Silver Chips Online

A royal "Once Upon a Mattress"

School musical is a crowd pleaser

Frogs that turn into princes, dragons, royal kings, queens and noble knights – fairy tales with such motifs are a universally enjoyed genre. Fairy tales are especially beloved for their ability to be dramatic, sweet, romantic, comical or, in the case of "Once Upon a Mattress," a mix of all of these traits.

The plot of "Mattress" is an entertaining and fresh twist on some conventional fantasy stories of times long, long ago. Filled with amusing comedy that spoofs both present and past times, the cast does everything from disco dancing to gentle parodying of various elements found in fairy tales, such as ridiculous curses and magic. Many of the characters are in themselves parodies of familiar personalities found in classic fairy tales of the past.

Pulling together the engrossing characters and quips are enthusiastic performances from every actor and actress in "Mattress." Each performer creates an interesting persona of their own that spruces up the already unique plotline of the production.

Besides their dedicated performances, the performers of "Mattress" also keep the production together through their display of great vocal talent. Each actor and actress in the show has his or her own distinct and pleasant style of singing. The entire cast not only sings well but enunciates their song lyrics clearly, thus bringing an appreciation for the humor and story narration often found in the songs' words.

The dance scenes of "Mattress" are choreographed well, which brings even more exuberance to the stage. The dancing is always together and right on beat, whether it's break-dance, swing or tap.

Supporting the voices and dances of "Mattress" is a just-as-remarkable pit orchestra. The ensemble plays excellently and provides a wide array of rich melodies. The setting of "Mattress" is another appealing factor of the show. The stage crew's attention to detail and hard work show through the palace sets and props, which create a convincing medieval backdrop to "Mattress."

"Mattress" follows the unusual process of selecting a princess to wed the awkwardly submissive and hilariously clueless Prince Dauntless (senior Sam Wight). Dauntless' contentious and domineering mother, Queen Aggravain (played this weekend by senior Abigail Fraeman and next weekend by senior Koyel Bhattacharyya) brings princesses from all over the kingdom to test them and see if any are worthy of her son.

Unfortunately for the potential brides, Aggravain and her accomplice, an eccentric mad scientist and wizard (senior Idara Aquaowo), give the hopeful young ladies more than they expect. The formidable duo create impossible tests for the unprepared girls, leaving them with nothing more than a consolation prize rubber chicken and a long journey home.

After a total of 12 princesses have been rejected, the oddly charismatic Princess Winnifred (senior Elise Harvey) makes a big entrance at the palace after swimming all the way there. Winnifred and Dauntless immediately take a shine to each other, much to Aggravain's dismay. Afraid of the prospect of Winnifred and Dauntless actually marrying, Aggravain comes up with an especially arduous test for Winnifred to pass. Aggravain decides that Winnifred must prove that she possesses the sensitivity of a true princess by laying on 20 soft mattresses with a single pea placed underneath and be so discomforted that she does not get a wink of sleep.

In addition to the plot surrounding Winnifred and Dauntless, another well-executed storyline unfolds in "Mattress." The rocky and secret relationship between Lady Larken (senior Sabrina Shapiro) and the knight Sir Harry (senior Will Timpson) endures a tough falling out, and the play focuses a fair amount of time showing their efforts to reconcile.

Full of humor, talent and style, "Mattress" is worth seeing.

"Once Upon a Mattress" will be performed again on March 11 and March 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are priced at $4 for students and senior citizens and $8 for adults.

Click here to see a full cast list.

http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/story/5032