With Maplewood Middle School’s rendition of The Wiz under its belt and Columbia High School’s production of Ragtime opening March 13, South Orange Middle School is gearing up to finish out the district’s season with the uproarious comedy, Once Upon A Mattress.
Show dates are March 27 and 28 at 7:00 p.m. and March 29 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for the show go on sale Monday, March 9. Information on tickets and more will be available here.
The musical first opened on Broadway in 1960 and was adapted from the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale The Princess And The Pea. Since then, comedic heavy hitters such as Carol Burnett, Jack Gilford, Dody Goodman, Sarah Jessica Parker and Jane Krakowski have all played various roles in several productions on stage as well as on TV.
The story adds many hilarious twists to the original. There is the requisite prince in search of a bride, but the princess he sets his sights on is anything but typical. Add to the mix a mute king and an overbearing queen and you get a funny and entertaining tale that will have you rooting for an unconventional princess to win the Prince’s heart.
The kids at South Orange Middle School are very excited to have such funny and charming material to sink their teeth into. Rehearsals are in full swing and Ms. Harris, 7th grade math teacher and the show’s director, says the students are working very hard. She notes that the cast is a bit smaller this year but they are focused and even run their lines between scenes without her having to ask. “A lot of them are already off-book,” adds Mr. Tighe, the band director.
This is Ms. Harris’ and Mr. Tighe’s sixth year running the show; they both say that many of the students have told them that they think it will be their best show ever. With that kind of enthusiasm, Once Upon A Mattress is a must-see!
