Musical Theatre Southwest to Present ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

Musical Theatre Southwest presents Once Upon a Mattress, a delightful, musical rendition of the story of "The Princess and the Pea." Directed by Terry S. Davis, the MTS production will feature a new twist on the musical favorite: the entire score will be performed a cappella.

"I'm a firm believer that the best musicals are the work of an ensemble," said Davis, in describing the reason for making the entire score an a cappella performance. "There are so many great a cappella ensembles around right now being celebrated for their vocal harmony and their collective spirit, and it struck me that such an approach to the score of Once Upon a Mattress would be right in line with the communal effort emphasized in the show's story. A cappella seemed like the perfect stylistic fit."

Most know the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of a finicky prince's search for a true princess to marry. When a woman shows up on his doorstep one stormy night, claiming to be a princess, his mother devises the test of a pea under 20 mattresses to determine if she truly has a royal pedigree.

Once Upon a Mattress twists the familiar tale in many, funny ways. In the show, it's not the prince who doesn't trust the royalty of those who would marry him: it's his very possessive mother. Her decree that no one in the castle can marry until the prince does makes finding a true princess everyone's problem. When they locate a very athletic and powerfully voiced contender - the antithesis of a demure princess - the challenge is on.

The plot is carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and nostalgic. The castle occupants declare their primary need early in the show by singing "Opening for a Princess." The full-voiced princess, Winnifred, declares at the top of her lungs that she's "Shy." The first act comes to a close when Dauntless declares his affections in "The Song of Love," a number more suited to a pep rally than a romantic confession.

Mary Rodgers, daughter of famed Broadway composer Richard Rodgers, composed the score while Marshall Barer wrote the lyrics. The book was written by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. The show was originally crafted as a one-act musical performed at an adult summer camp in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.

Princess Winnifred was first played in New York by Carol Burnett, a performance that made her a star. She also played the role in television productions in 1964 and 1972. In 1996, Once Upon a Mattress returned to Broadway with Sarah Jessica Parker playing Winnifred.

Performances for the MTS production run July 10 through August 2, 2015 at the Center for Theatre Black Box, Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 4pm. The theatre is located at 6320 Domingo Rd NE in Albuquerque, just south of New Mexico Expo.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.musicaltheatresw.com or at the box office, 265-9119. Adult tickets are $22, seniors & students $18, children $15. Group rates are available.