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Once Upon a Mattress
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. The play was written as a humorous adaptation of the 1835 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea".
Once Upon a Mattress was written as a shorter play at the Tamiment adult summer camp resort. 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, as Once Upon a Mattress became a popular choice for high school and university music and drama programs.
The original production opened on May 11, 1959, at the off-Broadway Phoenix Theatre (later a multi-plex cinema on the Lower East Side), transferred later that year to Broadway at the Alvin Theatre (the modern Neil Simon Theatre) and then to several other Broadway theaters, finally playing at the St. James Theatre, for a total run of 470 performances. The musical was directed by George Abbott and choreographed by Joe Layton. Once Upon a Mattress marked the Broadway debut of comedian Carol Burnett, who originated the role of Princess Winnifred. Also featured were Joseph Bova, Allen Case, Jack Gilford and Matt Mattox. Jane White played the role of Queen Aggravain. Jack Gilford played King Sextimus The Silent and was later replaced by Will Lee, Gilford's standby, before the show's Broadway move. The musical received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical as well as a Best Leading Actress nomination for Carol Burnett. When Burnett left the show on June 25, 1960, veteran television actress Ann B. Davis took over the leading role beginning June 27. A few days later the show announced it was closing July 2; Davis played eight performances as Winnifred.
In August 1960, soon after the closing of the Broadway run, rehearsals were called for a seven-month US tour which would move from city to city by train, truck and bus. Jack Sydow stepped from his role as King into the position of Director. Dody Goodman played Winnifred at first, then Imogene Coca picked up the role. Carol Arthur understudied them both, and played the Nightingale of Samarkand. Fritzi Burr played the Queen and Buster Keaton played the King. Keaton's wife Eleanor was placed in the chorus. Keaton warmed up to the cast of younger actors, freely dispensing grandfatherly advice and chocolates.
A London production of the musical opened at the Adelphi Theatre on September 20, 1960, where it ran for 24 performances. The cast included Jane Connell as Winnifred, Robin Hunter as Dauntless, Milo O'Shea as the King, Bill Kerr as the Wizard, Bill Hayes as the Minstrel, and Max Wall as the Jester. EMI Records took the cast into the recording studio and recorded a London Cast album. This was issued as a His Master's Voice LP. The album was included on a CD titled Once Upon a Mattress issued by Sepia Records in 2010.
A Broadway revival opened on December 19, 1996, at the Broadhurst Theatre and closed on May 31, 1997, after 35 previews and 188 regular performances. It starred Sarah Jessica Parker as Princess Winnifred, Mary Lou Rosa as Queen Aggravain, David Aaron Baker as Dauntless, Lewis Cleale as Sir Harry, Heath Lamberts as the King, Lawrence Clayton as the Minstrel, David Hibbard as the Jester, Tom Alan Robbins as Master Merton and Jane Krakowski as Lady Larken. The production was nominated for the 1997 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
The musical opened Off-Broadway, produced by the Transport Group, at the Abrons Arts Center on December 13, 2015, for a limited run which ended on January 3, 2016. Directed by Jack Cummings III, the cast featured Jackie Hoffman as Princess Winnifred, John Epperson as Queen Aggravain, Jessica Fontana as Lady Larken, David Greenspan as The King, and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as The Minstrel.
From January 24 until February 4, 2024, a concert production was staged as part of the New York City Center Encores! series. The production had a book adaptation by Amy Sherman-Palladino and direction by Lear deBessonet. Among the cast were Sutton Foster as Princess Winnifred, Michael Urie as Dauntless, Nikki Renée Daniels as Lady Larken, Cheyenne Jackson as Sir Harry, Harriet Sansom Harris as the Queen, David Patrick Kelly as the King, Francis Jue as the Wizard, and J. Harrison Ghee as the Jester. This production cut the role of the Minstrel as well as the song "The Minstrel, the Jester, and I", and made the Jester non-binary using they/them pronouns, with an implied romance between the Jester and the Wizard.
