Britney Spears hits set for Broadway
Britney Spears is heading to Broadway, the US singer announced on Tuesday, in the form of a fairy-tale jukebox musical with a feminist bent set to the pop star's hits.
Once Upon A One More Time begins previews and then a limited run in Chicago from Oct 29 before setting its sights on New York.
"I am 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, 37, said in a statement.
"This is a dream come true for me."
It will fill the slot in Chicago that had been slated to host Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough about Michael Jackson, a musical whose tryout was cancelled over "scheduling difficulties" linked to a labour dispute with actors, according to its producers. They added that they were hoping to take the musical straight to Broadway in 2020.
The cancellation came just prior to an HBO documentary that detailed paedophilia allegations against Jackson.
In the meantime, the Spears show will see a "rogue fairy godmother" enlighten its protagonists on progressive views on the notion of happily ever after.
The title of the show references ...Baby One More Time, the 1998 breakout single for Spears, who went on to become one of the best-selling pop artists in history.
A statement explaining the show on Spears' website invoked Betty Friedan's manifesto credited with ushering in second-wave feminism in the US.
"Once Upon A Time... Cinderella, Snow White and the other fairy-tale princesses gather for their book club, when - oh, baby baby! - a rogue fairy godmother drops The Feminine Mystique into their corseted laps, spurring a royal revelation," it read.
"Could there really be more to life than bird-made dresses and true love's kiss?" - AFP
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
