Ain't It a Grand and Glorious Feeling:

Celebrating the Princess Musicals

"Grand & Glorious" had its world premiere in Minneapolis in June 2018 at Mojo Coffee Gallery -- a story that takes place in a coffee shop, performed in a coffee shop!

Book by Cindy Polich

Music by Jerome Kern

Lyrics by P.G. Woodhouse, Schuyler Green, John E. Hazard, Elise Janis, Herbert Reynolds, Harry B. Smith, and R.P. Weston

Music Arrangements by Harrison Wade

The reviews are in!

". . . experience this fun, intimate, site-specific, musically delicious little show."

~ Cherry and Spoon

"I dare you to see the show and not be impressed . . . it's important that the music be excellent, and it really, truly is . . . a really witty and contemporary performance that I found just delightful."

~ Compendium Minneapolis

Theatre Elision has taken site specific theater to a whole new level with Grand & Glorious . . . they were able to put their own unique and comedic spin on it."

~ Twin Cities Stages

The seven Princess Musicals were written and produced between 1915 and 1918 specifically for the Princess Theater in New York City. The Princess was a small theatre, requiring simpler, more intimate shows than were common during this "Ziegfeld" era. Not only were the Princess Musicals written specifically for a smaller space, with believable stories that would resonate with the public, the shows were also designed to keep production costs low. They became a turning point in the evolution of musical theatre, not only because of their structure, but also because the music and lyrics were largely written by Jerome Kern and P.G. Wodehouse. There was much more to the Princess Musicals, however, than low-budget shows in a small setting. The stories were simple and real. They were comedies, but the humor came from real-world situations. Because they couldn't afford big stars or high production values, the shows relied on good story-telling and great music. This original musical, featuring the music of Jerome Kern and his Princess Musicals collaborators, tells a story in much the same style, but with a modern twist. The songs may not exactly fit the sensibilities of today's young men and women, but the sentiments are timeless. Surprisingly, we find that the age-old story of romance, love, and marriage hasn’t changed much in 100 years!

Enjoy some highlights from our 2018 show!

Of course the best place to experience this is in a coffee shop

enjoying some fabulous apple pie and coffee!