Fancy Nancy: The Musical Reviews
Chicago Reader- Highly Recommended
"...But despite the display of learned femininity, the story is smart, teaching that life requires dealing with disappointments, big and small, and that the fanciest of all are those who suffer gracefully, bien sur. The audience was full of girls dressed in their own fancy clothes, but as played by Kiss, Nancy herself brings to mind a charming bag lady-and I mean that as a compliment. She's a playful girl, a far cry from Disney's hypersexualized heroines."
Chicago Stage and Screen- Recommended
"...Thanks to the patience of her friends and the understanding of her kind, wise (but decidedly non-fancy) mother (Claire Kaiser), Nancy learns that you “have to make the best of what you got.” These lessons get hit hard and often. The 50-or-so minute run-time is chock full of numerous songs, some of which feel like padding to fill out the run time. The music, by Danny Abosch, under the musical direction of Marta Johnson, is catchy enough, if a bit generic: the recorded soundtrack sounded like they were played on a synthesizer, and while some of the harmonies occasionally sounded a bit pitchy, overall, the cast all had decent voices."