Interview: Christopher T. Miller on giving Fairy Tales a New Sound in THE FAIRY TALE MONOLOGUES at Riot Productions
"The Fairy Tale Monologues" by Riot Productions is playing at 7:30 p.m. July 31, Aug. 1, 7 and 8, and at 2 p.m. Aug. 2 and 9, at Moxie Theatre
Music has always been an essential part of fairy tales, carrying audiences through moments of wonder, heartbreak, and happily-ever-afters. In Riot Productions' “The Fairy Tale Monologues”, however, the score does far more than underscore familiar stories—it gives voice to characters reclaiming narratives that have long been told for them. Written by three-time award-winning playwright and composer Sarah Alida LeClair, the musical reimagines beloved fairy tales through a contemporary feminist lens, weaving together humor, heartbreak, and lush original music into an emotional journey that lingers long after the curtain falls.
Serving as both music director and accompanist, Christopher T. Miller has helped shape the expanded full-length production following its award-winning run at the 2026 San Diego International Fringe Festival. As opening night approaches, Miller took the time to speak about the evolution of the score, the musical influences behind the production, and how live accompaniment becomes an active part of the storytelling.
How do you describe this show to someone, your role in it, and the role music plays in telling this story?
"The Fairy Tale Monologues" is a deconstruction and examination of fairy tale tropes, and in particular the way women's roles in our collective stories are minimized or pigeonholed (the crone, the maiden, the (dead) mother...). My role is first and foremost to support the actors (both with accompaniment when they sing and with underscore during much of the dialogue), and I've also had the privilege to work with the composer on how to best fill certain spaces or match the mood of certain moments.
This production expands on the Fringe version with additional songs. How did the music evolve alongside the script?
The Fringe version was necessarily condensed, with the result that some bits of dialogue or song fragments ended up with different characters or in different contexts. Restoring those bits to their intended context and having the space to flesh them out makes everyone's emotional arc a little clearer and more robust. Some of the songs that had to be cut for time are restored, and we've added a couple new pieces to balance out the flow of the score. The end result is that all the characters, particularly the Princess and the Baker, have a clearer and more compelling journey. We also identified several spots that needed additional or different underscore, due to pacing or a different mood for a given moment.
What was your overall musical approach for “The Fairy Tale Monologues”? Were you trying to evoke classic fairy tales, modern musical theatre, or something entirely different?
The overall approach was very naturalistic and contemporary. The musical influences you'll hear are from piano-heavy rock (e.g., Evanescence) and modern theater composers (e.g., Jason Robert Brown). The approach has been to follow the classic musical theater advice that characters burst into song when the feelings they're having become too big for speech. We want the dialogue, the underscore, and the songs to all flow together seamlessly in the audience's experience.
You're serving as both music director and accompanist. How does being onstage with the performers change your relationship to the storytelling?
Being on stage as the accompanist is delightful! We've developed a little recurring bit where there will be sweet underscoring during some of the classic "once upon a time" narration moments, which gets abruptly cut off when one of the characters objects to the distortions. In general, it forces me to remain engaged with the storytelling, and makes it much easier to coordinate with the actors in terms of timing and energy. I also occasionally get included in the funnier moments by a quick "can you believe this?" glance from some of the actors, which I think just adds to the fun. In general, I try to make the music a character without inserting myself as a character (much).
What do you hope audiences are thinking and talking about on their way home after the show?
The line that sticks with me the most from this show is "don't let them tell my story". So, I hope audiences head home thinking about who has told the stories they take for granted, interrogating those stories, and also thinking about telling their own story more clearly and confidently.
Like the best fairy tales, “The Fairy Tale Monologues” reminds us that every story has more than one side. With Christopher T. Miller's music helping guide the journey, this bold new musical proves that sometimes the most magical stories are the ones still being written.
How To Get Tickets
"The Fairy Tale Monologues" by Riot Productions is playing at 7:30 p.m. July 31, Aug. 1, 7 and 8, and at 2 p.m. Aug. 2 and 9, at Moxie Theatre, 6669 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego. For ticket and showtime information, go to riotproductions.art
Photo Credit: Riot Productions
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