I Attended a Princess Tea Party at a Local High School!

As Disney Princess - The Concert continues its national tour, there are smaller venues making their own special magic across the nation. I was pleased to learn via Facebook that my new castle is located within driving distance of one such venue. Cedar Park High School is performing a show called Princess Tea this weekend, which they have apparently been doing for the past fifteen years. What a magical tradition! The show features high school choir students performing as various princesses, princes, and sidekicks from animated movies that are not entirely limited to Disney. This year's cast included Cinderella, Ariel, Belle, Megara, Rapunzel, Anna, Elsa, Anastasia, and Fiona on the girls' side and Prince Charming, Jaq, Gus, Flounder, Prince Adam (the unofficial fan name for the transformed version of the Beast), Flynn Rider, Dimitri, Donkey, and Olaf for the boys.

Considering that this was a local show, I was extremely impressed with the production level that the cast and crew put into it, especially after attending an "official" Disney Princess concert a few weeks ago. There were plenty of activities for princess fans of all ages to see and do from the moment I stepped into the lobby. A small cardboard castle was placed up front and center to greet attendees followed by a pink Instagram-ready photo background with a flattering ring light, stands selling wands and crowns, and friendly volunteer hosts in Mickey Mouse ears who were ready to greet party guests and show them to their tables. Each table was named after a different princess, each seat included a complimentary goody bag filled with goldfish, popcorn, and other goodies. During the intermission, the hosts came around and served glittering cupcakes with sugar roses on top. I wish Disney Princess - The Concert had put this much effort into making their guests feel welcome and hyped up for the show!

Cedar Park High Schools' Princess Teas have had various themes throughout the years such as The Royal Academy, Aurora's Sleepover, or Elsa's Snow Ball. This year's theme is A Winter's Ball, so of course, the show started with Anna and Elsa doing a brief rap from Hamilton. The corresponding songs throughout the show were woven together by a loose narrative about the princesses getting ready for a ball without realizing that their princes and sidekicks lost the key to the storage closet containing the decorations. Most of the performances were split between songs and skits from the girls and the boys. I was surprised to find that the boys in the show had some of the funniest antics and best singing voices, though, of course, I was still entertained by the princesses in their detailed high-quality costumes and hoop skirts. It was a treat to hear some obscure princess songs that aren't owned by Disney as well, including "I Know It's Today" from Shrek The Musical and "To Be a Princess" from one of my personal favorites, Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper. You can listen to some of these performances below.

 

Of course, the show included plenty of Disney hits as well such as "How Far I'll Go," "I Won't Say I'm in Love," "Let it Go," "Almost There," "When You Wish Upon a Star," and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight?" The 10-minute intermission was preceded by the rest of the high school choir performing an impressive medley of classic Disney villain songs. Like any Disney Princess event, many little girls in attendance were dressed up as their favorite princesses. They received special attention at several points during the show such as when the princesses came into the audience to dance with them. They even did a makeover contest at one point! This show had a lot more guest interaction than many official princess shows I've seen in recent years, which is something that Disney could really benefit from bringing back. My favorite performance of the afternoon was "Almost There" from The Princess and the Frog which had excellent harmonizing and choreography among the princesses.

An added bonus was being able to watch this show on National Tell a Fairy Tale Day. If you've been following my Facebook page, you've probably seen me share numerous posts throughout the week for Once Upon 2022: A Celebration of All Things Fairy Tale. This is an annual event in which indie fairy tale authors come together to share games and tidbits about their books, culminating in the biggest fairy tale book sale of the year. If you want to refresh your princess reading list or grab some of the books I've reviewed here for free or deeply discounted, check out the fairy tale sales that will be happening all weekend long. The best princess entertainment does not always come from billionaire corporations. It comes from passionate people with a desire to make others happy. Be sure to check out your local and independent princess contractors. You might be surprised by what you find. Let me know in the comments if you have discovered any hidden gems near where you live!