SHOW INFORMATION www.DISENCHANTEDmusical.com THE STORY “Riotous! [DISENCHANTED!] boasts side splitting performances by a talented ensemble. Walt Disney would spin in his grave.” – New York Post DISENCHANTED! is the hit new musical comedy featuring Snow White and her princess posse, who've had it up to their crowns with being portrayed as helpless damsels in distress. (The Abbey Theatre, Orlando 2013; Hannah Berry-Matthews as ‘Sleeping Beauty’ & Michelle Knight as ‘Snow White’; photo by The Bokeh Studio) Snow White is joined by Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Hua Mulan, Belle, Pocahontas, and their friends as they perform a theme park show of their own which skewers and pokes fun at today's pop princess culture, proving that happily ever after is a royal pain! “You'll be enchanted with [DISENCHANTED!]! Its concepts, conceits and songs appealed to everyone in a demographically mixed audience, regardless of ages, sexual orientation, ethnic background, height or weight … packed with a roaring, cheering audience. As for the performers, they are superstardom bound! - Myra Chanin, Huffington Post (Michelle Knight as ‘Snow White’; photo by KH Photographics) 2 CAST OF CHARACTERS The characters in DISENCHANTED! are played by women of all shapes, sizes, ages and ethnicities. All women are princesses, whether they fit the paradigm of the animated film princess genre or not. These women are not damsels in distress – each of them is an original storybook princess with a healthy dose of modern-day woman: independent and determined. SNOW WHITE Brassy and ballsy, sassy and self-assured; she is the leader of the Princess pack who likes to be in control. She is equal parts serious- minded, sexy, and fun-loving. With her skin as white as snow and lips cherry red, she aspires to be perfect in all that she does but soon realizes that being perfectly ‘you’ is more important. (photo: Michelle Knight by KH Photographics) CINDERELLA Perky and quirky; a bit ditzy, she is always enthusiastic – especially when it comes to being a real-life princess. She’s a happy-go- lucky girl who is about to discover that there’s more to being a princess than gowns and glass slippers. (photo: Breanne Pickering by KH Photographics) SLEEPING BEAUTY The perfect comic foil to Snow White’s perfect ‘straight-man.’ Always the cut-up, she brings a flippant unpredictability to the evening’s festivities. She’s a comical bull in a china shop. Some would prefer she fit into the stereotype of a perfect princess but she’d rather break the mold and be perfectly herself. (photo: Hannah Berry-Matthews by KH Photographics) BELLE / THE LITTLE MERMAID / RAPUNZEL Playing the role of three princesses: a smart, witty French girl from classic lit driven crazy by the misrepresentation of her image in pop culture; an innocent, obedient young woman who has given up everything she has just to net a man; and a rough-and-tumble German v’oman bent on getting her fair share in life. (photo: Kali Rabult by Rob-Harris) 3 HUA MULAN / PRINCESS BADROULBADOUR / POCAHONTAS Playing the role of three princesses: an Asian yet Americanized, shy yet out-going gal, a walking dichotomy of masculinity and femininity; the ultimate exploited girl who is a blend of the innocent Powhatan tyke from history and the buxom babe from today’s pop princess culture; and the spunky princess from the Aladdin story tired of being secondary in her own tale. (photo: Lulu Picart by KH Photographics) THE PRINCESS WHO KISSED THE FROG Forgotten and left out of the kingdom for many years, this empowered African-American woman has now arrived on the scene as a feisty, fabulous storybook princess! She is the ultimate supreme diva in the land and she’s ready to take the world by storm! (photo: Ericka Dunlap by Rob-Harris) “I had to wipe away the tears of laughter from my eyes. I will see this one AGAIN and AGAIN!” - BroadwayWorld “Clever from start to finish and, at its best moments, intellectually stimulating.” - Bradenton Herald “The songs are all incredible …there are too many highlights to pick just one!” - Disney Dispatch “Now’s your chance to catch a show that deserves a bigger life, whether it’s in New York or anywhere the celluloid Disney princesses have paved the way!” - On Theatre “A laugh out loud joy ride of bouncy melodies goosed with plenty of snark, wit and cleverly delivered message of female empowerment!” - Bradenton Herald 4 HOW IT ALL BEGAN What would the ‘real’ Pocahontas, a circa 1616 ten year old, rough and tumble Powhatan girl, think of the 1995 Pocahontas – a deer pelt, lingerie clad, twenty something with a mane of long, flowing hair? That’s what creator, Dennis Giacino, an ex-history teacher, often wondered. A musician at heart, Giacino created a musical number skewering the princess pop culture that transformed Pocahontas from a revered American-turned-British princess into the pin-up girl vixen from the