Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and books by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened on Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway. The drama was written as the adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Princess and the Pea .
Once Upon a Mattress was first written as a shorter drama in the Tamiment of an adult summer camp resort. The drama was later expanded to Broadway stage. The initial reviews of the game vary, but critics and actors are equally surprised by the long-running popularity of the show. Once Upon a Mattress is a popular choice for high school drama and community group theater programs.
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Productions
The original production opened on May 11, 1959, at the Broadway Theater outside Broadway (now turned into a multi-complex cinema, located on the Lower East Side), transferred later in the year to Broadway at Alvin Theater (now known as Neil Simon Theater) and then to several other Broadway theaters, eventually playing at St. Theaters. James, for a total run of 244 performances. The musical was directed by George Abbott and choreographed by Joe Layton. Once Upon A Mattress marks the upcoming Broadway debut and TV personality Carol Burnett, who started the role of Princess Winnifred. Also featured are Joseph Bova, Allen Case, Jack Gilford and Matt Mattox. Jane White plays the role of Queen Aggravain. Jack Gilford played King Sextimus The Silent and was later replaced by Will Lee, Gilford's standby, before moving on to Broadway. The musical received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical as well as Best Actress nomination for Carol Burnett. When Burnett left the show, veteran actress T.V. Ann B. Davis took over the lead role.
In August 1960, shortly after the closing of the Broadway show, training was called up for a seven-month US tour that would move from city to city by train, truck and bus. Jack Sydow stepped from his role as King to the position of Director. Dody Goodman played Winnifred at first, then Imogene Coca took on the role. Carol Arthur interpreted the two of them, and played Nightingale of Samarkand. Fritzi Burr plays Queen and Buster Keaton plays the King. Keaton's wife, Eleanor, is placed in the chorus. Keaton warms younger actors, freely sharing grandfather and chocolate advice.
Musical production in London opened at the Adelphi Theater on September 20, 1960 where he played for 24 shows. The players include Jane Connell as Winnifred, Robin Hunter as Dauntless, Milo O'Shea as King, Bill Kerr as Wizard and Max Wall as Jester. EMI Records brought the cast into the recording studio and recorded the London Cast album. This is issued on LP HMV. The album is included on the CD entitled "Once upon a Mattress" released by Sepia Records in 2010.
Broadway revival opened on December 19, 1996, at the Broadhurst Theater and ran for 188 shows. It stars Sarah Jessica Parker as Winnifred, David Aaron Baker as Dauntless, Lewis Cleale as Sir Harry, Heath Lamberts as King, Tom Alan Robbins as Wizard, David Hibbard as Jester, Tom Alan Robbins as Master Merton and Jane Krakowski as Lady Larken. Production was nominated for the 1997 Tony Award for Best Musical Awakening.
The musical opens Off-Broadway, produced by Transport Group, at the Abrons Arts Center on December 13, 2015 for a limited run ending on January 3, 2016. Directed by Jack Cummings III, the cast featured Jackie Hoffman as Princess Winnifred, John Epperson as Queen Aggravain, Jessica Fontana as Lady Larken, David Greenspan as The King, and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as The Minstrel.
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Television adaptation
1964
The first television adaptation aired on June 3, 1964, on CBS. Production was recorded in black and white in front of the live audience and featured Burnett, Bova, Gilford, and White from original Broadway players, as well as new school principals Bill Hayes as Minstrel, Shani Wallis as Lady Larken and Elliott Gould (in his first appearance on what screen pun) as a Jester. Because of the 90 minute walk time, some songs and scenes are cut or shortened. The conflict about Sir Harry and Lady Larkin is underestimated that they are secretly married.
1972
The second television adaptation was broadcast on December 12, 1972, on CBS. The productions, recorded in color, include the original Broadway cast members Burnett, Gilford and White, and also featured Bernadette Peters as Lady Larken, Ken Berry as Dauntless Prince, Ron Husmann as Harry, and Wally Cox as The Jester. It was directed by Ron Field and Dave Powers. Again, some songs are omitted and characters are merged or changed. Because the Minstrel and Wizard sections were cut from this adaptation, a new prologue was written with Burnett singing "Many Moons Ago" as a bedtime story. In 2016, the special is included as a bonus feature on DVD Carol 2: The Original Queens of Comedy .
