By Dave Begel Contributing Writer Published Oct 12, 2016 at 1:16 PM

It doesn’t take long before you know what’s coming in "Disenchanted," the musical revue that opened at the Wilson Theater at Vogel Hall in the Marcus Center.

Snow White, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty are together on a stage decorated only with multi-colored panels behind them. They are three sassy princesses.

Snow White: You see, we princesses from the original fairy tales are none too happy with the way all those magical storybooks and classic animated movies not to mention the realistic theme park shows portray us.

Sleeping Beauty: They make us look weak.

Cinderella: Like damsels in distress.

Snow White: Who do nothing more than sit around and wait for their prince to come. Look at me. Do I look like I need to wait for my prince (pause) to come?

And that sets us off and running with a witty and smart sendup of all the Disney princesses that have been such a prominent part of our childhoods. There is no way to recognize these princesses as anyone with whom we are familiar.

This is a show that has the kind of tawdry humor that would give it a PG-13 rating if it was a movie. It’s risque, but none of it hits you over the head, except for one moment when the princesses end their ode to their Prince Charming with extended middle fingers and a chorus of "F*ck you!"

The cast of six young women create a steady parade of twisted girls who have stepped out of a fairy tale that might have been spun by the Grimm Brothers' demented brother.

We have Sleeping Beauty (Daniella Richards), who snores and won’t be awakened for a moment of passion with a broomstick that she thinks is Pinocchio.

We have Cinderella (Madison Hayes-Crook), a gamin who plays with the audience and who declares at the end of the show that "All I Wanna Do is Eat" while protesting the requirement that all princesses display cute little figures.

We get The Little Mermaid (Miriam Drysdale), who has lost her tail – and her sanity – and has taken refuge in bottles of beer, changing her voice from the prim princess style into the smarmy slug of the alcoholic.

Then there is Mulan (Ann Paula Bautista), who wonders why she never gets the guy and why her Prince Charming doesn’t come knocking on her door. For the answer to that question, see the song she sings from a Broadway session sung by LuLu Picart. This is the kind of laugh we get all night long.

Finally, we get the Princess Who Kissed the Frog (Cherise Thomas) who sings "Finally," the anthem to the creation of a princess who isn’t a blonde haired and fair skinned. She brings soul to the evening as she explains why it took so long for the Wonderful World of Disney to find a color other than white.

Speaking of which, then there is Snow White (Merritt Crews), the emcee of the entire evening. She steers the program along and makes the claim that the real strength of being a princess is "Big Tits."

There is nothing overly deep in this production, and it is played strictly for laughs. And it delivers.

The opening night crowd in the newly-remodeled 466 seat Wilson Theater was into the show from the earliest moments. The audience sing-along staged by Rapunzel – complete with miles and miles of blonde hair – was a big hit.

For sheer laughs in 95 minutes, "Disenchanted" is absolutely enchanting.

"Disenchanted" runs through Oct. 16 and information on showtimes and tickets is available here.

Dave Begel Contributing Writer

With a history in Milwaukee stretching back decades, Dave tries to bring a unique perspective to his writing, whether it's sports, politics, theater or any other issue.

He's seen Milwaukee grow, suffer pangs of growth, strive for success and has been involved in many efforts to both shape and re-shape the city. He's a happy man, now that he's quit playing golf, and enjoys music, his children and grandchildren and the myriad of sports in this state. He loves great food and hates bullies and people who think they are smarter than everyone else.

This whole Internet thing continues to baffle him, but he's willing to play the game as long as OnMilwaukee.com keeps lending him a helping hand. He is constantly amazed that just a few dedicated people can provide so much news and information to a hungry public.

Despite some opinions to the contrary, Dave likes most stuff. But he is a skeptic who constantly wonders about the world around him. So many questions, so few answers.