Princess K.I.M. The Musical is a
touching, upbeat and humorous play about a little girl named Kim, who
along with her geeky Dad, move to a new town. Kim, who has lost her mother and
now struggles to find her way without her, desperately wants her new classmates
to like her, so she tells a teeny
tiny lie…she says that her name is really “K.I.M.”-- "Katherine Isabella Marguerite"- and that she is a Princess. At first, Kim relishes in the Royal attention, but when her lie grows
and GROWS, her life gets very complicated, especially when her theatrical
Grandmother comes to visit and is mistaken for the Queen! When the truth is
revealed, the kids reject Kim for her deceit. Kim then thinks that telling
only the truth will reverse her mistake. Kim's comical but brutal truths
only alienate everyone further. With the help of many, including her exuberant
grandmother, who the classmates grow to admire, her wise father and her
mother’s wisdom, written in a journal during her illness, Kim finds the courage
to drop her ‘Royal ruse’ and simply be her charming self.
Delightful
music, true-to-life dialog and a tender expression of love, strength and
acceptance will touch your heart and have you singing along. The underlying
thread of the classroom’s Poetry Performance ties the play’s elements together
for a moving and electrifying finale, where Kim finds her YOU and an empowered
audience is reminded that WE BELONG!
I learned that a little lie can grow after I told my first grade classmates that my father owned the Coca-Cola Company, (he doesn't!) Based on the idea that a tiny lie can grow into a big problem, I developed a story about a little girl who wants so much to fit into her new school that she tells a teeny tiny lie...that she is from royalty. That lie grows and grows until it's ready to explode.
Albert Whitman and Co bought my story, and in 2009, "Princess K.I.M. and the Lie that Grew" was published. This book went on to become a hit and the sequel, "Princess Kim and Too Much Truth" was published in 2011.
While writing and illustrating these books, I began to realize that the story and characters would make great children's play. In 2011, I gathered a talented team; Toby Tarnow, Andrew Cass, and Premik Russell Tubbs. We worked for several years to develop PRINCESS K.I.M. THE MUSICAL! In 2012 we won a National New Play Festival. What followed were several productions in Ohio, New Hampshire, New Jersey and California. Now you can license the play! There are three versions; Full (110 min), JR (75 Min), TYA (50mins)
Find the version that is perfect for your theater--
Visit the "License the Play" link for more information.
(From the song, We Belong:)
FROM THIS STAGE TO THE WORLD OUTSIDE,
LET’S STAND TOGETHER WITH OUR MINDS OPEN WIDE.
WE BELONG
EMBRACING ALWAYS WHO WE ARE.
YOU BELONG at our play....I look forward to seeing you there.
Maryann Cocca-Leffler