movies. Soon Giacino found himself finding a number of ‘princesses’ with similar complaints and DISENCHANTED! was born. The show was written over a three year period in Vancouver BC, Portland OR, Orlando FL and New York City. Giacino first heard the piece aloud at a Reading in NYC in 2009, which led to a performance a year later as a part of the New Jersey Playwrights Contest, which the show won in 2010. In the spring of 2011, it started sold-out runs at the Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival, where it was extended, and won the 2011 Producer’s Award. With such acclaim immediately reaching the internet, Giacino licensed the piece to other theaters in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida, all receiving the same accolades – sold-out runs, extensions and standing ovations! Now the show is set to make its way to a larger audience on a grander scale. Join us as we take this all-female musical and turn Off-Broadway audiences upside down in complete laughter. “A Tour de Force of Composition and Pacing!” - Orlando Weekly (Photos: The Abbey Theatre, Orlando FL, Fall 2013 by The Bokeh Studio. Top Photo: Breanne Pickering as ‘Cinderella,’ Lulu Picart as ‘Pocahontas,’ Michelle Knight as ‘Snow White,’ Hannah Berry-Matthews as ‘Sleeping Beauty.’ Bottom Photo: Breanne Pickering as ‘Cinderella,’ Michelle Knight as ‘Snow White,’ Hannah Berry-Matthews as ‘Sleeping Beauty’) 5 PRODUCTION HISTORY WORKSHOP READING, NYC - Dec 13, 14, 2009 Pearl Studios, 500 8th Ave., NYC Tickets for the first show were put on sale to the general public and sold out within 5 hours! A second date was added! This sold out as well. Songs from the show were sung to STANDING ROOM ONLY HOUSES and STANDING OVATIONS! NEW JERSEY PLAYWRIGHTS CONTEST READING, NJ – Dec 1, 2010 Hunziker Black Box Theatre William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ This reading was one of three plays performed in the contest finals. The show played to a SOLD OUT HOUSE, STANDING OVATION and WON the 2010 NJ Playwrights Contest. ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL FRINGE FESTIVAL - May 18 - June 1, 2011 Margeson Theatre, Orlando Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins, Orlando, FL The show played to nothing but SOLD OUT HOUSES (324-seats/performance), STANDING OVATIONS, and was EXTENDED as the PATRON’S PICK AWARD WINNER. The show was the highest-selling show of the 2011 Fringe and the second-highest selling show in the 20 year Fringe history. Awards: ‘BEST NATIONAL SHOW’ – TheDailyCity.com. ‘BEST OF FEST’ - The Orlando Sentinel; ‘BEST OF ORLANDO’ – Orlando Weekly Reader’s Poll, ‘BEST PLAYS’; ‘BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL’ – Michelle Knight; Orlando Weekly Reader’s Poll; ‘BEST IN VENUE’ – TheDailyCity.com; ‘PRODUCER’S AWARD’ – Orlando Int’l Fringe Theatre Festival, 2011. RAVE REVIEWS: Orlando Sentinel, Orlando Weekly, Watermark, Analog Artist – Digital World, TheDailyCity.com 6 FOOTLIGHTS THEATRE, FL – June 5, 6, 2011 400 N. Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL EXTENDED from the Orlando Fringe, the show played to another SOLD OUT RUN (160-seats/performance) and STANDING OVATIONS. NEW JERSEY PLAYWRIGHTS CONTEST – June 19 - 29, 2011 Hunziker Black Box Theatre, Wayne, NJ As WINNER of the 2010 NJ Playwrights Contest, the show went on to play a completely SOLD OUT RUN to STANDING OVATIONS. RAVE REVIEWS: NJ Star Ledger; Disney Dispatch; BARK (TheBarking.com) CNY JAZZ CENTRAL THEATRE – Sept 9 - Oct 8, 2011 Rarely Done Productions, 441 E. Washington St., Syracuse, NY The show played to a SOLD OUT RUN (the first in this theatre’s history), RAVE REVIEWS, STANDING OVATIONS, and a TWICE-EXTENDED RUN! AWARD: Julia Berger received a 2011 SALT (Syracuse Area Live Theatre) Award from Syracuse New Times for her role of Snow White! GOLDEN APPLE DINNER THEATRE – Oct 11 - 23, 2011 25 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, FL The show’s success resulted in EXTENSION and OPTION for 2012. RAVE REVIEWS: Sarasota Herald-Tribune; Scene Magazine; Bradenton Herald; Sarasota Magazine 7 DOWNSTAIRS CABARET THEATRE – Nov 9 - Dec 18, 2011, 20 Windsor Street, Rochester, NY The show received STANDING OVATIONS and a one-month EXTENSION! RAVE REVIEW: Rochester City News GOLDMAN THEATRE AEA SHOWCASE PRODUCTION – Dec 8, 2011 - Jan 7, 2012, Goldman Theater, Orlando Shakespeare Center, 812 E. Rollins, Orlando, FL The show returned to Orlando, FL and played once again to a completely SOLD OUT RUN, STANDING OVATIONS, and an EXTENSION! GOLDEN APPLE DINNER THEATRE – Feb 28 – March 25, 2012 25 N. Pineapple Ave., Sarasota, FL Due to popular demand, ‘DISENCHANTED!’ was revived at the Golden Apple Dinner Theater and played to PACKED HOUSES, more RAVE REVIEWS, and STANDING OVATIONS. H.O.P.E. PLAYERS – March 8 - 17, 2012 8306 Brookside Rd, Elkins Park, PA (Philly suburb) This production was booked for two performances.