Playmakers to Present ‘Disenchanted!’, a Musical Comedy Revue for Grownups

Beneath the Tiaras, a Lot of Attitude
Myah Cearley (Princess Badroulbadour), Danica Rowe (the Princess Who Kissed the Frog) and Hayley Dozier (Hua Mulan) channel their inner storybook princess/diva personalities during a recent rehearsal of the Playmakers upcoming production of "Disenchanted!".

“Disenchanted!”, a musical comedy revue for grownups, opens at the Playmakers Theatre in Grove Saturday, Sept. 15.

A cabaret-style performance with book, music and lyrics by Dennis T. Giacino, “Disenchanted!” blows away the fairy dust from contemporary movie versions of 10 famous storybook princesses to show there’s a lot of attitude beneath the tiaras.

The all-princess revue pokes fun at the world of fairy-tale princesses as Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and others upend their popular portrayals and set the record straight about how they really feel.

“It provides an intense catharsis for parents and grandparents who would really like to drop those often-watched films off a local bridge!” said Suzanne Boles, the Playmakers artistic executive. “Need we mention, it has a PG-13 rating.”

After its Saturday, Sept. 15 opening, the Playmakers production of “Disenchanted!” continues with performances on Sundays, Sept. 16, 23 and 30, Tuesdays, Sept. 18 and 25, Friday, Sept. 21, and Saturday, Sept. 29. Performances begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday with all other shows beginning at 7:30 p.m.

“One part of our mission is to create an interplay between art-makers and audience. Our recent youth production, ‘Nightingale,’ urged audience members, young and old, to participate with the cast in various scenes,” said Karon Wheat, Playmakers board president. “‘Disenchanted!’ is the type of musical revue best performed in our intimate theatre and, with its cabaret setting and some theatre-goers sitting on the stage, it can certainly create a different kind of enjoyable interplay.”

According to Boles, the cast of “Disenchanted!” includes Snow White, brassy, sassy and the leader of the pack, played by Playmakers veteran triple-threat Ashley Davidson; a slightly ditzy but enthusiastic Cinderella performed by first-time triple-threat Jennifer Cunningham, who also portrays Rapunzel as a Mel Brooksian, Wagnerian singing monster; and a cut-up, flippant and sauce Sleepy Beauty featuring a normally dramatic actor Dodi Manley Duffield, who also doubles as the exploited Pocahontas.

Joining these original Grimm, Perrault and De Villeneuve fairy-tale princesses are the rebellious, jaded Little Mermaid performed by Madelyn Norris; Hua Mulan, full of conflicting feelings, played by Hayley Dozier; Belle, driven crazy by all those singing and dancing objects, played by Amy Adams and doubled by newcomer, Myah Cearley, who also portrays the spunky but underrated Princess Badroulbadour; and the feisty storybook diva, the Princess Who Kissed the Frog, featuring newcomer Danica Rowe.

The show is directed and choreographed by Boles. Nancy Flowers is the musical director and accompanist with Josh Wilhelm and Michelle Sommerfeld taking turns on drums. In addition to portraying Snow White, Davidson is serving as the show’s assistant director and choreographer.

“Disenchanted!” was nominated for a 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Off-Broadway Musical and a 2015 Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best New Musical.

The hit musical has also drawn rave reviews across the country. The New York Times called it “Funny and a touch wicked.” A review of the Hartford, Conn., production declared “After multiple sold-out runs nationwide, these royal renegades tossed off their tiaras.”

The Playmakers’ production of “Disenchanted!” is sponsored by attorney Susan Muscari. It is produced with assistance from the Oklahoma Arts Council.

Ticket prices for regular seating are $15 for adults. The price for students, middle school through college, is $8. Limited seating is available at cabaret tables on the stage floor. These cabaret table seats are $25 for adults and $18 for permitted students.

The cabaret table ticket price includes light hors d’oeuvres and two drink setups per person. These special drink setups can be augmented by guests of legal age, if desired.

Drink setups and light hors d’oeuvres will also be available for purchase by those holding regular seat tickets.

Reservations are recommended at the Playmakers Theatre, which accepts major credit cards.

There are no paper tickets at the Playmakers Theatre. To reserve your ticket, call (918) 786-8950 and leave a message with your name and phone number. You can also email your reservation to groveplaymakers@yahoo.com. A volunteer will contact you to confirm your reservation.

The Playmakers Theatre is located at 121 West 3rd St., in Grove.