Once Upon a Mattress' on Stage
The popular Broadway and television show, "Once Upon a Mattress," will open on Friday,
Nov. 16, on Fairmont State University's Wallman Hall stage as a Masquers production.
Performances will be Nov. 16-17 and 20-29 and Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. A matinee performance
will be at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 18. To reserve tickets, call the Box Office at (304)
367-4240. Tickets are $12 for general admission, $10 for seniors and $6 for students
with ID.
On May 11, 1959, "Once Upon a Mattress" opened off-Broadway at the Phoenix Theatre.
Book was by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer and Dean Fuller; music was by Mary Rodgers;
and lyrics were written by Marshall Barer. George Abbott directed and the choreographer
was Joe Layton. The play was based upon Hans Christian Anderson's story "The Princess
and the Pea." Begun as a shorter play at the Tamiment adult summer camp, it was later
expanded into the off-Broadway version.
The original cast featured Carol Burnett in her theatrical debut as the Princess,
Winnifred the Woebegone, as well as Joseph Bova, Allen Case, Jack Gilford, Anne Jones,
Matt Mattox, Harru Snow and Jane White. White was the first African-American woman
to portray a white character on the Broadway stage. The production was nominated for
Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Leading Actress (Burnett).
The London production of "Once Upon a Mattress" opened in September 1960 at the Adelphi
Theatre. In 1996, a Broadway revival was mounted, starring Sarah Jessica Parker, Lewis
Cheale and Jane Krakowsi. This production was nominated for the Tony Award for Best
Revival of a Musical.
Anyone who has ever read the original Anderson version will recognize it beneath
the songs and humor. Although Anderson's story has amusing moments, it is nothing
like the hilarity of the re-vamped Once Upon a Mattress. Costumes from the 1996 Broadway
revival have been rented for this production and Jeffrey Ingman, who directs "Once
Upon a Mattress," brings his special touch to this FSU holiday show.
Principal cast members for this Masquers production are the following: Shawn Dunn
as the Minstrel; Jonathan Shay, Prince; Kristin Scharnhorst, Princess, and Loralee
Simpson, Queen, as the Pantomime Storybook Characters; Jessica Jursak as Princess
#12; Ray Mainenti as the Wizard; Leigh Anne Bolyard as Lady Larkin; Linda O'Connor
as Queen Aggravain; Jeremy S. Crawford as Prince Dauntless; Matthew Scanlon as King
Sextimus the Silent; Marc Cornes as Jester; Jonathan Shay as Sir Studley; Sean Marco
as Sir Luce; Anthony Host as 1st Knight; Anthony Costanzo Marchese as 2nd Knight;
Marshall Myers as 3rd Knight; Ricardo Nesbit as 4th Knight; Kimmy Higginbotham as
Lady Rowena; Chrystal Connor as Lady Merrill; Dana Sayre as Lady Lucille; Daniel Crowley
as Sir Harry; Kathy Dunn as Kitchen Wench; Sarah Rowan as Princess Winnifred; Brie
Giraziani as Emily; and Morgan Messenger as Lady Mabelle.