2005
The third television version, aired on December 18, 2005, on ABC in the US as part of The Wonderful World of Disney and released on DVD two days later, starring Carol Burnett as Queen Aggravain, Denis O'Hare as Dauntless Prince, Tom Smothers as King Sextimus, Tracey Ullman as Princess Winnifred, Zooey Deschanel as Lady Larken, and Matthew Morrison as Sir Harry. It was directed by Kathleen Marshall and executives produced by Burnett & amp; Martin Tudor. The initial part, cut from the DVD release, features a girl, who meets Cinderella, tells her story of the story to her mother. The Minstrel cut from this version, negates and also cuts out most of the songs featuring Minstrel except "Normandy," which was changed to depict Larken's honeymoon and Sir Harry. There are also additional plot changes. Instead of Minstrel and Jester figuring out a test from the Witch, the King is hiding in his armor and accidentally hears the Queen and the Witch, and when Jester, Larken and Harry collaborate to find out, the King emerges from the armor.
Plot
Act Me
Located in the 15th century Europe, a medieval fictional kingdom was ruled by the tortuous Queen Aggravain and the silent King Sextimus the Silent. King Sextimus suffered a curse that could only be reversed "when rats eat eagles." The Minstrel sings Princess and Pea ("Many Moons Ago"), though she knows the true story because she was there when it happened. The princess in the story is not the first girl tested to see if she deserves to marry Prince Dauntless the Drab - she is one of 13 girls. On the day when Minstrel arrives, the Queen, along with her believer, the Witch, is testing Princess # 12 with an unfair quiz. For the Queen's joy, the princess longs for the last question: "What is the middle name of the best female friend in the blacksmith who forges the sword that kills the Beast?" and was given a rubber chicken by Sir Studley. The palace residents complained about the unfair law levied by Queen Aggravain: "All over the country no one can marry," until Dauntless shares his marriage bed. " However, every princess petition was sent after an unsuccessful test by the Queen. It seems that nothing is good enough to marry Prince Dauntless ("Princess Opening").
The crisis escalated when the principal knight of the kingdom, Sir Harry, discovered that his girlfriend, Lady Larken, was pregnant. Although Lady Larken says that she will run away so that she will never face the shame and lose her station, Sir Harry decides that she will set out to find a princess of herself ("In a Little While"). She petitioned the Queen who immediately said no, but when Dauntless managed to speak and plead, she gave up.
The Minstrel tells us that in the original story, the princess arrived at the castle on a stormy night (Lots of Ago-Reprise Moon), but it was not a night at all - and the princess just looked as if he had a storm. Princess Winnifred Woebegone, an impudent and unrefined daughter of a swampland, was so eager to arrive that she swam the castle's moat. He immediately charmed the Dauntless, Studley, the knights and most of the kingdom ("Shy"). However, he also gets the total hatred of the evil Queen, who vows to stop him.
The King discovers Larken's pregnancy and pantomime for his beliefs, Minstrel and Jester. He tells them not to say a word, but they are both more worried about the King letting it slip, because even though he is mute, he can still communicate ("The Minstrel, the Jester, and I"). Then, the Queen, assisted by the Witch, designed a test for Winnifred based on something they believed she did not have - sensitivity. They will place small beans under twenty thick feathered mattresses. If Winnifred can not sleep because of peanuts, then she will be sensitive enough to marry Dauntless ("Sensitivity").
Meanwhile, Winnifred told Dauntless and the waitresses who waited about her house in the swamp ("Swamp House") and met with the King, and they immediately liked each other. Then, after spilling a purple vase filled with fresh new baby's breath, Winnifred was caught cleaning up the mess by Lady Larken who thought she was the servant of the room. Soon Harry was angry at Larken for his mistake and they quarreled. Larken swore that he would run far away where he would never see her again.
