FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – The young performers at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts put on quite the display last weekend, showcasing fairytales to the tunes of Britney Spears.
The show was called “Once Upon A One More Time Jr.”
“It’s a pilot production of ‘Once Upon A One More Time Jr.’ It’s a mix-up of a bunch of different fairytales, all to the music of Britney Spears,” said Tammy Holder, an artist in residence at the Broward Center.
Auditions for the production started way back in January after the Broward Center was selected by Music Theater International to put on the show.
It opened for the first time Thursday, with several performances through Saturday night.
Holder said so much went into putting on a production like this one.
“The core of this is the amazingly talented students that we worked with from week to week,” said Holder.
One of those students is Noa Anker, who played the lead role as Cinderella.
“I’ve been doing shows with the Broward Center since I was 12, so 2022 about, and I’ve always had such a fun time,” said Anker. “This show is cool because it’s a pretty recent show, it’s pretty new, so taking that and adding personality to it and bringing it to the world is really cool for me.”
Local 10 asked her what the role of Cinderella is all about in this production, and she said that Cinderella proves it’s you who is “Born to make you happy.”
“As she realizes that some parts of her story are not what she’d actually want, she sort of breaks out of that shell and shares what she finds with the world, which is that you can step out of the lines and still be happy and still be yourself,” Anker said. “She sort of shows everyone the way to find their own happily ever after.”
And you know what they say, there’s no production without some behind the scenes magic.
“We partnered with Nova Southeastern University and their tech theater program,” said Holder. “A student designed this set and the tech theater program actually built this set.”
We can’t forget the stunning costumes, which were also designed by students.
Their students are among the first in the country to perform this new junior version of the Broadway musical before its official release.
“Seeing the joy and the light and the confidence radiate through these performers as they do all the songs and dances that we’ve been working so hard (on), and seeing their light shine so hard is what warms my heart,” said Holder.
The Broward Center has many events and productions you can attend. For more information on future events, click here.