Barbie Live! in Fairytopia is the live stage version of the widely popular Barbie Fairytopia movie, released in spring 2005. It is a musical fully staged threatre production directed by Eric Schaeffer with original songs and dancing and has the characters from the film. It is two 30-minute acts divided by a 15-minute intermission. It toured 80 American cities from late 2005-2006.The songs in Barbie Live in Fairytopia were written by Susan Di Lallo and Robbie Roth, and a soundtrack album was released for the show with original sound recordings: Songs From Barbie Fairytopia.
The Pixies are flying and tease Elina, a wingless flower fairy, for not having wings, but Elina's friend Topaz convinces her that she has friends she just hasn't met yet. Elina goes to a fairy named Azura's cottage and Azura sees the rainbow in Elina's eyes. She tells her she has the "Fairytopia mark of greatness". Meanwhile, an angry evil fairy named Laverna and her loyal assistant Fungi create a spell that will cause flying sickness, the inability to fly, on the fairies of Fairytopia.
Elina wakes to find that her pink flower home is sick and her fairy friends cannot fly, and this is due to Laverna's spell. Elina thinks that Azura, a Guardian Fairy, can help, so she journeys to find her with Bibble, a puffball, and Hue, her butterfly friend. She's challenged along the way by the evil Laverna who wants to take over Fairytopia from the Enchantress, the ruler of Fairytopia. At one point, Laverna sends firebirds after Elina, who escapes and meets a merman named Prince Nalu in a place called Crystal Cove. It makes Elina realise the power of friendship and meets characters who test her courage. Along the way,Elina meets Dahila by showing her the friends she haven't met something Azura and Topaz told her about. Elina saves Fairytopia and the Enchantress gives her a gift,her very own fairy wings.
Production
Girls auditioning to be Barbie.
The production was created by Mattel and Clear Channel Entertainment, and director Eric Schaeffer thought the most important thing was to get children to go to the theatre. He thinks he got the call to do Barbie Live in Fairytopia because he did a 34-minute "Snow White" presentation in Disneyland.
Auditions for the show were held in New York City in December 2005. There was an open casting call from December 5 to December 7. Actresses from across the country that were auditioning for Barbie lined up outside the Good Morning America studios. They had to sing to Eric Schaeffer and were watched by other auditionees.
The stage of Barbie Live
Erin Elizabeth Coors auditioned and eventually won the role as Barbie as Elina. Her agent submitted her and she was called back to represent the first ever human representation of Barbie. The final cast came together and rehearsed in early March. The actors were described as seasoned and experienced.
The award-winning production team worked hard to create awe-inspiring stage environments and it was rumored that over a 100 pounds of glitter had been used. There were aerial scenes that lasted for several minutes. The production was described as "incredible" by Erin Elizabeth Coors and "a once-in-a-lifetime experience".
The character's outfits were designed by Tony-nominated costume designer Gregg Barnes and a team of other designers. Gregg Barnes was thrilled because he considers Barbie a fashion phonomenon. The costume for Elina includes 15,000 beads and sequins and over 30 types of fabric. Twenty people worked on the dress for over 350 hours. 11 sets of wings were made, as well as a mermaid tail, and costumes for other characters such as Hue and Fungi. All of the fairies have their faces exposed so their expressions can be seen.
Tours & Dates
March 28-29, 2006 - Pullo Theatre in York, PA
April 1-2, 2006 - Palace Theatre in Columbus, OH
April 5-9, 2006 - Fox Theatre in Detroit, MI
April 11-16, 2006 - Auditorium Theatre in Chicago, IL
April 19-23, 2006 - Wang Theatre in Boston, MA
April 25-26, 2006 - Emmons Auditorium in Muncie, IN
April 28-30, 2006 - Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford, CT
May 3-4 2006 - Warner Theatre in Erie, PA
May 5-7, 2006 - Shea's Buffalo in Buffalo, NY
May 9-10, 2006 - Embassy Theatre in Fort Wayne, IN
May 12-14, 2006 - Orpheum Theatre in Memphis, TN
May 16-17 2006 - Morris Auditorium in South Bend, IN or Hammons Hall in Springfield, MO
May 19-21, 2006 - Marcus Performing Arts Center in Milwaukee, WI
May 31 - June 4, 2006 - New Hippodrome in Baltimore, MD
June 6-7, 2006 - Civic Auditorium in Knoxville, TN
June 9-11, 2006 - Broward Performing Arts Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL
June 13-14, 2006 - Maxwell King Center in Melbourne, FL
June 16-18, 2006 - Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Tampa, FL
June 21-25, 2006 - Warner Theatre, in Washington, D.C.
July 5-9, 2006 - The Orleans in Las Vegas, NV
July 11-12, 2006 - Landmark Theatre in Richmond, VA
July 14-16, 2006 - Belk Theatre in Charlotte, NC
July 18-19, 2006 - Schuster Theatre in Dayton, OH
July 21-23, 2006 - The Aronoff in Cincinnati, OH
July 25-26, 2006 - Civic Center in Peoria, IL
July 28-30, 2006 - Palace Theatre in Cleveland, OH
August 1-2, 2006 - Robinson Auditorium in Little Rock, AR
August 4-6, 2006 - Palace Theatre in Louisville, KY
August 8-13, 2006 - Bass Hall in Fort Worth, TX
August 16-20, 2006 - Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles, CA
August 22-23, 2006 - Saroyan Theatre in Fresno, CA
August 25-27, 2006 - Civic Center in San Diego, CA
August 30 - September 3, 2006 - Community Center in Sacramento, CA
Videos
Barbie Live In Fairytopia Trailer
Trivia
Erin Elizabeth Coors, who played Elina, appeared in shows such as Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls, Schoolhouse Rock, and Chicago. She was the first actress to play Barbie in a national touring stage show. Coors trained in the arts since eighth grade, and has always been a Barbie fan. She considered it an "honor" to play Elina in the show.
This is the first Barbie live show, the second is Barbie LIVE!
Gallery
Elina (Erin Elizabeth Coors) in the theater before the show was begin at Palace Theatre in Columbus, OH
