If you are a Brittany Spears fan, appreciate the writing of Betty Friedan, like classic fairy tales turned upside down, champion female empowerment, and enjoy seeing a treasure trove of princesses on stage, Once Upon a One More Time is your groove.

Judging from the preview audience that enthusiastically erupted during the first few notes of every Brittany song, this show may possibly find its tribe, just to hear the hits and see a fluffy story shoehorning her songs into a musical.

Once Upon a One More Time presents a bunch of classic fairy tale characters who hang out together and are controlled by this guy, “The Narrator.” He barks orders at them over a loudspeaker about how to proceed with the classic stories. But things go awry for him when the princesses plan a bit of a mutiny.

Should the stories we grew up with be re-written? From Cinderella to Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel to Snow White with some Disneyfied characters like Belle and The Little Mermaid thrown in for good measure, this show demands that they be.

Cinderella (a very likable Briga Heelan) takes a stand when, despite winning Prince Charming,  she recognizes she is simply not happy. When she meets her OFG ,”original fairy godmother” (Brooke Dillman) decked out in a 1950’s style frock, talking about Flatbush as a magical destination, Cinderella is exposed by OFG to The Feminine Mystique, a revolutionary book written in 1963 (!) by feminist supreme Betty Friedan.

Cinderella learns that she actually can have options and that marrying Prince Charming may diminish her potential. Along the way, we find out that Charming played by an utterly charming Justin Guarini is two timing Cinderella with her best friend, Snow White (Aisha Jackson, who has an amazing voice). Both friends had never met each other’s boyfriends, so while blindsided, they gather their other storybook friends to follow the Feminine Mystique path.

The narrator, a bully (Adam Godley) will not have it. And things go kind of dark in the second act.

It’s a silly premise and a rather tired one when you consider we’ve seen this with Six, Bad Cinderella (on Broadway for a cup of coffee), and & Juliet…all mashed together into an Into the Woods type structure. Out comes this weirdly crafted story, with direction and choreography by Keone and Mari Madrid, straight out of a Spears video, with moves that become completely repetitive.

There are some bright spots in this show-the scenery by (Anna Fleischle) is clever and lovely, the performances are stellar, and quite honestly, the cast seems to be having a ball.

Special mention: Jennifer Simard as Cinderella’s stepmother. Simard pretty much steals every show she is in with her quirky comedic presence and her spectacular voice. I was delighted she was cast.

By the end of Once Upon a One More Time, you do try really hard to like it because, after all, what’s the harm, as it is just a fun, poppy musical?  I must admit, during the curtain call, I was clapping along with the crowd and moving to the driving score performed by a totally rocking bunch of musicians.

(As an aside, before entering the theatre, you are given an interactive bracelet and instructed to pull out the tab so that when it is time it can be remotely activated. That activation takes place after the curtain call to help make the conclusion a crowd pleaser.)

However, I can’t help but think about the endless messaging of female empowerment, jamming the concept of “we are enough” into our brains, and turning our backs on literature written during another era.

Can’t we just take those stories, leave them alone, honor them for the time they were written, and just know that as a certainty, we, women absolutely are enough, unequivocally and unapologetically? And, yes, indeed, we each have our own unique path to “happily ever after” to explore. https://onemoretimemusical.com/