ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME On Broadway - Opening Night Reviews- Page 7

[scripps]

Posted: 8/15/23 at 11:58pm

I was glancing at this thread and reminded of something that puzzled me when I saw this in previews and that is the significance of Flatbush. Was this supposed to be a "Notorious RBG" thing 'cause she grew up a few blocks away from where I did in Midwood. As a born and bred Brooklynite I spent a good chunk of the show trying to figure this out so any enlightenment (if any exists) would be greatly appreciated.

[bryan32]

Posted: 8/16/23 at 10:18pm

any news of a cast cd of the show

 

[Sammy232]

Posted: 8/17/23 at 10:02am

bryan32 said: "any news of a cast cd of the show

"

With their grosses hard to imagine this makes it past labor day - and a cast recording is another significant expense? So I'm doubtful?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/17/23 at 10:11am

I would be surprised if there wasn't a cast recording. I think this is the kind of show that could do very well regionally and in schools, and a cast album usually goes hand in hand with those kind of shows (even when they tank on Broadway).

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/17/23 at 11:19am

Ryann Redmond will return from injury on September 5, and Amy Hillner-Larsen will go back to Goldilocks.

Ryah Nixon will continue with the show as an offstage cover through October 2. 

 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 8/21/23 at 11:36pm

EDSOSLO858 said: "Ryann Redmond will return from injury on September 5, and Amy Hillner-Larsen will go back to Goldilocks."

I wonder if there's any chance she'll get to, or be able to, go on earlier. Really sucks that their closing date is right before she was supposed to return.

 

[berniesb!tch]

Posted: 8/25/23 at 11:30am

Saw the show two nights ago. It was truly awful. Bad design, script, bad use of the songs. I felt for that cast. they deserved better.

I thought it would at least be so bad it's good but no, just bad. 

Jennifer Simard singing toxic was amazing however. She is such a talent. 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 8/25/23 at 11:56am

Maybe it will have better luck on the road. 

 

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 8/25/23 at 12:22pm

BETTY22 said: "Maybe it will have better luck on the road."

I have a feeling the tour for this will go the way of the tours announced at the closings of Wonderland, Bonnie and Clyde, Diana, Leap of Faith, and many more... it will not materialize.

 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 8/28/23 at 11:59am

This whole show has been very odd to me.

Britney has not been in a good place for a while and it seems -- from my limited perspective -- she's trying to find a way to own her narrative...so why would I want to see another product centered around her work when she is not in control of it? As a fan, doesn't that undermine the artist in some way? I understand the show is not about her life but it is centered around her work and from what I can tell she's never set foot in a rehearsal room or the theater. 

Also, it's a show about female empowerment but the artist herself is still somewhat trapped in a complicated spiral of abuse with the media, her family, her associates, and her friends.

It feels dark. Just my two cents.

[OhHiii]

Posted: 8/28/23 at 3:53pm

theatregoer3 said: "I understand the show is not about her life but it is centered around her work and from what I can tell she's never set foot in a rehearsal room or the theater."

A quick google would tell you she attended a workshop of the show in 2018. 

Yes, there is a great deal of uncertainty and perceived darkness in Britney's life right now, but of all of the factors, this show is the least of which that are making her life harder.

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 8/28/23 at 3:55pm

Redmond will now return on September 1 and do the final four performances. 

[theatregoer3]

Posted: 8/29/23 at 12:50pm

"A quick google would tell you she attended a workshop of the show in 2018."

That's back when she was still in a conservatorship that she said gave her zero control of her life, her career, and her day-to-day activities.

[OhHiii]

Posted: 8/29/23 at 4:28pm

theatregoer3 said: ""A quick google would tell you she attended a workshop of the show in 2018."

That's back when she was still in a conservatorship that she said gave her zero control of her life, her career, and her day-to-day activities."

And there have since been several stories which her team corroborated saying that this was one of the first contracts she signed post-conservatorship. She posted about it postively (and we know if she felt otherwise, she would certainly say so). If you want to approach this conspiratorially, by all means go ahead, but it's divorced from reality.

That said, I am sure the producers would have LOVED if she had attended or done more. But as with everything else, she's living her life on her own terms which is what everyone said they wanted from Free Britney. It wasn't until she was actually free that people started realizing they'd only be satisfied if she was free and working.  

[60'splayoff]

Posted: 8/30/23 at 3:08pm

Just had to share that my friend and I keep entering the lottery this week...and losing. Maybe we just have the worst luck but looking at the houses for this weekend, I'm shocked they're not just filling it up for closing. I snagged an online rush ticket to Bad Cinderella's final performance hours before curtain. I'm just annoyed!

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 8/30/23 at 5:10pm

truly sad this show can't even fill up its last week of performances

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 9/3/23 at 7:59pm

Going to closing was such a mistake. An awful show exacerbated by an awful self-involved audience.

5 standing ovations? give me a break.

how this show cost $20 million dollars beats me, there was barely a set.

The fact the original director left says a lot and I felt bad for Jennifer Simard and Adam Godley slumming it in this slog. 

Not everything has to be high art but damn at least make it make sense, you can make your entertainment smart, turning a song about threesomes into a song about reading? My brain almost exploded out of my head from the stupidity.

On the way out I heard someone go "Now what am I going to do with my life?"

oh honey, the things you can do.

 

Updated On: 9/3/23 at 07:59 PM

[Ricey2]

Posted: 9/3/23 at 8:15pm

you literally one post ago: “why aren’t people seeing this show??”

 

also you: “how dare people enjoy a show during its last performance!!” 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 9/3/23 at 8:25pm

you really should look up the definition of literally. Because I literally did not say what you said I literally said.

what I said was it was sad that even in its final week they were playing to subpar houses, not "why aren't people seeing this show??"

I know why people didn't see the show, because it was bad, the advertising was bad, the lack of rush tickets was a bad move, opening in the summer was a bad move, opening a show whose director bailed was a bad choice.

I know why people didn't see it and boy are they blessed for missing such a trainwreck 

[PegasusOasis]

Posted: 9/4/23 at 10:22pm

Saw this over the weekend, still quite empty in the mezzanine. To my own surprise, I LOVED the show! I thought it was funny and used the songs in a clever way. Justin was perfect for the role and Jennifer’s performance was outstanding. Her stepdaughters were funny too. I did not like Cinderella’s speaking voice. The post-curtain-call Megamix with the bracelets ended on such a high note. 

Everyone’s comments about the show’s inevitable fate are helpful but I’m still sad it didn’t find an audience. Haven’t seen &Juliet so can’t compare. I love Glee and Pitch Perfect, the latter similar tonally. 

[KevinKlawitter]

Posted: 6/5/25 at 3:54pm

Now available for amateur licensing

I imagine this one will get a lot of mileage from community and school theaters, at least until & Juliet becomes available.

[The Bandstand]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 5:13pm

Where’s the cast recording we were promised??  I loved this show, I hope we start to see it being done very soon

[Scarlet Leigh]

Posted: 10/22/25 at 10:03pm

Well since the post have been resurrected from the dead, I night as well contribute something I was told about this one while at Broadway flea.

I was looking for left over merch for it since Creative Goods did their merch and it was not brought with them the last time Creative Goods was at flea (they skipped last year) but with the lack of it on their table I asked about it. I was told that they were keeping the left over merch on hold for a potential tour in the works.

Take that for what it's worth but me... I'm hopeful?

[getatme]

Posted: 10/23/25 at 1:16pm

The Bandstand said: "Where’s the cast recording we were promised?? I loved this show, I hope we start to see it being donevery soon"

There is no cast recording coming. It was never recorded.