A new Broadway musical featuring songs made famous by pop icon Britney Spears will debut in Chicago later this year before heading to the Great White Way.
On Tuesday, March 12, theater owner James L. Nederlander revealed that he is producing Once Upon a One More Time , which is set to feature 23 tunes from Spears’ catalog — including most of her big hits, and a couple of deep album cuts — according to The New York Times . However, the show’s plot has nothing to do with the “Toxic” singer.
The musical will focus on princesses Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, and Sleeping Beauty, who wish for new literature to read in their book club after growing tired of the only tome they have, a collection of Grimms’ fairy tales. A fairy godmother then brings them Betty Friedan’s 1963 book on feminism, The Feminine Mystique , and their lives are changed.
Bookwriter Jon Hartmere ( The Upside ) explained that the Broadway show features Cinderella having “an existential crisis,” and her “stepmother is the main antagonist.” Other characters include Prince Charming; a new, eighth dwarf; and an unhappy narrator.
“These women have been in this hermetically sealed world, and then they start to get deeper into modern ideas — second and third-wave feminism — and also explore how stories are passed down to us, and where we get our norms from. But it’s also superfun and funny,” said Hartmere.
Nederlander said that he has been working closely with Spears for three years on this concept, which “perfectly encapsulates her unique spirit,” reported Deadline . The 37-year-old singer even attended one of Once Upon a One More Time ‘s readings.
“I’m so excited to have a musical with my songs — especially one that takes place in such a magical world filled with characters that I grew up on, who I love and adore. This is a dream come true for me,” Spears said in a statement.
Once Upon a One More Time will be directed by Kristin Hanggi ( Rock of Ages ) and choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid ( World of Dance ). Previews start on October 29 at the James M. Nederlander Theater in Chicago. The show is slated to open November 13, and will run through December 1.
There is no word yet as to when the musical will open on Broadway.
Meanwhile, Spears is still on an indefinite career hiatus after her father, Jamie Spears, suffered a life-threatening colon rupture. In February, she was supposed to launch a new Las Vegas residency show, “Britney: Domination,” but that was postponed.
