Once Upon a Mattress, 05 August 2024

Once Upon a Mattress is a comedic retelling of The Princess and the Pea in musical form. Sometimes imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. To borrow from The Bard, “the play’s the thing.” I sincerely celebrated the way the ensemble of Once Upon a Mattress played with the text of the material, the physicality of their own bodies, and the sheer joy of being onstage with one another. It really felt like the cast and creative team were having a spectacular time bringing new enthusiasm to a story that is full of fluff. The physical comedy kept the audience laughing, while the absurdity of the characters’ relationships evoked fond smiles in those of us who recognized elements of ourselves in these overblown caricatures.

All cast members pulled their weight. I particularly enjoyed David Patrick Kelly (King Sextimus, whose birds and the bees pantomime had me in stitches) and Ana Gasteyer (Queen Aggravain, who reminded me of Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada). I really enjoyed Michael Urie’s physicality and commitment to acting in the role of Prince Dauntless, but struggled sometimes with moments where he sacrificed vocal technique for character choices. I felt Daniel Breajer (The Jester) and Brooks Ashmanskas (The Wizard) were evenly matched, though I preferred the Jester’s smoothly prepared lines to some of the Wizard’s fumbling ad libs—another mockery exposing the jester to be wise when the higher ups are fools.

The first twenty minutes of the show did not fully engage me. The fairytale, storybook quality of the exposition felt very childish. I wondered why, in a cardboard kingdom where the lyrics literally indicate that no one can have sex, everyone was cheery instead of desperate. I could imagine these same lines played in far more interesting ways that would be far less suitable for children. The show did not truly begin until Sutton Foster (Princess Winifred) arrived. And once she did, it was a different show.

Foster does an incredible job in this role of being simultaneously irreverent and lovable, disgusting and beautiful, phony and real. Her acting, particularly her crass physical comedy, brought this show to life. She also brought life to all of the other characters, including ensemble members, and united the cast with her compassion (and her wisecracks). Though she does get her happily ever after, along the way she also creates it for others, including Prince Dauntless. Foster’s wordless scene attempting to sleep atop twenty mattresses was hilarious, and the incredible amount of energy in every detail of her performance truly uplifted the production. She really hammered home that the concept of happily ever after does not just happen—it takes commitment and, above all, community. The reveal at the end that everyone in the ensemble had placed something under the mattress to help heal their kingdom was touching. Just as unrealistic as every other element of the show, but beautiful in a way that I hope the world will someday be. My only real critique is that the rigidity of gender roles was a bit disappointing, particularly between Prince Harry and Lady Larkin, though I know that a lot of that falls on the playwright and not the production.

Ultimately, like Spamalot, this is a show that relies on physical comedy and cheap tricks to tell a story that has no purpose beyond sharing a laugh with familiar material. I found the show fun and uplifting, in no small part because it was clear that every single cast member also found it fun and uplifting. I loved having the full orchestra and the elaborate costumes that many characters were hiding objects inside (Andrea Hood). The production was elaborate and witty, and it took no effort to understand and enjoy. I wish it success as it steps in to fill the niche of fluffy, comedic musical that audiences attend for fun choreography, bright colors, and pure entertainment.

I saw this production in previews.

I did not attend this performance on a press pass.