Review: ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME at Ray Of Light Theatre

ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME: THE Britney Spears FAIRY TALE MUSICAL by Ray of Light Theatre at the Barbary Stage brings down the house on opening night. Chock full of familiar characters, Britney tunes, and non-stop choreography, the show delivers a mighty punch. All the frivolity is wrapped up in a nice bit of girl power messaging. With a touch of nostalgia, a dose of comedy, and heart-thumping songs, the show is a fantastic way to shake off your worries and have a great time.

ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME is a fairy tale adventure featuring many familiar characters. In the story, all the characters from fairy tales live in a community together. When a reader opens a book in the real world, they are summoned to act out their story led by the narrator. They continue in this cycle, repeating their story over and over, but never really getting to the next part, the happily ever after. Cinderella becomes disenchanted with her story and begins to question the entire system. She encounters OFG, the Original Fairy Godmother, who was banished. OFG introduces Cinderella to modern books, and The Feminine Mystique by Princess Betty Who writes that girls should be able to write their own stories. Sparked with inspiration, Cinderella shares her discovery with the other princesses. Snow White agrees to go with Cinderella to the palace to see what’s happening in her story. Snow is devastated to find that her own prince is also Cinderella’s prince. The entire fairy tale system is now under scrutiny. Cinderella’s stepmother sees this as an opportunity to promote her own daughters with the Narrator. But once the Narrator gets wind of the new ideas shaking up the system, he seeks to protect his kingdom and the status quo, and the chance for change is slipping away.

The cast of ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME is jam packed with high-energy performers. Majesty Pearl Scott leads the way as Cinderella with a soulful voice and a believable naivety. Marah Sotelo gives Snow White an infusion of vigor and vitality with her big voice and great comedic timing. Speaking of comedy, the stepsister duo of Mickey Hanano Skinner as Bethany and Catherine Traceski make every scene they are in better. Their physicality, timing, and line delivery are spot on. And Stepmother, Jessica Coker, delivers her own command performance, and absolutely slays her song Toxic. The OFG, played by Mary Kalita, brings spunk and heart to her role. There is nothing little about the impression left by Hannah Martinez-Crow in the dual role of Little Girl and Little Red. She is utter cuteness and complete fire. Marshall Forte and Prince Charming is… charming. In a show where the ensemble barely has a moment’s rest, Johan Raymundo Casal and Nico Jaochico stand out. They simply refuse to ever look tired and continuously feed energy and joy into the show.

Director Michael Phillis keeps the show humming with quick pacing and transitions. Matt Owens’ set design makes the most of a small space and the dominating stairs become a feature that provides levels of interest and contributes to the complex choreography. Video Designer Stephen Hitchock makes the most of the video displays to add variety to the settings and assist with the storytelling. Choreographers Clint Calimlim and Alex Rodrguez pack the show with dynamic and athletic dancing. They hit the sweet spot of paying homage to classic Britney moves while filling the show with their own style as well. Music Director Diana Lee helps the actors find their own voices within Britney’s lyrics and lean into their individual fairy tale characters as well. The costumes by Ashley Renee are a perfect adaptation of fairy tale looks so that each character is recognizable but not stale.

More on Ray of Light Theatre

Recent Articles

Review: URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL at Ray Of Light Theatre

8/10/2026