Once Upon a Mattress
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. The play was written as a humorous adaptation of the 1835 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea".
Once Upon a Mattress was written as a shorter play at the Tamiment adult summer camp resort. 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, as Once Upon a Mattress became a popular choice for high school and university music and drama programs.
The original production opened on May 11, 1959, at the off-Broadway Phoenix Theatre (later a multi-plex cinema on the Lower East Side), transferred later that year to Broadway at the Alvin Theatre (the modern Neil Simon Theatre) and then to several other Broadway theaters, finally playing at the St. James Theatre, for a total run of 470 performances. The musical was directed by George Abbott and choreographed by Joe Layton. Once Upon a Mattress marked the Broadway debut of comedian Carol Burnett, who originated the role of Princess Winnifred. Also featured were Joseph Bova, Allen Case, Jack Gilford and Matt Mattox. Jane White played the role of Queen Aggravain. Jack Gilford played King Sextimus The Silent and was later replaced by Will Lee, Gilford's standby, before the show's Broadway move. The musical received a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical as well as a Best Leading Actress nomination for Carol Burnett. When Burnett left the show on June 25, 1960, veteran television actress Ann B. Davis took over the leading role beginning June 27. A few days later the show announced it was closing July 2; Davis played eight performances as Winnifred.
In August 1960, soon after the closing of the Broadway run, rehearsals were called for a seven-month US tour which would move from city to city by train, truck and bus. Jack Sydow stepped from his role as King into the position of Director. Dody Goodman played Winnifred at first, then Imogene Coca picked up the role. Carol Arthur understudied them both, and played the Nightingale of Samarkand. Fritzi Burr played the Queen and Buster Keaton played the King. Keaton's wife Eleanor was placed in the chorus. Keaton warmed up to the cast of younger actors, freely dispensing grandfatherly advice and chocolates.
A London production of the musical opened at the Adelphi Theatre on September 20, 1960, where it ran for 24 performances. The cast included Jane Connell as Winnifred, Robin Hunter as Dauntless, Milo O'Shea as the King, Bill Kerr as the Wizard, Bill Hayes as the Minstrel, and Max Wall as the Jester. EMI Records took the cast into the recording studio and recorded a London Cast album. This was issued as a His Master's Voice LP. The album was included on a CD titled Once Upon a Mattress issued by Sepia Records in 2010.
A Broadway revival opened on December 19, 1996, at the Broadhurst Theatre and closed on May 31, 1997, after 35 previews and 188 regular performances. It starred Sarah Jessica Parker as Princess Winnifred, Mary Lou Rosa as Queen Aggravain, David Aaron Baker as Dauntless, Lewis Cleale as Sir Harry, Heath Lamberts as the King, Lawrence Clayton as the Minstrel, David Hibbard as the Jester, Tom Alan Robbins as Master Merton and Jane Krakowski as Lady Larken. The production was nominated for the 1997 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
The musical opened Off-Broadway, produced by the Transport Group, at the Abrons Arts Center on December 13, 2015, for a limited run which ended on January 3, 2016. Directed by Jack Cummings III, the cast featured Jackie Hoffman as Princess Winnifred, John Epperson as Queen Aggravain, Jessica Fontana as Lady Larken, David Greenspan as The King, and Hunter Ryan Herdlicka as The Minstrel.
From January 24 until February 4, 2024, a concert production was staged as part of the New York City Center Encores! series. The production had a book adaptation by Amy Sherman-Palladino and direction by Lear deBessonet. Among the cast were Sutton Foster as Princess Winnifred, Michael Urie as Dauntless, Nikki Renée Daniels as Lady Larken, Cheyenne Jackson as Sir Harry, Harriet Sansom Harris as the Queen, David Patrick Kelly as the King, Francis Jue as the Wizard, and J. Harrison Ghee as the Jester. This production cut the role of the Minstrel as well as the song "The Minstrel, the Jester, and I", and made the Jester non-binary using they/them pronouns, with an implied romance between the Jester and the Wizard.