Kewanee High School’s theater department will present the popular musical Once Upon a Mattress this weekend. Performances will be Saturday, Jan 17 at 7 p.m. and Sunday Jan 18 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 and available at the door.
Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy based around the popular Han’s Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. In this family-friendly play the kingdom is ruled by Queen Aggravain, played by Abigail Wyant, who has decreed that no one may marry until Prince Dauntless, Cameron Bates, finds a “true” princess. She creates impossible tests to scare off potential brides.
Enter Princess Winnifred the Woebegone played by sophomore Aloria Button. Winnifred proves to be bold, funny, unconventional and absolutely not the delicate princess the Queen wants. To win Dauntless’s hand, Winnifred must pass the Queen’s final test: sleep on a stack of mattresses with a pea hidden underneath.
The musical is packed with comedy, physical humor and lively songs, ending with Winnifred proving her worth and breaking the kingdom’s curse. This year’s production is directed by Heather Olalde, with set design by Sue Blake and Abigail Simaytis.
