'Once Upon a One More Time' to close Sept. 3

"Once Upon a One More Time," the Broadway musical about famous fairy tale heroines and performed to the beat of Britney Spears songs, is about to reach a not-so-happy ending: The show will play its final performance Sept. 3 after just 42 previews and 81 actual performances.

News of the closing first appeared in an Instagram post on Monday: “The fairy-tale is coming to an end,” the post says. “Final performance September 3 … come party with us one more time!”

The post also included a statement from producers James L. Nederlander and Hunter Arnold, who thanked the cast and crew for their work on the show. “We could not be prouder of this beautifully joyous and exhilarating show — which is not only a love letter to Britney’s iconic artistry and singular effervescence, but also a brilliant display of the boundless talent of our cast and creative team,” they said. 

"Once Upon a One More Time," which stars newcomer Briga Heelan as Cinderella and season 1 "American Idol" runner-up Justin Guarini as Prince Charming, opened June 22 to decidedly mixed reviews. The plot puts a spin on "Cinderella," "Snow White," "Sleeping Beauty" and other female-centric fairy tales as the titular heroines discover the meaning of grrl power. Among the Spears hits featured in the show are "Oops! … I Did It Again,” “Toxic” and “... Baby One More Time."