Today we’d like to introduce you to Brittain Osborne.
Hi Brittain, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My princess performer journey started a little out of the blue! I grew up in rural Washington, performing in theatre from a very young age. I loved reading books and watching beloved fairytale characters on screen; they inspired my imagination and love for the arts. My family traded theme park vacations for outdoor adventures, and so I had never really heard of the character entertainment industry before!
After graduating from Greenville University in 2016, I set my sights on becoming a professional actor. I performed in Seattle, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Orlando in live theatre, commercial, and film. But I kept getting type-casted. Friends, family, even strangers would comment how similar to a Disney princess I was, especially my voice! I was soon scouted by Seattle Party Princess Productions through Backstage.com where they found my resume and headshot. They emailed and asked if I wanted to audition to join their cast. As I said, I had never heard of the character entertainment industry before and so I was skeptical (I almost deleted the email!). But after researching the company, I made a decision to audition, completed my princess training, and started performing at parties every weekend in the Seattle area. After getting married to my own midwest Prince Charming in 2017, we moved to Dallas for a short time where I transferred to Dallas Party Princess Productions. I served as a performer while also serving on their booking and marketing team!
My husband and I made the decision in 2018 that we wanted to move back closer to family, who resides in Litchfield, IL. We were thrilled to be closer to our family but as I started looking for jobs, there were little opportunities for artists. I noticed that the area lacked any children’s entertainment companies; the closest one away being in St. Louis, MO. It was my own need to perform artistically that fueled me to start my own princess party business. Brittain’s Princess Parties started as a one-actress company in 2018 but quickly grew into a team of 7 performers. Overall, I have now performed at over 400 parties and events.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I was immediately at a disadvantage because, not originally being from this area, I didn’t have many connections. I had to do a lot of cold calling, emailing, and networking. In the beginning, it was challenging because the concept of party entertainment was relatively unheard of in rural Illinois. Hiring party entertainers is common in large cities, but I really had to sell people on the concept of inviting a face character to a birthday or public event. I had to show that booking our services created a magical atmosphere and helped attract families to events. I started out offering free services at local libraries with the most popular fairytale characters. I went from performing every weekend in Seattle and Dallas to once or twice a month here. I was discouraged at first but unwilling to hang up the tiara- so to speak. Slowly but surely, word got out! Now we are booked solidly almost every weekend and I am so grateful!
Finding princess and superhero performers has also been a struggle. As our business grows, I’m constantly reaching out to local theater departments to recruit our up-and-coming cast. Not only does the applicant have to look the part, they must work well with children, have some theatre and singing experience, and live close by for costume exchanges. We have been blessed with an amazing cast so far!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Our BPP team is small and that’s because we take a lot of pride in quality over quantity! Anyone can put on a costume, but not everyone can become a professional character performer. Our performers are experienced, talented, and outstanding role models to children in real life! We genuinely love going to your parties and helping your child and guests feel seen, loved, and heard. It’s not about us – it is about your child and their special day! It’s about helping the shy little guest feel welcomed and cherished. Our performances are well-oriented and seamless in order to help point the spotlight to the birthday child who will forever remember the birthday when their hero attended their party! We are committed to bringing joy and unconditional love with us to every party we attend.
What makes you happy?
Children and their parents make us so happy! We have the absolute best clientele! I love speaking with moms on the phone while helping book their party, hearing their giddy anticipation. They get so excited to document their child’s face when their favorite character walks through the door on their special day. Moms treat our performers so kindly and by the end of the party, we feel like family members. When we leave an event after interacting with children for several hours, our hearts are filled with so much happiness and energy. I love the saying, “Do the thing that gives you energy, not the thing that takes your energy.” We love hearing the intriguing questions that children ask us! We love when a child reaches for our hand to escort us around! We love hearing a chorus of children belt out “Let It Go” at the top of their lungs! At the end of our busy weekends, we can’t wait to do it all over again!
Pricing:
- 30 Min Package: $110
- 60 Min Package: $160
- 90 Min Package: $225
- Corporate Event Package: starting at $110
Contact Info:
- Email: brittainsprincessparties@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.brittainsprincessparties.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brittainsprincessparties
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brittainsprincessparties
Image Credits
Hope Merrell Photography
Kami Hohm Photography
