Review: Twice Charmed

As promised in my review of the Disney Magic cruise ship, I am taking the time to write a full review of Twice Charmed, the long-running "Cinderella" musical that is exclusive to the Disney Magic and serves as the inspiration for the 2007 direct-to-DVD sequel, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. Though many people are familiar with Cinderella III since the DVD was more accessible to the public, Twice Charmed predates it by two years and contains many key differences from the film, including original songs and an original character, Franco, the wicked Fairy Godfather to Lady Tremaine. While the plot of Lady Tremaine using magic to turn back time so Prince Charming will choose one of her daughters resembles the animated sequel, the stage show is an entirely different experience that takes full advantage of its live medium.

The show begins with the same projection technology that Disney has been using for all their live shows for the past decade or so. An image of a storybook opens up with illustrations of various scenes from the classic 1950 animated film that come to life before our eyes through recreations performed by the show's cast. Iconic scenes like Cinderella running away from the ball and trying on the glass slipper are presented in a 2.5D format with the storybook projections overlaying the actors onstage. When the story reaches its conclusion, there is an ensemble number followed by an appearance from Lady Tremaine expressing her distaste of Cinderella's happy ending. That's when Franco, the true star of the show, makes his entrance. Introducing himself as her Fairy Godfather, Franco offers Lady Tremaine a deal to reverse Cinderella's happy ending and give one of her daughters a chance to marry the prince or risk losing it all. A true showman, Franco lights up the stage with dazzling dance numbers and deafening pyrotechnics.

The next portion of the show follows more of the plot of Cinderella III. The slipper is magically altered to fit Cinderella's stepsister, Anastasia, who is presented to the prince as the girl he danced with at the ball. This was one of the scenes that was altered in the show's 2017 rewrite, as the original version did not force Lady Tremaine to choose between her daughters and simply told the Duke that the prince could choose between them as the final two contestants. This change allows Lady Tremaine to say the now iconic line "Because I love her more" when Drizella asks why she picked Anastasia over her. Another alteration from the original version of the stage show is the addition of the Cinderella III song, "At the Ball," which is performed by Cinderella's mouse friends, Jaq and Gus, after the Fairy Godmother accidentally turns them human-sized in her attempt to undo a wicked spell that was cast on Cinderella. Despite this addition, the original songs from the stage show remain intact as exclusive performances on the Disney Magic, including a heartwarming number from Prince Charming about trying to find the real Cinderella.

A particularly emotional part of this show for me takes place near the end when Cinderella sings a song to Prince Charming called "Believe in Me." This song brought me to tears both times I heard it. The lyrics have a Taylor Swift-like effect of connecting female viewers through shared emotion, particularly with the line "When our hearts break, we shed the same tears." Recent experiences have caused this song to resonate with me on a core level. Cinderella is portrayed in an unapologetic stage of vulnerability and sings about how she struggles with feelings of insecurity and inferiority, traits that the character is rarely associated with. Thankfully, this all-too-real moment is quickly followed up by a series of magical quick changes that dazzle across the entire stage and the cast, bringing some much-needed joy to a heavily emotional moment. Franco's true colors are revealed as everyone in Cinderella's tale gets what they deserve.

Overall, I think Twice Charmed is the best stage show among the offerings on the Disney Magic. Although Tangled: The Musical is impressive, it still rehashes a familiar story with many familiar songs. The signature show on the Magic, Disney Dreams: An Enchanted Classic, is mostly a montage of performances from other well-known Disney shows and movies. Twice Charmed is full of surprises woven into familiar narratives and has something new to offer even to viewers who have already seen Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. The emotional narrative of "Believe in Me" is one of the most powerful songs I have seen performed on stage, and that alone makes a cruise on the Disney Magic well worth the investment.