Princess Camp: The Musical opens Thursday, April 25
Published or Revised April 25, 2024
Shown clockwise from top: Cinderella (left, Rylie Johnston) and Sleeping Beauty (right, Brenna Mills) perform the Book Ballet as a less-than-enthusiastic Mary Merryweather (Addison Brown) looks on; Grudge (T.K. McGee) and Smudge (Emma Davis) perform their introductory song and dance as the story’s villains; Arthur (Justice McMenamy) tries to pull the sword from the stone.
It’s too bad Princess Camp doesn’t have any horses, because Princess Mary Merryweather would rather be riding a horse than dancing at a ball. That’s the heart of a fun, family-friendly musical that takes the audience on an adventure to be true to oneself. It opens Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Paris Junior College.
“I’m really excited about the musical,” said Addison Brown, who plays Mary Merryweather. “Our plays are always fun, but the thing about the children’s show is that there’s more creativity in it and we get to play around with fantasy. There are a lot of fun little bits throughout.”
Tired of failing at all the things a princess is supposed to be, Mary runs away. Between saving a prince, being chased by minions of the Evil Stepmothers Alliance, and some sword fighting fun, the forest provides the adventure Mary had hoped for.
But getting out of trouble takes more than guts, and proving a princess can be anything she wants to be will take a little help from Mary’s friends. If Sleeping Beauty can stay awake that long.
“This is a fun spoof on Disney,” said Drama faculty and play director William L. Walker, “where we learn to be ourselves as the genuine thing you should be, rather than what others want you to be. Basically if you try to be something that you’re not, then you’ll be miserable and the best person to be is yourself. The whole thing has been a lot of fun.
“The music is super catchy and you’ll find yourself humming it a lot. The tunes are very simple and you’ll hear Disney tunes kind of hidden.”
“Musicals can be a little iffy at times,” said Brenna Mills, who plays Sleeping Beauty. “but this play is absolutely hilarious. We’ve got so many funny moments in it and it’s inspiring. The whole family can enjoy it. So it has princesses, and bad guys, and jokes. It’s absolutely amazing.”
T.K. McGee plays Grudge or, as he said, a “Henchman with Flair.”
“Without spoiling too much,” McGee says, “there may or may not be a sword fight and I may or may not be stabbed in a humorous spot. You should come for the villains; we don’t get enough support and we try hard!”
Smudge the henchman is a very silly character, according to Emma Davis.
“My motivation is Grudge, who’s like an older brother to me.” said Davis. “I love the production, it’s one of my favorites and the audience will love it.”
Ryan Smith describes Lady Ladysworth, who he says is a failed princess running a camp to ensure other princesses don’t fail. She’s not a typical villain.
“She’s selfish and caring,” said Smith. “It’s not caring in the normal sense. She’ll be mean to people to get them to do what she wants them to do.”
Justice McMenamy, who plays Arthur, said there’s a nice parallel between his character and that of Mary.
“He chooses between acting as others think he should or what he would like to do,” McMenamy said. “It’s a story of finding yourself. I think my cast mates have beautiful voices and they sing really well. Their acting is on another level.”
“Princess Camp: The Musical,” is from a book by Megan Russell, with music and lyrics by Megan Russell and Christopher Russell. The production runs from Thursday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 28. Tickets are $15 general admission, $10 for senior citizens and students; and free to those with current PJC ID. Tickets may be purchased by at the door with cash, check, or credit card.
Cast:
Addison Brown - Mary Merryweather; Rylie Johnston - Cinderella; Brenna Mills - Sleeping Beauty; Robert Spain - King Merryweather; Emma Davis - Smudge; T.K. McGee - Grudge; Justice McMenamy - Arthur; Ryan Smith - Lady Ladysworth/Rapping Bear; Kai Jackson - Witch/Wolf/Birds/Chorus; Grace Moore - Little Red Riding Hood/Birds/Chorus.
Crew:
Director William L. Walker; Music Director Alaina Downing; Choreographer Kayleigh Kirby; Costume Coordinators - Sarah Curtis and Celia Ann Stogner; Stage Manager Lisa Martin; Scenic Movement Specialist - Amanda BLouin; Scenic Designers - Will Walker and Andy Johnson; Crew - Amanda Blouin and Andy Johnson; Lightboard Operator - Andy Johnson; Sound Board Operator - Soren Anwell; and Charge Artists: Art faculty Lena Spencer and art students Ryan Jenkins, Jennifer Oropeza, Davie Rater, and Tyler Winn.