“Break the Ice” with Briga Heelan and Emily Skinner

Are you ready to “Break the Ice” with the cast of Once Upon a One More Time? Today, we are hearing from Briga Heelan (Great News, Judd Apatow’s Love) who plays Cinderella, and Tony Award nominee Emily Skinner (Side Show, The Cher Show) who plays Stepmother, about the “beautiful and healing” feeling of coming back to live theatre.

How does it feel to go back to work after the pre-Broadway run in Chicago was canceled due to COVID-19? 

Briga Heelan: “Coming back after the many months of being away from this project has felt surreal, overwhelming, beautiful, and healing. Despite everything coming to a stand still, our individual and collective hope and passion for this show somehow never lost momentum. I find that pretty remarkable. We aren’t the same people we were before, and a new version of this show will be born of the struggles, shifts, and growth we have each experienced. I can’t wait for people to receive it.”  

Emily Skinner: “I think we are all very grateful to be telling a story about empowerment that feels more relevant than ever.” 

 What’s it like working with Keone and Mari, who are leading the creative team of the show? 

Briga: “Keone and Mari are the unwavering compass for our show. The environment they have created in the room is one that allows everyone to bring their best selves to the work every day and no creative choice is ever at the expense of the clarity and integrity of the story. I know people will be so surprised and excited by the language of movement they have created for this. The magic of this particular story and the magic of the two of them as people is a pretty special pairing.”
 

Emily: “They are gentle geniuses! Kind, smart, fast, wildly creative, and absolutely delightful to be in a rehearsal room with. Great motivators and as cool as can be.”

What is your favorite Britney song and why? 

Briga: “My favorite Britney song (a nearly impossible decision) has got to be “Circus.” It truly was my pump up jam for…so many years. I remember when I was younger watching the music video over and over on our gigantic old iMac computer with my eyes way too close to the screen. That song made me feel like I could go after any dream I had. Still does!”

Emily: “My favorite Britney song is “Oops… I Did it Again” because it makes me laugh and its got a fantastic groove!”

Once Upon a One More Time begins performances on November 30. Click here to order tickets!