Your first thought might be that a fairy tale is for kids. Your second thought might be that a show that opened on Broadway in 1959 to mixed reviews can’t possibly work with contemporary audiences. On both counts, you’d be very wrong. ONCE UPON A MATTRESS might be a fairy tale – but it certainly continues to appeal to the kid inside all of us and has done so for over 60 years. And, yes, the show first opened in 1959 to mixed reviews – and made a star of Carol Burnett. And don’t forget that fairy tales are really timeless – all about archetypal characters who reflect people with all their flaws and foibles from time immemorial. The current ONCE UPON A MATTRESS has been wisely tweaked by Emmy Award winner Amy Sherman-Palladino to appeal to us in 2024 – and does so with sneaky creative skill. That two-time Tony Award winner Sutton Foster stars is an added plus.
David Patrick Kelly, Ana Gasteyer, and Michael Urie – Photo by Joan Marcus
Written as a humorous adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s 1835 fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea,” the original musical was shorter but expanded for its Broadway debut so many years ago. From a book by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, and Dean Fuller with music by Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Barer, ONCE UPON A MATTRESS has attracted the attention (and stellar performances) of theater greats like Imogene Coca, Dody Goodman, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Buster Keaton. The show has been revived to strong reviews several times and adapted to television and film. In 2024, the Ahmanson Theatre proudly presents ONCE UPON A MATTRESS direct from Broadway.
Sutton Foster (center) and the cast of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – Photo by Joan Marcus
The time is the fifteenth century, and the place is a fictional medieval kingdom ruled by powerful, harsh, and egotistical Queen Aggravain (Ana Gasteyer) and King Sextimus the Silent (David Patrick Kelly), who lost his voice from a witch’s curse but manages to pantomime his thoughts quite effectively. As narrated by Court Jester (Daniel Breaker), the problem is their son, Prince Dauntless (Michael Urie), who can’t seem to find a princess wife who suits his very particular and controlling mother, a woman not above creating impossible tasks for a dozen potential brides. Until the Prince weds, it seems that no one in the kingdom can marry, which turns out to be a significant problem for the esteemed knight Sir Harry (Ben Davis) and his pregnant girlfriend Lady Larken (Nikki Renee Daniels). Sir Harry decides to take the bull by the horns and find the prince a bride himself. His candidate turns out to be Princess Winnifred the Woebegone (Sutton Foster), a strange and quirky royal from the Marshland who swims the moat to meet the royal family. The Queen is horrified, but the Prince is charmed by her odd and unusual ways and begins to evolve from a sweet but infantilized boy who must crawl up steps to a man getting in touch with lots of adult concerns, including the birds and the bees – and finally gets to stride up those same steps. Will Winnifred best the queen? Which is how 20 plush down mattresses and a tiny pea come into play.
Cast of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – Photo by Joan Marcus
Director Lear de Bessonet does an excellent job of developing this charming and clever story and guiding the cast to keep their tongues firmly in their cheeks as they saunter through the palace. The evil queen is the perfect villain, while her henpecked husband is a delightful and amusing character who may know more than he lets on. The prince is a delight as a shy, bumbling kid who doesn’t have a clue but eventually morphs into something else. But the primary kudos must go to Sutton Foster, whose physical comedy skills are superb – and who has a roaming foot to boot. It was easy to see the influence of her predecessors on her performance – but the end result was very definitely Foster’s own as she nailed Winnifred the Woebegone.
Ben Davis and Nikki Renee Daniels – Photo by Joan Marcus
Congratulations are also in order for the on-stage orchestra with music supervision by Mary-Mitchel Campbell, as well as Lorin Latarro’s choreography, David Zinn’s scenic design, Andrea Hood’s fantastic and colorful costumes, and the many contributions of the entire production team. ONCE UPON A MATTRESS is a delight – entertaining, funny, and charming. This is a not-to-be-missed production which is guaranteed to bring a smile to everyone’s lips. Maybe happily ever after is possible after all.
Daniel Breaker (center) and cast of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS – Photo by Joan Marcus
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS runs through January 5, 2025, with performances at 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturdays, and at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Ahmanson Theatre is located at 135 North Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tickets start at $51.75. For information and reservations, call 213-628-2772 or go online.
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So Nikki Renee Daniels usually plays Lady Larkin and is the one in the picture. Oyoyo Joi is the understudy.