Princesses, ‘Sweet Caroline’ and psychological drama

“Disenchanted! The Hit Musical Comedy” flips fairy tales on their heads at the Temple for Performing Arts Oct. 14-19. Photo credit: “Disenchanted” Marketing Department

A trio of diverse shows anchor the October performing arts scene in central Iowa. From fairy tale endings with many a twist to an introspective juke box musical to a richly textured story of coping with family trauma, the offerings promise rewarding live theatre experiences.

For anyone who has aged into adulthood and thought about all the fairy tale endings they had endured as a child, the Temple for Performing Arts Comedy Series offers an appealing epilogue. From their oral folk tale origins of often dark stories, Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm committed these tales to paper. Modern versions were more sanitized, most notably by Disney, but their appeal has spanned time.

“Disenchanted: The Hit Musical Comedy” will deliver laughter, sass and plenty of hilarious Broadway-esque song styling as audiences delight in the “rest of the story” continuation of what happened after those childhood fairy tale endings. 

Emily Qualmann, as Sleeping Beauty, shared glimpses into the perfect entertainment escape. 

“ ‘Disenchanted’ was off-Broadway 10 years ago, and now we’re taking it across the country. It was a smash hit, sold out in New York City. It’s about what happens to the princesses after their ‘happily ever after.’ This show is for Disney adults and not-Disney adults, because it has your favorite fairy tale characters, but it also turns it on its head. There’s a line in the show, ‘And they lived happily ever after — well, not exactly.’ It (‘Disenchanted’) shows how Belle is doing living in a castle with a bunch of furniture talking to her. Or, how Sleeping Beauty can’t stay awake for her final song.”

This show beckons groups, couples and first-daters to immerse themselves in an evening of edgy musical comedy hilarity. Nurtured from its origins as a Fringe Festival offering in Orlando, Florida, in 2011 — just a hoot and a holler from its Disney World inspiration — into the national touring show it is now, Qualmann caps her commentary about the fate of the princesses: “At the end of the day, they are left to clean up after these princes.”

Taking an introspective approach to the usual juke box musical, “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical” brings its national tour to Des Moines Performing Arts for a week. Lisa Renée Pits (Doctor) shared insights into what elevates this show to a more nuanced understanding of its namesake.

“(My role) is what intrigued me. I play Neil Diamond’s therapist, and it is through our sessions that we take a look back through his life, where he was when he wrote particular songs, what was happening in his personal life as well as his musical career journey. For all of the Neil Diamond fans who love the music and the glitter and the sequins and the band, they’re going to get that. In addition, there’s this wonderful two-character play within this huge musical that talks about this very important subject matter, and that is mental health.”

Iowa Stage Theatre Company continues its theme of family dynamics this season with the drama “Buried Child.” The co-artistic directors, Davida Williams and Alex Wendel, shared insight about this show. 

“Since its inception in the late 1970s, ‘Buried Child’ was a commentary on our relationship with — and disillusionment of — the American dream. Everyone has family trauma that they have had to process, maybe in their own home, or a story of a distant relative. We have this innate draw towards those we either share blood with, or shared a home with, and that opens us up to being hurt by them the most. That might be a cynical way of looking at family bonds, but it’s really one of the things that drives ‘Buried Child,’ and we think will open the most conversations.”

Considered a haunting American classic, “Buried Child” promises to continue Iowa Stage’s penchant for engaging theatre. ♦

John Busbee produces The Culture Buzz, a weekly arts and culture radio show on www.kfmg.org, covering Iowa’s arts scene with an inclusive sweep of the cultural brush. He received the Iowa Governor’s Arts Award for Collaboration and Partnership in the Arts.