Broadway’s Once Upon a One More Time, featuring the greatest hits of Britney Spears, will close on September 3.
The jukebox musical opened on June 22 after six weeks of previews at the Marquis Theatre and will end its Broadway run after just 123 performances.
Producers James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold hinted that while the show is saying goodbye to the Great White Way, plans are underway for new productions to travel internationally.
“We could not be prouder of this beautifully joyous and exhilarating show — which is not only a love letter to Britney’s iconic artistry and singular effervescence, but also a brilliant display of the boundless talent of our cast and creative team,” they said in a joint statement to Playbill on Monday, August 21. “We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to this dream team of collaborators, performers, designers, staff, crew, and investors who continue to share our passion and joy for this project. As plans take shape for the show’s future life around the globe, we’re excited to share more news soon!”
Once Upon a One More Time follows several iconic fairy tale characters — including Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty — after they find a copy of Betty Friedan’s seminal 1963 book, The Feminine Mystique, which blew up the notion that women achieved happiness only by being housewives and having children. Not surprisingly, the characters subsequently decide to change their fates.
Based on a book by Jon Hartmere, Once Upon a One More Time was directed and choreographed by Keone and Mari Madrid, both of whom were making their Broadway debut.
The show featured 25 of Spears’ songs spanning her entire career, with classics such as “…Baby One More Time” and “From the Bottom of My Broken Heart” as well as later hits like “Work Bitch” and “Make Me.”
The musical came together after Spears suggested a Broadway production featuring her tracks — as long as the story didn’t focus on her.
“It was actually Britney who approached us and said, ‘We’d like to have a show based on my music, and specifically not a bio-musical,’” Arnold told Variety in June. “The original idea came from ideas brought forth by her: She loves fairytales, princesses, storybooks. We took a couple of passes at it — we didn’t get it right instantly. Then we did a workshop after we got the current-ish version together and she came to see it and give thoughts on it.”
Spears praised Once Upon a Once More Time via Instagram in June. “Good luck to the hardworking cast and crew of Once Upon a One More Time on opening night tonight 🌹💃🏼✨ !!! I’ve seen the show and it is so funny, smart and brilliant 🤩 !!!” she wrote.
The closing comes during an already difficult month for Spears. Us Weekly confirmed on Thursday, August 17, that Sam Asghari filed for divorce from the singer just 14 months after they tied the knot.
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She broke her silence on the divorce in an Instagram post the following day. “As everyone knows, Hesam and I are no longer together … 6 years is a long time to be with someone so, I’m a little shocked but … I’m not here to explain why because its honestly nobody’s business !!!” Spears wrote. “But, I couldn’t take the pain anymore honestly !!!”
