Disenchanted! – Theatre at St Clements, New York

Jen Bechter, Michelle Knight and Becky Gulsvig in a scene from Disenchanted! at the Theatre at St. Clements, New York. Picture: Matthew Murphy

Disenchanted! continues at the Theatre at St. Clements, New York until 25 January.

Being a storybook princess isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. That’s the message that comes through very loud and very clear in Disenchanted!, the raucous new Off-Broadway musical that’s inhabited by a flock of Disney animated-movie heroines. The ladies have a litany of complaints about their life both “once upon a time” and supposedly “happily ever after”. And as they air them in uninhibited fashion, we discover this is definitely not a show for the kiddies.

The gang leader is Snow White, a stern mistress of ceremonies, sometimes frustrated by the haplessness of her colleagues. Her two sidekicks are a rather bubble-headed Cinderella and a somewhat clunky Sleeping Beauty.

During the course of the proceedings, they bring on stage Belle from Beauty and the Beast, the Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, Hua Mulan, Pocahontas, Princess Badroulbadour (otherwise known as Jasmine in Aladdin), and The Princess Who Kissed a Frog (from The Princess and the Frog!). They complain about such things as: the boorish behaviour of their Prince Charmings once the wedding is over; how their princess images have been over-commercialised, and how the men who drew them have overemphasised their bosoms. The last named gripe is expressed in a song called ‘Big Tits’.

It’s a fairly narrow concept for a 110-minute revue, but Dennis T. Giacino, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, has packed his songs and patter with a profusion of jokes that hit at least as much as they miss. Among his more fertile ideas, Beauty and the Beast’s Belle appears tied to a throne in a makeshift straightjacket. She has been driven insane by all her talking, singing and dancing household furnishings.

Mulan, in a somewhat sweet meditation, wonders if she is a lesbian: “I‘m the only princess here without the guy.” The frog-kissing princess celebrates in rousing rhythm and blues the creation of a princess who finally is black, while also wondering why it took so long.

The show has been produced in various incarnations around the US over the past three years. The cast assembled for this Off-Broadway premiere – directed by Fiely A. Matias with musical staging by Matt West ­– works together with great ease while also simulating an enjoyable spontaneity.

Michelle Knight ballasts the event with authority as Snow White, while Becky Gulsvig’s Cinderella and Jen Bechter’s Sleeping Beauty provide laugh-getting foils. Alison Burns moves deftly from Belle to Mermaid to Rapunzel, and Lulu Picart brings some welcome vulnerability to Mulan, Pocahontas and Badroulbadour. Appearing late in the game, Soara-Joye Ross injects a fresh shot of adrenalin to the stage as the frog-kissing princess.

Along with their sense of comedy, they all bring strong vocalising to the musical numbers, letting the gag-filled lyrics frequently register over the percussion-driven accompaniment of the three-member band. Gentry Akens’ set design and Vanessa Leuck’s costumes add smartly to the general aura of glitzy cheesiness.

As its title suggests, Disenchanted! is hardly enchanting, but it is rambunctious fun.

Ron Cohen