Sleeping Beauty And Her Winter Knight

If you're expecting a classic fairy tale, "Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight" is a hoot, charming and romantic and full of traditional holiday spirit, but with laughs in place of classical music or swooning ballads.�

This tour of "Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight" is loosely based on the original tale about an evil fairy angry because she was not invited to the party to celebrate the birth of the new princess. So, she curses baby Aurora, saying she shall prick her finger on a spinning wheel on her 18th birthday and die.�

Thankfully, one good fairy still has her gift left to bestow. Although she cannot undo the curse entirely, she can soften its blow by saying the princess will sleep for 100 years instead of dying and be awakened by her true love's kiss.�

So, yes, this is the loose outline followed throughout this production. But what hangs�on that outline is a whole heck of a lot of silliness. Bad jokes -- not all of which are appropriate for young ears, a ton of jokes based on Houston, a handsome helping of roasting aimed at "rival" Dallas, and plenty of pop music. Plenty.�

The show is modeled after the British style of musical comedy for families called pantomime or panto, which are generally performed during the holidays. This one has many of the required elements, including celebrities, contemporary references, bawdy jokes, and a man playing a female lead. Being outrageous is key, and this show has a very tight hold on that key.

In lesser hands, this material would be a bust -- a painful mess of near misses. But that's not what you'll find here. Audiences will find themselves in very capable -- and some reasonably famous -- hands, including television and film actors, an "American Idol" contestant, and a Tony Award winner.

The music in the show is a lot of fun. Songs by Aloe Blacc, Blondie, Bruno Mars, Jessie J, John Legend, Katy Perry, Mariah Carey, LMFAO, Pharrell Williams, and Survivor make up the score. There was definitely a lot of head bobbing, toe tapping, and clapping along throughout the show.

It must be said, right from the start, that Sleeping Beauty boasts a truly kick-ass ensemble. They dance their asses off from opening note to the final curtain, and they were truly remarkable performers. No background fillers here.�Their resumes are showstoppers, which is much appreciated. 'Tis true, a show is only as good as its supporting cast.

As for the leads, well, remember John O'Hurley who played John Peterman on "Seinfeld"? He plays the King and he is grand, swooshing around in his cape. And he absolutely brought down the house singing "What'll I Do." He is a serious charmer, obviously, with amazing comedic timing and an enviable stage presence. It was obvious the audience would have been perfectly happy watching him alone for the duration of the show.

Garrett Clayton as the Prince could not have been any more charming. Handsome as could be, he swept Sleeping Beauty and the audience off their feet.�If you think that actor's name sounds familiar, it may be because you've seen him in "Teen Beach Movie," "The Fosters," "Hairspray Live," or any number of other television and movie roles. Lauren Taylor, who plays Sleeping Beauty with Disney level cheeriness, may be another familiar face from Disney's (go figure) "Best Friends Whenever," "Richie Rich," and a number of other productions.

The cast is rounded out by the equally talented Debbie Gravitte as Carabosse, Vonzell Solomon as the Good Fairy, and Jeff Sumner as Nanny Tickle. There is nothing subtle about the work of Gravitte or Sumner, making their work in this show an acquired taste. If too much is just right for you, they'll be your cup of tea and then some.

This show is rife with audience participation as well, from Ben Giroux as Silly Billy "hitting on" and teasing people in the front row to booing the bad guys to kids whose parents paid to have their kids onstage to a singalong at the end of the show complete with lyrics reworked for the show. Speaking of Giroux, he is quite funny. Outlandish, to be sure, and so perfectly suited to this show's tenor.

If nostalgic,�mushy, traditional musical theater that will make you misty-eyed is what you're after, "Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight" is not your show. But if you like camp, you've hit paydirt. The goal of this show is clearly to be as over the top as possible. And on that front: mission accomplished.�

"Sleeping Beauty and Her Winter Knight" runs through December 24 at The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, 800 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002. For tickets or information, visit www.tuts.com.