Mary Beth Harvey is known for her pretty dresses and her involvement in dance classes. She enters the annual talent show at the fall fair and begins to have second thoughts. Her mother, who calls her Princess, coaches her on how best to recite the poem for the show. Mary Beth doesn’t find performance exciting like her mother and would rather be drawing, wearing jeans and owning a horse. She begins to think her mother doesn’t really appreciate her true self. She struggles with how to convince her mother to see who she truly is. She concocts several plans to sabotage her mothers schemes. Meanwhile, she also has to contend with Travis, the school jokester, who seems to make Mary Beth the target of most of his pranks. She and her mother end up auditioning for the community production of Oliver! Despite her misgivings she ends up with a part, and her mother ends up playing the female lead. In the rehearsal process, she learns to enjoy performing. She finally gets the nerve to ask her mother if she can take art lessons. Her mother gives in and Mary Beth realizes she can still help out in the community theatre by painting the backdrop for the next production, Charlotte's Web.

Ryan Sweeney doesn’t have any really close friends. To compensate, he associates himself with Travis Bee, the school jokester. Travis is unpredictable and Ryan, despite Travis help, often finds himself being the butt of Travis jokes. Ryan becomes interested in the upcoming auditions for Oliver! and starts to practise by himself. He also finds out about the fall fair talent show. He recruits Travis to be his partner and they work out a routine. However, he discovers Travis had plans to secretly sabotage the routine. His family finds out he’s interested in auditioning for Oliver! and his sister ends up coaching him for the tryouts. Ryan begins to distance himself from Travis and his tricks. He auditions for Oliver! and thinks he blew it. However, as he leaves, the director tells him he gave the best audition and there will be a part for him as one of the boys in the gang. The director feels Ryan isn’t ready for a big part yet because his singing and dancing are weak, but she is sure there will be a part for him in Charlotte's Web, the next community production.