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Four years ago, two of my friends and roommates worked as princess performers on weekends. I loved seeing their photos, loved hearing them talk about it, and was secretly so jealous - but I thought I wasn’t pretty enough, wasn’t thin enough, wasn’t talented enough to be able to get the gig myself. After they both urged me to go for it, though, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to try. I remember the night before my audition, practicing singing through every single Disney song I could think of in the shower because I was so nervous.
A day or two later, I got the call: the owner wanted me to join the cast! I was honestly floored- and so excited. Who wouldn’t want to be a pretty princess?
Can I tell you a secret? When I took the job, I didn’t even like children. My motivations were completely superficial and shallow. I was going through a rough patch and I wanted a self esteem boost, I wanted the chance to transform into someone else - someone famous, perfect, and beautiful.
But as I quickly learned, making magic isn’t easy. Things don’t always go according to plan. Kids can be unpredictable. With a team of 30-40 people, tensions are inevitable. We wear heavy ball gowns and wigs that weigh as much as toddlers, outdoors in 95* heat and 50* cold alike. Waking up at 5am on a Sunday to put on false eyelashes and heels and be surrounded by energetic kids isn’t always appealing. As any parent, teacher, or childcare worker can tell you - children. can. be. exhausting.
The first party that I did all by myself in 2016, a little boy tried to pull my wig off and ripped out a chunk of my real hair while the parents laughed. I went home and cried and told myself I would never do this again, that it wasn’t fun anymore.
So why am I still here, four years later?
I came to a realization.
The kids are the magic. Not the princesses, fairies, unicorns, or mermaids. The kids.
Without the children, their play, their imaginations, their innocence, we would be nothing. We exist because these little ones believe in magic, and because they believe, it becomes real. To them, we are their role models, their favorites, their heroes, what they want to be when they grow up, and that is an incredible responsibility to uphold.
Doing our part to make someone’s day a little brighter, putting a smile on a little one’s face, having a conversation with them that they will talk about for weeks, making their birthday memorable - it makes a difference, and being a part of that is incredible.
PMP’s mission statement is, “Never be the first one to let go when hugging a child. You never know how long they need it.”
We could all use a little magic these days. We just want to help.
About the Blogger:
Princess Andrea (Fox Cities, WI)
Andrea has been working as a princess performer for almost four years and is eager to celebrate her upcoming one year anniversary with Princess My Party. At PMP Andrea has worn a few different hats including Princess, Executive Director, Assistant Director, and Event Manager. Andrea holds a BA in Arts Management and Theatre from the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and her “real” job is serving as Event Supervisor at a local nonprofit performing arts center. She feels very lucky to have two jobs in her field that allow her to do what she loves.