Once Upon A Mattress--live performance

On a weekend trip to visit my parents, I had cause to see a community theater performance of a perennial favorite--Once Upon A Mattress. While the memory of Carol Burnett is firmly planted in my ear as far as this score is concerned, I was happy to use the extra ticket my parents had for the performance.

The delightful nature of this story and this score very nearly make any performance of Mattress fool-proof, and most of the humor sparkled in this production. For the most part, the players were well-cast and well-matched with their counterparts. This was particularly true for the couples--Dauntless/Winifred and Larkin/Harry. Pairings like this must be particularly tricky when casting from a selection of community performers--each with widely varying abilities and experience.

Lady Larkin had the best voice of the cast; clearly she has some training and her credits included singing Pamina in a college production of Magic Flute. Harry, while having less vocal training, possessed a lovely high-baritone voice that he used well. The comic duo in the show were also well-matched. Dauntless proved a particularly good physical comedian and was literally tumbling across the stage during the Act I finale. Winifred was very good drawing humor from her facial expressions, and managed to project her songs up and down her full range without pushing into an unattractive belt voice.

There was a cast of 24, which is large for my hometown's little community theater company; and the production was staged in a middle school in town that had a larger stage than the small community center holds. The production took full advantage of having more space by including a sizeable set that still left room for the whole cast to dance the Spanish Panic. The costumes were appropriately colorful.

The best side of the performance, perhaps, was seeing that an enthusiastic audience of 400 would show up on a cold Friday night to see a 50 year-old musical. It's good to know that theater is still a priority in some of the provinces.

Once Upon a Matress
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer

Book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer
Cast: 24 community theater actors of varying ability, but high-energy enthusiasm

Once Upon a Mattress Original Broadway Cast Recording

I find it very easy to be inspired by Carol Burnett. She's the quintessential comedic performer who took her own personality and unique skill set to build a significant and lasting career. And no show better epitomized Ms. Burnett's uniqueness than Once Upon a Mattress.

You have to be a real singer to perform Princess Winifred, I think. While the big "Shy" number can just be belted out to some effect, "The Swamps of Home" and "Happily Ever After" require good legato singing and are rangier than expected. The singing by the "legit" singers in the cast is a little disappointing at times. "Yesterday I Love You" is a beautiful, tuneful song and needs good singing actors. Maybe the Sarah Jessica Parker revival includes some of that. But that's for another day.

I have performed in Mattress, when I did summer stock with College Light Opera Company on Cape Cod in 1984. It's a fun show to perform in--lots of good in-jokes. The best one that the audience never sees is Queen Agravaine's big monologue, which in the script is called the mamalogue.

The liner notes for this CD release give what I thought was interesting background on the show's creation and how certain characters developed in the way they did.

Once Upon a Mattress
Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer
Book by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, Dean Fuller
1959 Broadway Cast Recording
Released on CD in 1993 by MCA Classics Broadway Gold
Cast: Harry Snow, Joe Bova, Allen Case, Anne Jones, Carol Burnett, Jane White, Matt Mattox, Ginny Perlowin