Pittsboro, NC – The royal court has taken up residence at Northwood High School, where Prince Dauntless is looking for a princess, and a most unlikely candidate has shown up.
Join the gallant knights and their fair ladies, the minstrel, the jester, a magician and the royal family to find out whether this unusual would-be princess can pass the test when Northwood students revive “Once Upon a Mattress” March 30, 31 and April 1 at 7 p.m.
Northwood’s Kayla Sharp is the director of this zany retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea.” Students at Northwood took on this tale in 2006.
The admission price is $8. Tickets are available both at the door and at nhstickets.weebly.com.
“It’s a great way to introduce young children to live theater, catch up on a classic production you may have heard about but never seen and support arts education in our public schools,” Northwood High School Arts Education Foundation president Gina Harrison said.
Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway.
Once Upon a Mattress was first written as a shorter play at the Tamiment adult summer camp resort, at which Jack Sydow was present. The play was later expanded for the Broadway stage. Initial reviews of the play were mixed, but critics and actors alike were surprised by the show’s enduring popularity. Once Upon a Mattress is a popular choice for high school drama programs and community theatre groups.