THE HANGOVER REPORT – The Britney Spears jukebox musical ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME is exuberantly danced but otherwise only sporadically ignites

A scene from “Once Upon a One More Time” at the Marquis Theatre (photo Matthew Murphy).

Last week, I had the opportunity to catch up with the new Britney Spears jukebox musical Once Upon a One More Time at the Marquis Theatre. The sporadically entertaining show arrives on Broadway just in time for summer’s influx of tourists — one of the types of audiences to likely flock to a musical motivated by the Britney Spears songbook. To boot, the show’s plot is a family-friendly one —- when some of your favorite fairy tale princesses discover that they’re actually not being treated very nicely in their familiar centuries-old stories, they organize themselves and embark on a quest to determine their own narratives.

There’s little doubt that comparisons to other musicals are palpable. Influences of musicals like Six, Bad Cinderella, Into the Woods, & Juliet, and Shrek are strongly evident the show’s writing and presentation. Despite these unavoidable similarities, I found Once Upon a One More Time at the very least moderately enjoyable, even if some of its elements are stronger than others. As such, the musical only sporadically ignites. Particularly noteworthy is how Britney Spears’ imminently recognizable and catchy songs have been wittily strung together throughout Jon Hartmere’s pleasantly woke book, which thankfully never takes itself too seriously (think Mamma Mia!).

Another strong aspect of the production is the inventive and exuberant street choreography by the husband-and-wife duo of Keone and Mari Madrid (I swooned over their Off-Broadway “dansical” Beyond Babel), who are also credited for directing the musical. Unfortunately, their directorial work never rises above merely pedestrian, which can also be said of most of the performances. A standout performance, however, is being given by the suave Justin Guarini, who makes for an irresistibly goofy Prince Charming (unfortunately, hilarious Tony nominee and fan favorite Jennifer Simard was out of commission during the performance I attended; she plays the Stepmother).

SOMEWHAT RECOMMENDED

ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME
Broadway, Musical
Marquis Theatre
2 hours, 20 minutes (with one intermission)
Open run

Categories: Broadway, Theater

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