Chicago Tribune - Somewhat Recommended
"...It's a quirky and cool structure, but, alas, some of these actors sure seize their chance to create eccentric characters and, too often, they do so without sufficient attention to believability or how much time is passing under their indulgences. Some of these performances are scaled not for the Storefront but for the Oriental Theatre, where, if everyone involved here took a look at "Wicked," they'd see that fantastical stories often benefit from savvy, self-aware and conversational dialogue. Humanity. Simplicity. Cupper is funny in places (I won't spoil the story, but he does not entirely stay dead), but his shtick results in real sags in the narrative, just as Downey's over-the-top villainy kills off the kind of subtlety that such an alternative-styled show badly needs. Neither is believable."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...For some reason, Sara's realization and regret bring Will back to life, too. I'd call it fairy-tale logic-akin to the kiss that wakes up Sleeping Beauty-except that Sara herself argues that all her problems have come from believing in enchantments and perfect princes instead of the "more beautiful" real world right in front of her. This incoherent conclusion feels like an insult both to reality and to fairy tales. Her cutesy morbid streak notwithstanding, Schwartz is the one who comes across as afraid of depicting true danger, irreversible suffering, or anything approaching a genuine emotion. The Brothers Grimm were never this facile."
Centerstage - Highly Recommended
"...Some shows rely on spectacle and stagecraft to pull this kind of imaginative epic off but apart from a few fairly simple set pieces, Dead Prince relies on the wit and heart of Schwartz's book, and the cast's musicality and charm. And those things are more than enough. The Dead Prince is delightful."
Time Out Chicago - Recommended
"...Schwartz's always enjoyable sense of macabre whimsy shows up with the untombing of the title character (the delightfully weird Scott Cupper, indulging in well-played physical comedy as a barely reanimated corpse), and her plotting charmingly subverts some of the usual fairy-tale tropes—giving the princess agency to make her own choice, for example, and serving as a caution against the idealistic trap of True Love. You root for Sara to snap out of it and see what's in front of her. And Downey enjoys some delicious moments as the mage in the mirror."
ChicagoCritic - Highly Recommended
"...Come and take the fairy tale musical comedy quest with The Strange Tree Group - you'll smile, laugh and be musically captivated by the original story told with manic energy. This is a smart, well written show that is ready for prime time. One can home that the major musical comedy producers from The Theatre at the Center, Drury Lane Oakbrook, Marriott Theatre and Chicago Spokeshave Theater come to see The Dead Prince and Emily Schwatrz'. She is a major theatrical artist whose work needs to be mounted at the next level."
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...Fairy tales are meant to be about instruction and it's hard to tell what the Dead Prince is teaching us about living life or following the heart. But this is a case in which the love of the telling is worth more than the intent and the story is so charming, so clever and beguiling that it you don't care what the intent is. You just want it to keep going. In summation: if you liked the Princess Bride, you'll love this as well."
