amongst them — from their male-identification fixation leads us out and in of a pair dozen Spears numbers. Such well-known Britney songs as “Poisonous,” “… Child One Extra Time” and “Oops! … I Did It Once more” rotate in with a number of lesser-known titles by Spears, Max Martin and lots of others.
Linking a millennial celebrity to proto-feminist variations of storybook characters is doubtlessly a profitable concept for Broadway, if not precisely an unique one (e.g. the current Andrew Lloyd Webber catastrophe “Unhealthy Cinderella,” which did a fast Instances Sq. disappearing act). “As soon as Upon a One Extra Time” additionally appears revved up — with beat-hitting dances by director-choreographers Keone and Mari Madrid — to go toe-to-toe with a a lot savvier jukebox musical, “& Juliet.” That present, a pop riff on “Romeo and Juliet,” additionally options Max Martin songs, a number of from Spears’s repertory.
Some solid members have been switched out for Broadway: Among the many newcomers are Godley and the indispensable Jennifer Simard, who assumes the position of Cinderella’s depraved Stepmother. Her portrayal of a glammed-up troublemaker, a snooty trend plate out of the Miranda Priestly mildew, is enjoyable, as a result of Simard in something is enjoyable.
Heelan reprises her position, as do Jackson and a number of other of the younger actresses taking part in well-known fairy-tale denizens. They’re all to passable levels cheery and foolish and polished, and put on Loren Elstein’s witty candy- and pastel-colored frocks as in the event that they’re heading to the promenade on Magic Mountain.
Justin Guarini, the manufacturing’s magnetic marquee title (by dint of Season 1 of “American Idol”) is again, too, as a vigorous, sexually mischievous Prince Charming. He provides a pleasingly preening, self-parodying account of male self-importance. Which, within the ethical universe of “As soon as Upon a One Extra Time,” is punishable by — properly, let’s simply say that for all his duplicity, this prince will get off just about scot-free. (Solely a reticent homosexual couple performed by Ryan Steele and Nathan Levy are exempted from abrasive romantic entanglement.)
The Madrids try to precise the declarations of freedom and defiance within the Spears songbook via their angular motion, however there’s no explicit improvement of choreographic model over the present’s 2½ hours. The exhilaration wears off because the strikes repeat repeatedly. An excessive amount of tutting, and a present set in a fantasyland begins to appear like a recycled live performance routine.
As soon as Upon a One Extra Time, guide by Jon Hartmere, primarily based on music carried out by Britney Spears. Directed and choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid. Set, Anna Fleischle; costumes, Loren Elstein; lighting, Donald Holder; sound, Andrew Keister; projections, Sven Ortel; music director, Ben Cohen; orchestrations, Matt Stine and James Olmstead; artistic advisor, David Leveaux. With Tess Soltau, Ryann Redmond. About 2½ hours. On the Marquis Theatre, 210 W. 46th St., New York. onemoretimemusical.com.