Broadway In Chicago Announces All-Star Cast For Broadway-Bound ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME

Broadway In Chicago Announces All-Star Cast For Broadway-Bound <em>ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME</em> 1 Broadway In Chicago and The Nederlander Organization are pleased to announce the world premiere cast for the Broadway-bound ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME, a new musical set to the smash hits of Grammy Award-winning superstar Britney Spears.  Briga Heelan (“Great News”, Judd Apatow’s “Love”) and Justin Guarini (Romeo and Juliet, “American Idol”) will star as Cinderella and Prince Charming in the musical’s pre-Broadway run this spring at Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre, alongside BAFTA Award nominee Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral, “Outlander”) as Narrator,  Tony nominee Emily Skinner (Sideshow, The Cher Show) as Stepmother, Brooke Dillman (Superbad, “Wrecked”) as The O.F.G (Original Fairy Godmother), Aisha Jackson (Waitress, Frozen) as Snow White, and Mimi Scardulla (We Are The Tigers) and Tess Soltau (Wicked) as Stepsisters Belinda and Betany.Briga Heelan, Justin Guarini, Simon Callow & Emily Skinner

Broadway In Chicago and The Nederlander Organization are pleased to announce the world premiere cast for the Broadway-bound ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME, a new musical set to the smash hits of Grammy Award-winning superstar Britney Spears Briga Heelan (“Great News”, Judd Apatow’s “Love”) and Justin Guarini (Romeo and Juliet, “American Idol”) will star as Cinderella and Prince Charming in the musical’s pre-Broadway run this spring at Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre, alongside BAFTA Award nominee Simon Callow (Four Weddings and a Funeral, “Outlander”) as Narrator,  Tony nominee Emily Skinner (SideshowThe Cher Show) as Stepmother, Brooke Dillman (Superbad, “Wrecked”) as The O.F.G (Original Fairy Godmother), Aisha Jackson (Waitress, Frozen) as Snow White, and Mimi Scardulla (We Are The Tigers) and Tess Soltau (Wicked) as Stepsisters Belinda and Betany.

Completing the kingdom are Ashley Chiu (KPOP) as Sleeping Beauty, Raymond J Lee (Groundhog Day)Wonu Ogunfowora (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical) as Rapunzel, Ryan Steele (Carousel), Allie Trimm (13 The Musical) as Little Mermaid, Morgan Weed (American Psycho) as Princess Pea, Matt Allen (Something Rotten!), Belinda Allyn (Allegiance), Viva Boresi, Stephen Brower (Anastasia), Jennifer Florentino (On Your Feet!), Selene Haro (Beyond Babel), Joshua Daniel Johnson (In The Heights film), Amy Hillner Larsen (Hairspray), Korinne Tetlow (If Only), Salisha Thomas (Beautiful), Matthew Tiberi (Finding Neverland),  Josh Tolle (Kinky Boots), Kevin Trinio Perdido, and Diana Marie Vaden (Tootsie).

Once Upon A Time… Cinderella, Snow White, and the other fairytale 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: could there really be more to life than bird-made dresses and true love’s kiss? With an original story written by Jon Hartmere (bare, The Upside) – set to the songs of the Princess of Pop herself, Britney Spears – ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME weaves such hits as “Oops! I Did It Again”, “Stronger,” “Toxic” and “Lucky”, into an uproarious, irreverent look at the towering challenges, charms, and choices involved in finding that most elusive of endings: Happily Ever After.

Directed and Choreographed by internationally-acclaimed artists Keone & Mari Madrid (Beyond Babel, BTS, Justin Bieber’s “Love Yourself”), ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME begins previews at Broadway In Chicago’s James M. Nederlander Theatre (24 W. Randolph Street) on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, with an opening night of April 30, for a limited engagement through May 17, 2020.  Dates and venue details for the Broadway production will be announced at a later date.

The creative team for ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME includes five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux (Nine, NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar”) as Creative Consultant, Scenic Designer Anna Fleischle (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Costume & Hair Designer Loren Elstein (Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead), Lighting Designer Sonoyo Nishikawa (Prince of Broadway), Sound Designer Andrew Keister (On Your Feet!), Tony-nominated Projection Designer Sven Ortel (Newsies), and Wig Designer Ashley Rae Callahan (Beetlejuice). Casting is by Hardt Casting, General Management is by Charlotte Wilcox Company, and the Production Stage Manager is Bonnie Becker.

