March 6, 2017

Meet Morgan Gannes of Fairytales Entertainment Los Angeles in West Hills

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morgan Gannes.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story?
My company began in 2008, when I was asked to portray a princess for a friend’s child’s birthday, a job I had never heard of before. My years as a nanny and babysitter, and my training in classical theater had combined to create something magical, and I realized how much joy I could bring to families. Shortly after, I opened Fairytales Entertainment and began performing at children’s parties and events throughout Southern California! My goal was to do more than entertain, it was to make children feel like they were truly in the presence of a real princess and to encourage them to use kindness and courage to let their inner prince or princess shine. I studied the voices, mannerisms, and the stories of fairytale princesses and began to design and sew my own costumes. I created party activities and curriculums based around each individual princess so she never needs to break character and the kids are always having fun!

Today, Fairytales Entertainment is going strong and ever changing. But my goal to provide children and parents with an enchanting and engaging experience reigns strong.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Upon opening in 2008, I was 18-years-old with no experience running a business. My love for the idea of fairytales and bringing magic to people around me gave me the push I needed. I taught myself to manage finances, advertise, create a website, correspond with clients, and sew costumes. It was difficult but the biggest struggle I faced was re-opening my business after we temporarily closed in April 2012, until January 2014. The previous families who had hired me for their parties had children who were growing out of the ‘princess thing’, so I had to build up my client base from scratch. Ways of advertising had changed drastically. Being seen by potential clients all had to do with using the internet, particularly social media platforms. There was also a drastic increase in competition. While that did frighten me at the start, I realized if I kept pushing and making my service the best it could possibly be that I could be successful! Princesses never give up on their dreams, right?

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Fairytales Entertainment provides princess characters to entertain at children’s birthday parties and events, we are known for our dedication to character integrity, and commitment to preserving the belief in magic. Our performers know each characters voices, mannerisms and are well-versed in every fairytale story… Even grown-ups are delighted to never see the princess ‘out of character.’ The quality of our costumes and wigs truly sets us apart. Each gown is what we like to call ‘designed with the child in mind’. This means that every silhouette, fabric, and accessory is selected to ensure that the characters will look exactly the way a child imagines.

One of the most enchanting activities is our interactive storytelling. The princess does not read from a book, the stories are told from her heart and she encourages the children to use their voices, hand motions, and imagination to help tell the story. The princess will also provide a box of props for the children to interact with. Each princess also has their own unique activities specific to their story to fully immerse children in the world of that character.

Most importantly, we strive to spread our message that kindness, courage and belief in dreams is what truly makes someone a real prince or princess!

What were you like growing up?
I was adopted by two very loving parents and raised in the suburbs outside of Los Angeles. Growing up I was very shy but extremely passionate and quite a dreamer. I genuinely believed I was a real mermaid until I was nearly 15-years-old. I adored animals and at 4-years-old, I told my mom I was going to be a Marine Biologist. Once I started school, I began to escape into books, even trying to write a few of my own. I had particular fondness for Roald Dahl and Judy Blume books. As I grew older, I had teachers who introduced me to many different types of literature and I discovered my love for William Shakespeare’s plays. I had always dreamed of becoming an actress and this led me to spending a few years studying in a classical theater program.

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