Britney Spears Celebrates Broadway Musical “Once Again” – The Hollywood Reporter

The musical comedy, produced by Tony winners James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold, opens Thursday night after premieres that began May 13. Written by John Hartmeier and directed by Keoni and Mary Madrid (beyond BabylonAnd karate Kid), the show is inspired by music performed and recorded by Spears.

“Oops I Did It Again,” “Lucky,” “Circus,” and “Toxic” are among the songs that serve as the soundtrack to a fairytale book club featuring classic characters like Cinderella, Snow White, the Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, and more, whose lives are turned upside down. After a rogue fairy godmother decides to abandon her female mystery in their arms.

The show scheduled a 2019 Chicago pre-Broadway period that has been pushed through 2020 before the pandemic shuts down the live theater industry across the country. But in December 2021, Once again Its world premiere took place at the Shakespeare Theater Company in Washington, D.C., months before a Los Angeles judge officially ended Spears’ tenure. Before opening the show, Nederlander and Arnold confirmed that the musical was fully authorized and licensed by Britney Spears, and that a licensing agreement had been negotiated, approved, and signed after the restoration by the Grammy winner in 2022.

while talking to Hollywood Reporter Ahead of the official opening, senior members of the production’s creative team shared their expectations about the show’s long journey to the stage, and their gratitude to the cast and crew and Spears for fulfilling it.

“We are so grateful to this cast, this company that just took this project live and said, we really want to not only be a part of this, but we want to embody everything Britney stood for,” co-director and choreographer Keone says. THR, Pointing out that the singer embodies joy, happiness and kindness. “We are so happy that we were able to get confirmation that she was in support of preserving the post-show, so we can fully support her by wholeheartedly creating this work and standing up for the things she stood for firsthand.”

Choreographer Mary Madrid added, “It’s great to go into the audience every night and feel like people are interacting with it.” “The last few years have been pretty crazy for humanity, so being able to just be in a room with people and feel the joy is so refreshing.”

For Hartmeier, the journey with the musical—which has gone through a series of changes over the past half-decade as it makes its way from Chicago to D.C. and now Broadway—has made him appreciate the time that helped shape and reshape music. Story along with the show’s director and choreographer team.

“Just how long does it take to get here — it felt a little bit like Christmas morning, but the clock has stopped, and I don’t mean just with COVID,” he said, speaking to the pandemic pause in the live theater industry. “I was so excited to post this, but when I look back, if we had done the first version, I wouldn’t even know Keoney and Mary, who are the most delightful, amazing human beings on the planet. We wouldn’t have some cast.”

For producer Arnold, the production was only possible with Spears’ seal of approval. “Everyone involved really thought this thing worked spiritually,” he said, “it should be a tribute to the icons of her career, it should be of direct benefit to her.”

Caitlin Houston contributed to this report.