TICKET INFORMATION & PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Individual tickets for ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME are on sale now, and range in price from $33-$110 with a select number of premium tickets available.  Individual tickets will be available by calling the Broadway In Chicago Ticketline at (800) 775-2000 or by visiting BroadwayInChicago.com.  Tickets are available now for groups of 10 or more by calling Broadway In Chicago Group Sales at (312) 977-1710 or emailing GroupSales@BroadwayInChicago.com.  The performance schedule is as follows: Tuesdays at 7:30PM; Wednesdays at 7:30PM (added 2PM performance on May 6 & 13); Thursdays at 7:30PM; Fridays at 7:30PM; Saturdays at 2PM & 8PM; Sundays at 2PM & 7:30PM (no 7:30PM performance on May 10 & 17).

BIOGRAPHIES:

BRIGA HEELAN (Cinderella) Briga’s immersion in the theatre began at early age, when she learned at the heels of her father, an acclaimed playwright and theatre instructor, and her mother, an actress.  She graduated from Walnut Hill School of the Arts in New England, which showcased at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, and continued on as a Musical Theater major at the prestigious Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.  She eventually transferred to the University of Southern California, where she was the recipient of the James Pendleton Award for Outstanding Contribution to the School of Theatre.

Ms. Heelan’s career took roots in Los Angeles where she quickly found work in television comedy and film.  After a handful of guest starring roles, she starred (alongside Skylar Astin) in the TBS series “Ground Floor”, where she met her now husband Rene Gube, a writer and performer on the show.  Her most notable television role to date came when she landed the lead role opposite Andrea Martin and John Michael Higgins in the NBC series, “Great News,” produced by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock.

Ms. Heelan also recurred on Judd Apatow’s Netflix series, “Love,” and NBC’s “Undateable,” and had a co-starring role in Demetri Martin’s indie feature, Dean.  Other credits include guest starring roles on “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Brooklyn Nine Nine,” “Modern Family” and “Crazy Ex Girlfriend,” and recurring roles on the ABC Family series, “Jane By Design” and the ABC series “Cougartown.”  

JUSTIN GUARINI (Charming) Broadway: Wicked (Fiyero), In Transit (Trent), Romeo and Juliet (Paris), American Idiot (Will), Women on the Verge… (Carlos). Encores!/Regional: Paint Your Wagon (Julio), Rent (Roger), Chicago (Billy Flynn), Joseph…Dreamcoat (Joseph), Company (Bobby), Moonshine (Gordy), Ghost Brothers of Darkland County (Drake), Mamma Mia! (Sam), Cake Off (Jack), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (Vincenzo) and more. Albums: Revolve (EP), Stranger Things Have Happened, Justin Guarini. Select TV: “American Idol” Season 1 Finalist, “Lil’ Sweet” for Diet Dr. Pepper national commercials. justinguarini.com

SIMON CALLOW (Narrator) came to prominence as a stage actor with his critically acclaimed debut as Mozart in the 1979 original production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus at the Royal National Theatre, where he has also performed in The Alchemist, Single Spies and Sisterly Feelings. He has since played some of the theatre’s most iconic roles, including Titus Andronicus, Faust, Oscar Wilde in The Importance of Being Oscar, and Pozzo in Waiting For Godot opposite Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. Among his many film credits are Four Weddings and a Funeral (1995 Oscar-nominated Best Picture), Shakespeare in Love (1999 Oscar-winning Best Picture), The Phantom of the Opera, Victoria & Abdul, No Man’s Land (2002 Oscar-winning Best Foreign Film), A Room With A View (1985 Oscar-nominated Best Picture), Amadeus (1984 Oscar-nominated Best Picture), Maurice and Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls. Select television credits include: “Outlander” “The Rebel,” “Trial & Retribution”, “Doctor Who”, “Galavant,” “A Christmas Carol,” and “Rome”. His series of internationally-touring solo shows include: A Christmas Carol, The Mystery of Charles Dickens, There Reigns Love, Dr Marigold & Mr Chops and Being Shakespeare. Simon has written thirteen books, including Being an Actor, Shooting the Actor, a highly acclaimed biography of Charles Laughton, a biographical trilogy of Orson Welles, Love is Where it Falls and his memoir My Life in Pieces.

EMILY SKINNER (Stepmother) Broadway: The Cher ShowPrince of Broadway (Outer Critics Circle nomination), Side Show (Tony nomination), Jekyll & HydeThe Full MontyJames Joyce’s The DeadDinner at Eight (Outer Critics Circle nomination), Billy Elliot (BroadwayWorld Award). Off-Broadway: Picnic (Transport Group, Drama Desk nomination); Jerry Springer the Opera (Carnegie Hall); Fiorello!No StringsPardon My EnglishA Tree Grows in Brooklyn (all at City Center Encores!); My Life With Albertine (Playwrights Horizons). Regional: multiple roles at The Kennedy Center, Signature Theatre, Alliance Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Long Wharf, Muny, St. Louis Rep, American Conservatory Theater, The Old Globe, Goodspeed, Theatre Under the Stars and others. emily-skinner.com

JON HARTMERE (Book) has written screenplays and teleplays for Fox, Disney, Amazon, Paramount, TWC, Miramax, Nickelodeon and Sesame Street Productions, including the recent hit The Upside, starring Bryan Cranston, Kevin Hart, and Nicole Kidman.  He wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the book of the musical bare, and was a field agent on season 5 of MTV’s Punk’d.

