Rapornzel lets the audience down with a hairy tale

PrideArts presents Rapornzel at the Hoover-Leppen Theatre on the third floor of the Center on Halsted, 3656 North Halsted Street. This fractured fairytale is based on the German children's story of Rapunzel, a young girl imprisoned by a witch in a tower. Thanks to her long hair, a prince is able to climb up and visit her, to eventually fall in love. A possessive Mother Gothel tries everything in her power to stop the romance between her goddaughter and her suitor, including cutting her hair. The couple struggles to find their happy ending in the nick of time to thwart the witch's wishes.

Rapornzel follows much of the same story with adjustments such as Mother Gothel being renamed Mother Fucker, among other things. What was a short story published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 has been expanded to a running time of two hours onstage in 2025. Written by pun master Tom Whalley, this production is padded with drag, dancing, singing and campy dialogue.

Tom Whalley Pantomimes is a theatrical company attempting to modernize classic material by breaking down the fourth wall. This British approach works well in children's theater, but Rapornzel falls under the Whalley adult category as far as subject matter.

The problem with panto is that after opening Pandora's box, it can be difficult to close and rein in liquor-infused attendees who have been encouraged to participate. Signaling the audience for call and responses is a tricky game to play with unpredictable outcomes.

On the positive side, this method can sum up surprises at each night's performance and keep the actors on their toes, depending on who attends. On the negative side, a ticket holder can take over, sing along obnoxiously and distract from what's occurring onstage.

Director Claire Hart Proper comes from a Commedia dell'arte background, but this project leans toward Second City improvisational tactics instead of high art.

Rapornzel's cast has a bushy situation on their hands and Pascal the Rascal is the worst banana in the bunch. Charlotte Harris doesn't seem to understand sharp timing and the energy necessary to bring Pascal to life. This drags down the rest of the cast and inhibits some of their clever jokes from landing. There's a lengthy monologue in the second act where Pascal pines away through puns supported with sound effects and snippets of songs. In the hands of someone skilled like Robin Williams, magic could have been made, but the bit wears out its welcome. The humor heads downhill in the second act, where pedophiles and creepy characters worm their way into the play.

The script works best when the players are reveling in the richness of their roles while pumping up the camp to build a stronger climax. By placing their tongues firmly in their cheeks and competing for bigger laughs, the team could place Rapornzel back on track.

Hannah Efsits channels Julie Brown as Candy in Earth Girls Are Easy and somehow lands last on the bill even though the production is named after her character Rapornzel.

The show is so full of puns that one might ask, “How punny is it?” It's so punny that the cast stumble even pronouncing the title. There are different levels of expertise within the troupe and Peter Moeller, as Dame Fanny Follicle, often packs a punch through smart delivery.

The soundtrack avoids paying royalties by scrambling lyrics, but the parodies stop for what is described as a karaoke version of Cyndi Lauper's “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.”

Tracks from the '80s include parodies of “Touch Me” by Samantha Fox and We Built This City by Starship. Queen's “Don't Stop Me Now” should never be covered without the vocal range of Freddie Mercury or Adam Lambert.

The set opening like a storybook is charming and picture perfect with painted on phalluses. Set construction may have used up the budget, as the cockeyed costumes are pieced together with the poor Rascal once left holding the scraps.

This silly style of theater does attract a certain type of exuberant theatergoer and fans of drag will enjoy some of the banter. In this case, the carpet doesn't match the drapes and it may feel like a chore to climb the tower to reach the top. This hairy caper needs to comb out the tangles and add conditioner to overeager audience members. With a firmer grip on the reins, the Rapornzel cast could rise to the occasion and not let that Mother Fucker overpower them.

Rapornzel runs from now until December 14, 2025, with ticket information at pridearts.org.