Sleeping Beauty Wakes facts for kids

Sleeping Beauty Wakes is a fun musical that gives a new twist to the classic fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty. It was created by Rachel Sheinkin, who wrote the story, and Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda, who wrote the songs. They are part of an indie music group called GrooveLily. Rachel Sheinkin even won a Tony Award for another musical she wrote called The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

What's the Story?

This musical takes the old story of Sleeping Beauty and makes it modern. In this version, the main character is named Rose. She has been sleeping for a very long time – 900 years! To help her wake up, she is taken to a special clinic that helps people with sleep problems.

Where Was It Performed?

First Performances

The musical Sleeping Beauty Wakes was first shown to audiences in 2007.

• It played from March 31 to May 20, 2007.
• The performances were at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Los Angeles, California.
• This was a special project with Deaf West Theatre, which often includes deaf actors.
• The show was directed and choreographed by Jeff Calhoun.

Later Versions

The musical was later updated and performed again.

• In the spring of 2011, a new version was staged.
• This happened at the McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey.
• Rebecca Taichman directed this updated show.
• The same version also played in the summer of 2011.
• It was at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California.
• This was also a joint project with the McCarter Theatre.

What Did People Think?

A theater critic named Charles McNulty wrote about the show. He reviewed the production at the La Jolla Playhouse for the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

• He liked how the show mixed "medical science with pixie dust." This means it blended real-world ideas with magical fairy tale elements.
• He also said the musical had a "charm" that made people interested.
• However, he also felt the show had some small problems.
• He thought the musical tried too hard to be a huge hit like Wicked.
• He felt that some of its magic stayed "trapped in a glass case." This means it didn't fully come to life for the audience.