What I liked
The entrance of the eponymous “Party Princess” was one of the best character entrances I’ve ever seen. It made me laugh and perfectly set up the narrative. The actress was great and I liked the use of audio cues to round out the rest of the cast of characters. There were some fun moments of audience participation, especially when transitioning “under the sea” for The Little Mermaid’s story, and it truly felt like we were all little kids at the birthday party. The lighting was also well done and added to the production, especially during the intense storytelling of the real Little Mermaid’s climactic decision involving a dagger (or brandished cake knife from our party princess).
What I didn't like
Though I enjoyed the song, the ending felt a bit abrupt. It didn’t seem to provide enough closure to the birthday party itself or the party performer’s issues at home. A few more moments subtly referencing her family life might help solidify the story behind the story, the reason why the party princess was connecting so much to the tragic real fairytale of The Little Mermaid. There’s only so much you can get into without overwhelming the main narrative, but I was definitely curious about this aspect and wanted to know more.
My overall impression
Party Princess was a funny one-woman show where a hired performer for a children’s birthday party arrives in the wrong costume and then must attempt to entertain the kids despite this mistake. It’s a lovely little musing on the Disneyfication of our culture versus facing the cold hard truths of reality, told mainly through the lens of The Little Mermaid.
