First the soft piano enters, then the words: “once upon a, once a, once upon a time…” It’s a familiar introduction to a not-so-familiar story. The Light Princess is an imaginative new musical adapted by Adelaide-born writer Samuel Adamson from a Scottish fairytale about a princess whose view of the world is so light, she floats. It’s a fabulous fable, and it’s got a few modern twists that’ll definitely delight contemporary audiences.
The music is by singer-songwriter Tori Amos and her score is vibrant, fun and upbeat. Lyrics have a sweet, storybook vibe. The original cast recording sparkles with excellent vocal performances that won’t fail to enchant, particularly that of Rosalie Craig, who sings the titular role. The two bonus tracks, sung by Amos herself, Highness in the Sky and Darkest
Hour, are a dreamy treat.
Amos’s pedigree as a songwriter is the strongest influence on this musical’s stylistic direction, and tellingly the piano is a ubiquitous presence throughout. The score has a strong momentum, and while there are moments of repose and introspection, they’re a little too scarce in this forward-moving musical fantasy. The story is a strange one (not at all a bad thing), and with a hell of a lot of plot background to get through, some of the music comes off as a bit confused. But the melodic writing is charming, and the score has the most endearing innocence thanks to the subject matter. Spend some time with this one – it’ll grow on you.
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