REVIEW: Disenchanted! - IQ Productions

"OMFG - Oh My Fairy Godmother"

Presented at Phoenix Ensemble, IQ Productions’ Disenchanted was a night of cheeky chaos and sassy princesses, all wrapped up in a concert-style extravaganza. Imagine a feminist fairy-tale fever dream where every storybook heroine decides she's had enough, snatches a microphone, and spills the tea on everything that has been on her mind. Directed by Louella Baldwin and with choreography by Isabelle Quayle, the team leaned into this whimsical satire with full commitment, crafting a slightly deranged cabaret that seemed like an absolute blast to be part of!

The opening number One More Happ’ly Ever After set the vibe immediately. Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty burst onstage with killer vocals and girl-group energy. Ally Hickey as Snow was the sassy, witty, and confident ringleader of this princess posse. Kaitlyn Burton gave Cinderella a wonderfully ditzy charm (my pick for strongest character work of the night). Mikaela Bobart played the dry, deadpan humour of Sleeping Beauty before surprising me with her angelic but booming vocals in Perfect. And the tap break from Ally, Loretta Melit, and Kaitlyn was a fun bonus!

Chynna Santos was fierce as Mulan, absolutely obliterating the patriarchy in her solo Without the Guy. Her comedic timing had that “first time ever performing this” kind of spark. She and Kaitlyn fed off each other perfectly, with a cheeky, natural rhythm.

Rhea Basha has a voice that could make a siren jealous, but she went full-on gremlin mode as Ariel in Two Legs (loved the crazy eyes!) Then she flipped the script and dazzled us all as a snappy, sassy Jasmine in Act Two. Meanwhile, Nadia Low's Pocahontas broke my heart during Honestly, serving up a down-to-earth performance with some beautiful belts and a costume that was one of my top picks of the night.

Speaking of costumes: Breanna Gear absolutely understood the assignment. The Six-inspired silhouettes, the holstered mics, the clever little details — Cindy’s shoes, Ariel’s fork bracelet, the leaf ornament in Pocahontas’ hair — it was all spot on and so much fun to clock from the audience.

Act Two shook up the casting. Loretta Melit, who had crushed it in Act One as Belle in Insane, stormed back in as an aggressively German, underpaid Rapunzel for Not Von Red Cent. Despite batling a lost voice (which definitely deserves a medal), she somehow managed to stir up our small audience into a frenzy with her energy!

Senuki Thotahewage as Tiana absolutely nailed my favourite song of the entire show Finally, complete with a quick costume change, insanely good vocal runs, and fabulous choreography that had me crossing my fingers she'll get to play Tiana for real one day. Snow’s song A Happy Tune? is honestly my new personal anthem, and the finale Once Upon a Time was a killer closer, even if some lyrics got swallowed in the sound mix. And I can't forget the number Big Tits, which was just as bonkers as the title suggests!

The band trio of Marcelle Gun, Phil Kan, and the maestro of melodies, Benjamin Richards, kept the performers grooving with a lively sound. Their reactions to the onstage shenanigans cranked up the fun too. The humour was very American in style, loaded with stereotypes and intentionally provocative. As a lifelong Disney lover, I could appreciate the parody even if the show itself was not entirely my cup of tea. Despite the small audience on the evening I went, the cast still delivered full energy to make it a chill and fun evening with just enough audience participation to keep us safe from the spotlight (thank goodness!). In the end, Disenchanted! was chaotic, colourful, and packed with strong vocals, witty tidbits, and characterful details.

Photography by Puddleduck Pictures