One of the most charming elements of Princess Peach: Showtime is its theater aesthetic, being set within the stages of Sparkle Theater as Peach fights to gain back control of the venue from the Sour Bunch. Playing off of the trope of levels being called "stages," Princess Peach: Showtime interweaves theatrical details into its level design to give the game the feel of playing through a stage play. However, one element of theater that Princess Peach: Showtime is lacking is an active audience, which would have been the perfect opportunity to reference Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door.