Disenchanted @ Westside Theatre (Upstairs )

This show is overflowing with hilarity, wit, great music and astounding talent. Disenchanted features many of the Disney princesses like you’ve never seen them before.  Writer/composer Dennis T. Giacino delivers this un-fairytale production under the direction of Fiely A. Matias with non-stop laughter cocktailed with the sweeping music. The classic Disney princesses are taking a stand against “the princess complex” for the night. They are tired of having to be perfect, thin, sweet, objectified and a list of other gripes .  They are less the typical Disney princesses and more feminist ambassadors. With witty banter and multiple 11:00 numbers, this show delights the audience’s ears and funny bones.

The original Disney princess Snow White, played by Michelle Knight, leads this troupe of surprising royalty with her domineering looks. With her over expressive eyes Knight seems to have invented the phrase “if looks could kill”. Becky Gulsvig portrays Cinderella as a ditzy, sweet, blonde with incredible comedic timing and adorableness.  Sleeping Beauty, played by Jen Bechter, may not be the stereotypical ideal Disney princess but she is perfect as the narcoleptic girl who loves herself just as she is.

Alison Burns plays Belle, The Little Mermaid and Rapunzel. Belle has gone insane from dishes singing to her (among other things) with frazzled hair, crazy eyes and even a strait jacket. Ariel has become an alcoholic who longs to trade her legs for fins. And her Rapunzel will have you rolling in the aisle as the angry German forcing the audience into a sing-off!  Rounding out the cast is Anthea Neri portraying Mulan and Pocahontas and Soara-Joye Ross as The Girl Who Kissed the Frog.  All of Neri’s songs are power ballads seasoned with laughs and Ross can give Beyonce a run for her money in the diva department.

All of these women are nothing short of fierce. Their vocals soar easily even on the highest belt notes, their stage presence is captivating and their chemistry rivals each other in the best way possible.

Costumes by Vanessa Leuck are a nod to the classic Disney fairytale wardrobe but are also reinvented with fresh sass. The costumes help to keep the audience connected to the traditional stories but also allow the imagination to play in this over the top production.  The lighting design by Graham Kindred keeps the mood appropriately groovy and dramatic. Keeping the music on point is musical director Michael Raabe.  Raabe plays keyboard, with Bobby Brennan om electric bass and Gregg Monteith  on percussion. They might be a trio but the sound is as full as a symphony.

The only thing that could have made this show a little more poignant would have been to swap the personality traits of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Cinderella still possesses many traditional princess qualities (dainty, girly, thin), while Sleeping Beauty is portrayed as breaking the princess mold (crude, loud and curvy).  Sleeping Beauty’s sings a songs titled “Perfect” which is about loving oneself regardless of social expectancies. This message may have been stronger if Cinderella (the classic Disney beauty) exuded a crude and loud vibe while Sleeping Beauty (the curvy girl) exuded a dainty and girly essence.  It would have been nice to see not just the “Disney princess” stereotype broken down but also the “character actress” stereotype broken simultaneously.

This 95 minute show is a riot, go see Disenchanted you will love every second of it!

Review By: Staci Morin
Photos By: Matthew Murphy

Disenchanted @ The Theater at St. Clements

In Disenchanted, an unrelentingly hilarious musical offering at the Theatre at St. Clement’s, some of the most beloved fairy tale princesses have a few choice words to share about their happily every afters.

This musical comedy is hosted by the sassiest of them all, Snow White (Michelle Knight), the ditziest at the ball, Cinderella (Becky Gulsvig), and the most outrageous of narcoleptic royalty, Sleeping Beauty (Jen Bechter).  We learn from them and many other popular princess guest stars that being a princess isn’t all it’s made up to be, and that “One More Happ’ly Ever After” is all it might take to send this very diverse group of strong female royalty over the edge Thelma and Louise style.

Let’s be clear, from the first number, there is no doubt that any of these women can hold their own vocally, each being a powerhouse in their own right.  Knight delivers a belting Snow White so full of attitude it’s hard to believe she’d ever just sit and wait for her Prince to come.  Gulsvig’s Chenno-esque turn as the bright (yet not the brightest candle in the castle) Cinderella displayed excellent timing and a fantastic contrast from Snow.  Of the three hostesses, however, it was Bechter’s booty-shaking, curvy, and super-confident Sleeping Beauty that really gave the show more heart than anyone could have expected.

Lulu Picart’s performance as Hua Mulan may have been one of the most uproariously and consistently funny performances in the show, beginning with a one-on-one with the audience about being the only princess who’s “Without the Guy.”  As both Pocahontas and Princess Badroulbadour (whose costume was a masterpiece among masterpieces designed by Vanessa Leuck) Picart provided insightful and entertaining glimpses at the characters’ opinions on their Disneyfication.  Alison Burns gave strong and varied performances switching between Belle, driven mad by singing utensils, Rapunzel, who wields a riding crop while singing of being pimped out by Disney, and the Little Mermaid, who enjoys her beer almost as much as she hates her decision to trade her fins for six-inch heels.  Last, but definitely not least, Soara-Joye Ross’ talent as the Princess Who Kissed the Frog shines as she rejoices that “Finally” there’s a Black princess.  Perhaps the only true disappointment is how little the show actually utilizes Ross’ talent.

Overall, the musical uses comedic numbers to address notable problems in the Disneyified fairy tales, many stemming from diversity.  The show tackles everything from historical inaccuracy in Pocahontas’ “Honestly,” to the constant problem of body-image standards in the group number “All I Wanna Do is Eat.” Any topic is fair game, and the message rarely bogs down the performance by being too heavy - thanks to Dennis T. Giacino’s well-balanced book, music, and lyrics.

In the end, Disenchanted is a fun comedic piece, but one that carries a message that happily ever after might just be a little more complicated than one might think, and that every princess is perfect, no matter how unique she is.

Review By: Jacob R. Hines

Photos By: Matthew Murphy