Singer-actor Justin Guarini has been confirmed to star in the Broadway production of a musical built around the songs of Britney Spears.
The 44-year-old will reprise his role as Prince Charming in Once Upon a One More Time, which ended a five-week run in Washington, D.C. in January.
The show is scheduled to premiere at the Marquis Theatre in New York City on June 22. Previews begin May 13.
The musical features storybook characters like Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty and the Little Mermaid and uses Spears hits like “Oops!... I Did It Again,” “Circus,” “Toxic,” “Womanizer” and, of course, “…Baby One More Time.”
Briga Heelan and Aisha Jackson will remain in their roles as Cinderella and Snow White respectively.
Spears, who did not write most of her hits, is not involved in the production. She reportedly attended a reading of the musical in 2019 and was quoted by Playbill as saying: “I’m so excited to have a musical with my songs—especially one that takes place in such a magical world filled with characters that I grew up on, who I love and adore. This is a dream come true for me!”
Once Upon a One More Time will be the second musical on Broadway to feature Spears’ songs. At the Stephen Sondheim Theater, & Juliet includes “…Baby One More Time,” “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman,” “Overprotected,” “Oops!…I Did It Again” and “Stronger.”
Guarini was runner-up to Kelly Clarkson in the first season of American Idol and released albums in 2003 and 2005. He has since focused on theatre, with roles in productions like Romeo and Juliet, Mamma Mia!, Wicked and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
In Once Upon a One More Time, Guarini sings “Circus,” “Sometimes,” “Oops!… I Did It Again,” “Cinderella,” “I Wanna Go (Reprise)” and “Make Me…”