As you read these words, the students of Roosevelt High School’s theatre troupe are preparing to don their costumes and powder their faces for one of four showings of their spring musical, Once Upon a Mattress, this weekend at Roosevelt High School.
The show is a comedic musical retelling of the classic “Princess and the Pea” fairy tale, and centers around Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, a quirky, unconventional princess who arrives at the castle to win the hand of Prince Dauntless the Drab. However, there’s a twist: Queen Aggravain, Dauntless’s overbearing mother, has decreed that no one may marry until her son does, and she ensures that every princess first fails an impossible test of royalty. Winnifred, unlike the delicate royals before her, is loud, honest, and refreshingly real, which throws the court into chaos. The queen gives her a test of sensitivity, placing a pea under 20 mattresses to see if she can feel it. Will Winnifred pass the test, or will the Queen continue to rule? It’s goofy, charming, and full of catchy songs, sass, and satire – perfect for fans of classic Broadway.
