The Renaissance is alive and well at The Old Globe, where Huzzah!, a new musical comedy by Laurence O’Keefe (Legally Blonde, Heathers) and Nell Benjamin (Mean Girls, Come Fall in Love), makes its world premiere. Directed by Annie Tippe, the show transforms a modern Renaissance faire into a comedic battleground for family squabbles, financial woes, and the eternal question of how much authenticity is too much. Huzzah! is playing through October 19th at The Old Globe Theatre.

The cast of *Huzzah!*, 2025. Photo by Jim Cox.

The setting is the Kingsbridge Midsummer Renaissance Faire, owned by Johnny Mirandola (Lance Arthur Smith). With the business deep in debt, Johnny hopes to pass it down to his daughters: Gwen (Liisi LaFontaine), the sensible, modern one with a career in insurance, and Kate (Cailen Fu), a devoted “faire princess” who wants to preserve the magic at any cost.

Their sibling rivalry intensifies when Johnny hires Sir Roland Prowd (Leo Roberts), a flamboyant swordsman with flowing blond locks and an army of followers. Gwen wants him gone immediately; Kate insists his popularity could save the faire’s finances. For better or worse, the sisters must team up to protect their legacy, though their alliance doesn’t last very long.

The show clearly loves Renaissance faires, treating them not as a punchline but as vibrant communities with real stakes. That said, it isn’t afraid to poke fun at the silliness, with bawdy jokes, a few sharp political asides, and running gags about period “authenticity.”

Led by LaFontaine as Gwen and Fu as Kate, these sisters have an excellent sibling chemistry and soaring vocals. They are supported by Anthony Chatmon II, who charms as Gareth, Gwen’s lawyer-ex-suitor, gamely jousting for her affections despite feeling overshadowed by Roberts’ Sir Roland, whose swagger makes damsels swoon.

Liisi LaFontaine and Cailen Fu (Jim Cox)

Standouts include Kate Shindle as Anne Bonny, the pirate queen who is pragmatic and sharp-tongued, Peyton Crim as Wayland, a blacksmith philosopher-warrior with a forge, Allison Guinn as feisty artisan Lady Eve, and a funny trio of lords played by Kevin Pariseau, Mike Millan, and Josh Breckinridge.

Roberts, as Sir Roland, struts and sings with such confidence that it’s easy to see why everyone falls for his charms despite his rigid obsession with “period authenticity." This becomes both a running gag and a sly commentary on gatekeeping and the absurdity of how quickly people can be divided by a little bit of charisma and an unshakable, if incomprehensible, ideology.

Some standout songs include “The Stowaway,” a sea shanty practically begging to go viral at real-life faires, Shindle’s “Miladies,” and “The Weight in Your Hand” by Crim. The score includes 18 songs, many of which are ensemble numbers designed for tankard-swinging merriment. While they create a lively atmosphere, few tunes have you humming outside the theatre.

The creative team builds an immersive fairground: Todd Rosenthal’s set evokes the Faire with its welcoming gate and cheeky touches, while the onstage orchestra, nestled in scaffolding, adds to the constant sense of revelry. Haydee Zelideth’s costumes are both gorgeous and clever, from Gwen’s covet-worthy first act corset and dress, her dragon-scale corset in Act Two, to Kate’s fairy-tale finery (though the end of Act 2 is begging for Kate to get her own dragon-scale corset). Katie Spelman’s choreography incorporates maypoles and Morris dancers, and Jacob Grigolia-Rosenbaum’s fight scenes provide satisfying swordplay.

Where the production stumbles is in its story; Act One sets up the conflict, but it feels too long and too predictable. The pacing is formulaic, with every major beat signposted far in advance. Act Two is tighter and introduces surprise twists and sharper conflicts, hinting at a richer, cleverer story that could emerge if Act One shed some of its filler. Kate and Gwen’s relationship deserves more nuance than simply sparring over Sir Roland so predictably (and for so long), and it feels like a missed opportunity. Both Fu and LaFontaine are capable of carrying meatier arcs, including the late Act 2 reveal that offers much more interesting dynamics to explore. Likewise, Shindle’s Anne Bonny often feels like the most interesting person in the room, but the script mostly keeps her on the sidelines.

Still, Huzzah! delivers a lively night at the theatre, buoyed by a talented cast and enough authentic Faire details to charm the die-hards in the audience. With some tightening and sharper focus on the sisters’ story, it could become something truly worth shouting from the battlements. The audience laughed heartily, clapped along, and left smiling, a feat that is no small accomplishment.