King, Minstrel, and Jester catch Larken trying to escape, and they try to stop him, but ultimately decide to help him escape to Normandy ("Normandy"). That night, the Queen throws the ball so Winnifred can dance the most exhausting dance in the world, "The Spanish Panic". The Queen hopes Winnifred will make her tired, but her plan fails. Winnifred is the last one standing because everyone fainted from exhaustion at the climax of the dance. He asks Dauntless to try to give him a clue as to what his exam is, but he's not sure. He took out a large barbell requested by one of the princesses to be lifted, but even he could not lift it. Winnifred easily and Dauntless admits that he loves her. Winnifred mentioned that his nickname was Fred and Dauntless singing his love for him as he practiced many tasks he might have to do for tests, including singing, dancing, wrestling, acting, playing Minstrel lyre, pantomime and drinking himself unconsciously ("Song of Love" ).
Act II
That night, the Queen leads knights and women when they bring twenty mattresses to Fred's room ("Calm"), and he catches Minstrel, Jester, the King, and Larken (disguised in Dauntless clothes) running away. The Minstrel tried to protect Larken by saying he ran away with Larken against his wishes. The Queen declares that Minstrel will be thrown out by dawn. Fred and Dauntless learn to test, and Fred convinces Larken to fix things with Harry. Larken goes looking for Harry, Dauntless bargains Fred good night, and now he's left alone. While studying fairy tales, she complains about how other fairytale princesses have the ease and how she wants to live "Happily Ever After". King Sextimus has a "Man to Man Talk" with Dauntless about birds and bees entirely in pantomime. Jester and Minstrel trick the Wizard into telling them about the exam and Jester recalled about his father's dancing days ("Very Shoes Soft").
Sir Harry and Lady Larken meet each other and they confess that their love is stronger than ever ("Yesterday I Loved You"). When Fred is finally ready to sleep, the Queen brings a variety of people, including Nightingale of Samarkand, to sing it to sleep ("Nightingale Lullaby") but Winnifred stays awake. There appeared to be several "blobs" under the mattress that made it impossible to relax. He started counting the sheep.
The dress was helpless at best to see Winnifred pass the exam, but the Queen told him for the big disappointment that the test had already happened and what it was. Dauntless is so sad that Winnifred drowsy into the throne room while still counting the sheep. Everyone is happy that Winnifred has passed but the Queen insists that Dauntless should not throw herself at Winnifred. Dauntless has had enough of her mother's efforts to take control of her life and finally yells, "I told you to be silent !". The curse of King Sextimus is lifted ("rat" - Dauntless, has metaphorically devoured "hawk" - Queen Aggravain). Aggravain discovers that he can not speak and the King can, so Dauntless and Winnifred are free to marry. The king forced the Queen to jump, jump, and jump around the room to entertain everyone, and with this, she was forced to retreat.
Finally the real reason why Winnifred passed the exam was revealed. After knowing about the tests, King, Minstrel, and Jester stuffed mattresses full of weapons, jousting equipment, and other sharp items. All items removed by Jester in "Finale". After the items were removed, Winnifred still had trouble sleeping until Dauntless pulled the nuts out from under the mattress, when he soon fell asleep. Everyone, in the classic fairy tale tradition, lives happily ever after.
Music number
Main characters and original Broadway player
- Princess Winnifred - Carol Burnett
- Prince Dauntless - Joseph Bova
- Queen Aggravain - Jane White
- King Sextimus - Jack Gilford
- Sir Harry - Allen Case
- Lady Larken - Anne Jones
- Jester - Matt Mattox
- Minstrel - Harry Snow
- Wizard - Robert Weil
- Nightingale of Samarkand - Ginny Perlowin
- Sir Studley - Jerry Newby
- Lord Howard - Howard Parker
Awards and nominations
Original Broadway production
Broadway Revival 1996
References
External links
- Once Upon a Mattress on the Broadway Internet Database
- 1964 television version in Internet Movie Database
- 1972 television version in Internet Movie Database
- 2005 television version in the Internet Movies Database
- Ken Mandelbaum's History Once Upon a Mattress [1]
- Page After info about mattress at StageAgent.com - Once Upon a Mattress plot summary & amp; character description
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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