By Francesca Merwin, staff writer

In an office space downtown late on a Tuesday night, a brunette, a blond and a redhead put on their princess voices and strike their princess poses as they quietly wait for direction. A man observing them from a plastic folding chair says, “You have to let them know by this point, there’s something not right with you three ladies.”

The women are portraying Disney princesses in the adult musical comedy, “Disenchanted,” which will run this month at Syracuse’s Rarely Done Productions. The man in the mix is artistic director and board member Dan Tursi. Tursi decided to revive Rarely Done Productions with a group of creative partners six years ago, due to his vested interest in the company. Rarely Done was actually started by a local lawyer in the early 1980’s, and Tursi was in its first production. When the lawyer moved away, the company shut down until the Tursi revival.

“I was going to call it Consenting Adults’ Theater,” Tursi remembers. “But the critics in town all knew me and said ‘don’t do that.’” Despite the more conservative name, Tursi has stuck to his original goal and produced shows for a more mature audience.

“Disenchanted” is no exception. The tongue and cheek humor of the show portrays the princesses as human. The whole concept is that they are real people who are sick and tired of the “Disneyfication” and their portrayal in today’s society. They take their show on the road to talk to the public about just how upset they are and to let Disney know they’re not going to take it anymore. The songs follow suit. There is the catchy “One More Happily Ever After” and the hilarious “All I Want to do is Eat,” a favorite of Tursi’s.

“It’s cutting edge, it’s exciting, and it’s touching,” Tursi notes. “It’s also got an important message at the end: We’re not who you think we are, or how Disney has portrayed us.” It’s that point – the impact Disney has had on our ideas of “happily ever after” – that Tursi hopes will stick with the audience.

Constructing a humorous show with a message of morality was not the biggest obstacle Tursi faced while putting this production together. One of the biggest issues he had was actually finding a way around the strict trademark rules Disney has on its beloved princesses. For example, you cannot use the names “Tinkerbell” or “Princess Jasmine” in the show, so you must allude to them. Costuming is another issue, but there are ways to get around it. Characters are allowed certain, identifying pieces – Belle’s apron, Cinderella’s blue puffed sleeves, Snow White’s red bow. “You’ll know it’s them,” says Tursi.

As far as the rest of the show is concerned, the same cannot be said. “You don’t know when they walk in the door what you’re going to see,” Tursi muses. This is a trait that Rarely Done Productions indeed cherishes and will take pride in for years to come.

“Disenchanted” will take place at 8pm on September 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 23 and 24. Opening night seats are $25 and include a post-show reception, while regular ticket prices are $20. All shows take place at Jazz Central, which is located at 441 E. Washington St. and is just steps off the Connective Corridor bus route, a FREE service. More information may be found here.