Britney Spears Jim Smeal/Shutterstock
Britney Spears was thrilled to lend her discography to Broadway — with one particular caveat.
“It was really Britney who approached us and mentioned, ‘We’d wish to have a present primarily based on my music, and particularly not a bio-musical,’” producer Hunter Arnold advised Selection at As soon as Upon a One Extra Time’s opening night time on Thursday, June 22, referring to the 41-year-old pop star. “The unique thought got here from concepts introduced forth by her: She loves fairy tales, princesses [and] storybooks. We took a few passes at it — we didn’t get it proper immediately. Then we did a workshop after we bought the current-ish model collectively and he or she got here to see it and provides ideas on it.”
As soon as Upon a One Extra Time, which started performances at New York Metropolis’s Marquis Theatre in Could, brings collectively six iconic storybook princesses as they collect for e book membership. Throughout their assembly, a “rogue fairy godmother” arms them copies of Betty Friedan’s The Female Mystique, which subsequently evokes them to embrace feminism. The musical — which the official abstract proclaims is “powered by the hits of Britney Spears” — stars Justin Guarini, Briga Heelan, Jennifer Simard, Adam Godley, Aisha Jackson, Liv Battista, Gabrielle Beckford, Ashley Chiu, Morgan Whitley and Lauren Zakrin.
As the women study to face up for themselves, they (together with the entire solid) can’t assist however bust out a few of Spears’ most iconic songs alongside the way in which.
“I simply be certain I’m actually warmed up and drink a whole lot of water as a result of I sweat lots,” Guarini, 44, advised Selection earlier this month. “In ‘Circus’ proper into ‘Generally’ proper into ‘Oops,’ it simply goes, goes, goes. Everyone seems to be dancing, and each single time I get off the stage, we’re identical to ‘How did we do this?’ That’s the great thing about Broadway’s magic.”
The musical, nevertheless, did barely tweak a few of Spears’ lyrics to raised match the story traces.
“The songs work means higher than they’ve any proper to work,” Arnold defined to the outlet. “Most significantly, Britney and her group gave us fairly liberal capability to shift lyrics right here and there, to verify issues didn’t really feel clunky, however purposeful. You don’t wish to change an excessive amount of as a result of that is music that everybody on Earth loves; it’s a half artwork, half science to verify every little thing matches the place it’s. Some songs that have been massive numbers of hers, there weren’t locations to suit. Exterior of the mega hits, there was no expectation that each music can be in it. They gave our inventive group freedom to do what makes the present make sense.”
The Crossroads actress, who married Sam Asghari in June 2022, gave the present her stamp of approval over on her Instagram.
“Good luck to the hardworking solid and crew of As soon as Upon a One Extra Time on opening night time tonight 🌹💃🏼✨ !!!” she captioned a tribute submit on Thursday. “I’ve seen the present and it’s so humorous, good and good 🤩 !!!”
As soon as Upon a One Extra Time marks Spears’ first profession venture because the conservatorship — run by her father, Jamie Spears, and Jodi Montgomery — over her property and particular person was terminated in November 2021.
