SCHENECTADY - I’m not sure very many people ever left one of Walt Disney’s animated films thinking that the princess in the piece – you know, the one who marries her Prince Charming and lived happily ever after -knew they weren’t portrayed accurately. Few cared. They went to the films for entertainment.
I’m not sure that Dennis T. Giacino the creator of “Disenchanted,” a musical satire that is at Proctors in Schenectady through Sunday,is any more accurate showing the Disney princesses as strong-willed contemporary women. However in ways totally opposite from Disney, he makes fun entertainment by looking at the princesses in a different light.
If you prefer your female characters as powerful women with attitude and a lot of sass you’ll have a really good time at “Disenchanted, which is a perfect fit in the smaller G. E. Theatre in the Proctors complex. Six very talented actresses, with great singing voices, stand the classic fairy tales on its ear as they belt out song after song, all with lyrics that speak to the empowerment of women.
Before we get too far, let me be clear “Disenchanted” is not a family musical and I’d be hesitant about recommending the show to youngsters. The feisty heroines tend to be outspoken, blunt, sexually frank and at times coarse. However, though men should enjoy the show, it is an ideal girls-night-out for women of all ages. Indeed the demographics at Tuesday’s opening night performance was about 10-1 females over men. And they had fun.
“Disenchanted” is presented in a vaudeville-revue format. The anchor to the various bits is a sharp, tough no-nonsense, street-smart Snow White, who is assisted by dull-witted Cinderella and a constantly dozing Sleeping Beauty.
Though all segments focus on female empowerment, there really isn’t a through-line story to unify the show. The performers come on stage, tell their stories and offer a song that illuminates the situation. For instance Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” explains what it’s like to have forks and spoons speak to you and watch candles dance with a teapot. Her song “Insane?” which comes early in the show sets the tone of the evening.
In “Without the Guy” Mulan realizes she is the only princess without a guy and
realizes she is one flannel shirt away from being a lesbian. In another number Rapunzel comes on like a German dominatrix and The Little Mermaid wonders if giving up fins for legs was worth it.
The show is filled with satire but there are a couple of more grounded numbers that work very well. In “Honestly” Pocahontas tells how Disney transformed her from a 10 year old child into a voluptuous sexy woman. And The Princess Who Kissed the Frog wonders why it took so long to have an African-American woman represented as a beautiful princess.
Because so much of the material is silly fun, when Sleeping Beauty gets the lovely 11 o’clock number (that comes at 9 p.m. in this 100-minute piece played without an intermission), it is especially meaningful. Throughout the show the princesses complain about the glorification of the perfect female body. One character notes they are drawn with waist sizes smaller than their necks. So when the full-figured Sleeping Beauty praises the normal body with a song titled “Perfect,” it’s an almost inspiring moment.
“Disenchanted” is pure entertainment and can be easily dismissed by theater snobs. It’s neither deep nor sophisticated. It strives simply to be fun. It’s all that and more.
“Disenchanted” at the G.E. Theatre in Proctors, Schenectady. For ticket and schedules 346-6204. Proctors.org
Bob Goepfert is theater reviewer for the Troy Record
The views expressed by commentators are solely those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the views of this station or its management.
