Princess Bambie Lou and Princess Brandie Sue. Photo by Autumn Burke. From 2003 community theater production, Loveland, Colorado.

A Hair from the Head of a Prince is the story of a misfit in the royal family—Prince Norman. He embarrasses his stepmother, Queen Ludmilla, by trying to learn to play the accordion, an instrument she insists is suited only for polkas, tangos and “common” kinds of music.

Hoping to make way for her son, Prince Douglas, to get married, Queen Ludmilla decides to hold a contest for Prince Norman’s hand in marriage, with princesses auditioning, by singing, for the role of Norman’s wife. The reason? When pressed to describe what he is looking for in a wife, Prince Norman has blurted out that he wants his wife and him to be able to “make beautiful music together.”

Princess Raylene of the Kingdom of Dallas. Photo by Autumn Burke. From 2003 community theater production, Loveland, Colorado.

Norman really isn’t interested in participating in the contest, but Ludmilla doesn’t give him much choice. His Birkenstock-wearing fairy godmother steps in and tries to help with her advice to cleanse his aura, stop eating junk food, and simply “Pay attention!” It doesn’t help.

Soon the princesses start arriving. The shallow but beautiful Princess Bambie Lou of the Kingdom of Bloomingdale sings, “I’m Luscious, I’m Lovely.” Princess Raylene of the Kingdom of Dallas sings the sad story of her life: “My Fiancé Fell in the Moat and Drowned.” Princess Julie, who teaches at the Royal Academy, brings her students in to help her sing, “Dough, Ray, Me.” And finally, the aging Princess Vivian auditions by singing, “I’m Not a Spring Chicken.”

In the meantime, the wicked troll, Tarantulina, schemes to win the hand of Prince Norman’s womanizing half-brother Prince Douglas, known to many women in the castle as Prince Douglas the Sleaze. Part of her scheme involves killing Norman so that she can get “a hair from the head of a prince, killed in the home of a troll,” which is what is needed to break the spell that has turned her into a troll.

Prince Douglas and the Chameleons, as hip-hop singers/dancers. Photo by Autumn Burke. From 2003 community theater production, Loveland, Colorado.

In the end, Norman’s best friend, the spunky lady-in-waiting, Annabella, manages to save Norman's life after Tarantulina kidnaps him. Norman finally does pay attention and sees that he and Annabella do indeed make beautiful music together. He decides to marry her. He stands up to his step-mother and in the final scene, sings the show-stopping “I Gotta Be Me!” tango, complete with interludes of the polka, the bunny hop, and the cotton-eyed Joe.

The show is jam-packed with fun, mixing up the old and the new. Though it is set in a mythical kingdom filled with royalty, knights, ladies-in-waiting, dragons, and even a wicked troll, it is filled with anachronistic references to modern-day life. Radio hosts Frank and Judy, for example, provide Oscar-like commentary regarding the attire of the guests arriving at a royal ball. Prince Norman loves junk food, like chips and dip. Prince Douglas explains his appeal to women with a hip-hop number, “Buzz Rap.”

Here are a few sample songs from the production: