The Frog Prince
Everyone agrees: Prince Harris is the world’s worst prince! (“A Prince That’s the Worst”) It’s obvious he thinks only about himself. (“Me, Myself, and I”) He finally faces a huge consequence after hunting in the off-limits Magic Wood. Fairy Queen Mab turns him into a frog, and he needs a kiss from a princess to break the spell. But that’s not so easy with Princess Jillian, a headstrong basketball whiz. She seeks an independent life and cares deeply about the environment. (“Work It Out") Can both overcome their differences to find their own “Happily Ever After”? The classic Grimm Brothers folktale is contemporary in references and in the music. Running time: 60 minutes.
Productions
Behind The Scenes
With Marcus Yi
What inspired you to write this musical?
I did not like the Grimm Brothers version of the story as it features violence towards animals and has limited emotional range for its female characters so I was trying to create a version that “fixed” these problems. I also wanted to explore a version that gave more backstory to why the Prince was turned into a frog in the first place.
What's your favorite part or line in the show? Why?
My favorite character is Princess Jillian because she is really trying to rise above the expectations placed on her because she is a princess and a girl. Her song “Work It Out” is both a fun but also a deep exploration of the double standards girls have to face on a daily basis.
Where did the characters come from? Are they based on people you know?
I think all my characters are to some extent based on me. Prince Harris starts off as really bratty then goes through a rather humbling redemption arc. Princess Jillian is just a sporty royal trying to make the world a better place but has to deal with all the expectations her father, King Lentor has placed on her. When I create characters I try to make them as specific as possible, and have specific goals they are trying to achieve in the show.
What did you try to achieve with this show?
I wanted to explore combining an old fairy tale with contemporary references (like cellphones and Instagram) so that it would feel familiar but also fun.