KEONE & MARI MADRID (Direction & Choreography). Keone and Mari are globally acclaimed artists known for explosively viral dance videos and collaborations with the world’s top musical acts.  After choreographing and starring in Justin Bieber’s hit music video “Love Yourself,” which has been viewed over 1.5 billion times on YouTube alone, they became one the industry’s most sought-after dance teams, choreographing several music videos and historic appearances for the global K-Pop sensation BTS, as well as on projects with Mark Ronson, Billie Eilish, Ed Sheeran, Flying Lotus, and Kendrick Lamar. Their work has earned nominations for Best Choreography from the MTV Video Music Awards and the UK Video Music Awards. They have appeared on the hit television series “World of Dance,” “So You Think You Can Dance,” “Ellen”, and “Dancing with the Stars”; in Times Square Billboard campaigns; SKY a 3D musical; dance competitions worldwide; and most recently, creating, directing, co-producing, writing and starring in their first full length theatrical, “Beyond Babel”. On top of their work as dancers & choreographers, they are teachers & creatives, and husband & wife, who started out on their own paths and eventually found each other through dance, living out a dream of sharing impactful art through storytelling and movement, hoping to inspire others to do the same.

DAVID LEVEAUX (Creative Consultant) directed the Tony Award-winning revivals of Nine, The Real Thing and Anna Christie, as well as the acclaimed productions of Romeo & Juliet starring Orlando Bloom, the 50th anniversary celebratory production of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead at The Old Vic, Closer at the Donmar Warehouse, the musical Backbeat on the West End, and Jenny Worton’s adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s Through A Glass Darkly starring Carey Mulligan. David recently received an Emmy nomination for his direction of NBC’s award-winning broadcast of Jesus Christ Superstar. He also directed.

Prior Broadway productions include the Tony Award-nominated revivals of Arcadia, Tom Stoppard’s Jumpers (Tony nomination, Outstanding Direction), Fiddler on the RoofBetrayalElectra, and A Moon for the Misbegotten (Tony nomination, Outstanding Direction); Cyrano de Bergerac; and The Glass Menagerie. London theatre includes Arcadia, Jumpers, The Real Thing, The Late Middle Classes, Nine, Sinatra Live at the London Palladium, Electra, The Father, No Man’s Land, Moonlight, Betrayal, The Distance From Here, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, Romeo and Juliet and A Moon for the Misbegotten. Also, Rudolph (Vienna), Tales of Ballycumber and The Three Sisters (Abbey, Dublin), The Turn of the Screw (Scottish Opera), The Marriage of Figaro, and Salome (English National Opera).

BRITNEY SPEARS is one of the most celebrated entertainers in the history of pop with nearly 150 million records sold worldwide, multiple platinum records, and countless awards and accolades. She has sold more than 70 million albums and hit singles in the U.S. alone. Spears quickly rose to stardom and became a household name as a teenager when she released her first single “…Baby One More Time,” a Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 smash and international hit that broke sales records with more than 20 million copies sold worldwide and is currently 14x platinum in the U.S.

Her musical career boasts tremendous awards and accolades, including seven Billboard Music Awards, the Billboard’s Millennium Award, which recognizes outstanding career achievements and influence in the music industry, as well as an American Music Award and the 2011 MTV Video Vanguard Award. To date, Spears has earned a total of six No. 1-debuting albums on the Billboard 200 chart and 34 Top 40 hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 – four of which went to No. 1. Spears has been nominated for seven GRAMMY Awards and won for Best Dance Recording in 2005.

Britney’s music has not only touched the lives of millions, but she also has used her global platform and voice to support the LGBTQ community on a variety of platforms. As a longtime ally of the community, she most recently received GLAAD’s 2018 Vanguard Award, presented to media professionals who have made a significant difference in promoting equality and acceptance of LGBTQ people.

JAMES L. NEDERLANDER (Producer) President of Nederlander Organization, and son of the late James M. Nederlander. Broadway: Tina: The Tina Turner Musical; To Kill a Mockingbird; Jagged Little Pill; The Band’s VisitMean GirlsMy Fair LadyEscape to MargaritavilleOn Your Feet!The Humans Meteor ShowerThe Elephant Man starring Bradley Cooper; I’ll Eat You Last starring Bette Midler; Kinky BootsWest Side StoryNext to Normal; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Movin’ Out; as well as many others. Mr. Nederlander has also promoted hundreds of concerts, from Adele to Robin Williams, Pink Floyd, U2, The Rolling Stones, and Billy Joel.