Britney Spears Jukebox Musical ‘Once Upon a One More Time’ Coming to Broadway

Daniel Kreps
·2 min read
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OMT_141_Briga_Heelan_Emily_Skinner_Tess_Soltau_and_Mimi_Scardulla_c_Matthew_Murphy - Credit: Once Upon a One More Time
OMT_141_Briga_Heelan_Emily_Skinner_Tess_Soltau_and_Mimi_Scardulla_c_Matthew_Murphy - Credit: Once Upon a One More Time

Once Upon a One More Time, the long-in-the-works jukebox musical featuring the music of Britney Spears, is set to open on Broadway in June 2023.

On the day of Spears’ 41st birthday, the musical announced that it would begin previews at the Marquis Theatre on May 13 ahead of its official opening night on June 23.

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The musical uses Spears’ biggest hits to tell an original story and “revisionist fairytale” where “Cinderella, Snow White, Little Mermaid, and other classic storybook characters gather for their fortnightly book club, when—oh baby, baby!—a rogue fairy godmother grants their wish for a new story, by dropping The Feminine Mystique into their corseted laps,” the musical said in a synopsis. “The arrival of this new tome spurs a royal revelation: there is more to life than bird-made dresses and true love’s kiss!”

Once Upon a One More Time was first announced in 2019 when it scheduled a pre-Broadway run in Chicago ahead of its move to New York City. However, that run was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic, with the musical finally making its debut at Washington D.C.’s Shakespeare Theatre Company in Dec. 2021 for a monthlong engagement.

Spears, in a conservatorship-era statement, called the musical a “dream come true for me.”
“I’m so excited to have a musical with my songs — especially one that takes place in such a magical world filled with characters that I grew up on, who I love and adore,” Spears, who attended a 2019 reading of the musical, said in a statement ahead of the canceled Chicago run.

As Spears was in the conservatorship at the time of the musical’s creation, it’s unclear if the show is actually approved by the singer and if she’s involved in any capacity; producers have stated that all the music was licensed through their publishers with the approval of the songwriters, the Hollywood Reporter writes.

A lawyer for Spears did not immediately reply to Rolling Stone‘s request for comment. Spears is not listed among the musical’s producers or creative team, which includes writer Jon Hartmere, creative consultant David Leveaux, producers James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold and directors/cinematographers Keone & Mari Madrid.

Tickets for Once Upon a One More Time go on sale to the public beginning Dec. 5.

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