Spring has finally arrived, which means Cherokee’s theater program is hard at work on their next show: Once Upon a Mattress. I’ve personally spent hours working on the intricate set and observing rehearsals, and I can confidently say I am very proud of where this show is going. Allow me to introduce Once Upon a Mattress!
The musical is a funky yet heartwarming retelling of the story “The Princess and the Pea.” Prince Dauntless’s mother, Queen Aggravain, has imposed a strict rule on the kingdom: no one can marry until her son does. However, she makes it incredibly difficult for Dauntless to marry by imposing difficult tests on every princess who tries to. Princess Winnifred, a wild girl from a swamp kingdom, arrives to the kingdom to marry Prince Dauntless. The Queen immediately disapproves of her—but despite her lack of traditional princess traits, Winnifred manages to pass the test of sensing the pea under 20 mattresses.
The beloved musical opened on Broadway in May 1959, starring Carol Burnett as the original Winnifred. It has had several Broadway revivals since then, featuring stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Sutton Foster.
Cherokee’s production of the musical includes several stars of our own: Sola Hulbert (SR) as Winnifred, Sam Volz (FR) as Dauntless, Kaylee Kula (SR) as Queen Aggravain, Obie Blanton (JR) as Harry, Kori Dutko (JR) as Larken, Jack Lorenz (JR) as King Sextimus, and many more.
As well as always having a star-studded cast, Troupe 4224 never fails to impress with their sets. Director Dr. Burn has brought to life an incredible two-story castle scene on stage, complete with a moat, drawbridge, and turrets. Students participated in set builds outside of school as well as working on various set-related projects in class, such as painting the multi-colored stones on the castle walls and constructing Winnifred’s iconic 20-mattress bed.
My favorite part of the set is the moat and drawbridge. I think it’s different from any high school set I’ve seen and I love that it’s interactive and interesting for the audience. – Sola Hulbert
The cast and crew of Once Upon a Mattress are working hard every day, putting the show together piece by piece. It’s going to be an amazing show—make sure you mark your calendars for April 17th and 18th at 7:00pm, and April 19th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. It’s going to be the experience of a lifetime!
