Academy Players Present Once Upon a Mattress

The Blair Academy Players presented Once Upon a Mattress on February 18, 19 and 20 in the DuBois Theatre of Armstrong-Hipkins Center for the Arts. The musical, with music by Mary Rogers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, book by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, and Dean Fuller, is based upon The Princess and the Pea fairy tale. The Express-Times captured photos and video during a recent rehearsal – click here to view.

Senior Tori Rulle plays the aspiring Princess Winnifred, who tries her luck to pass the test to be Prince Dauntless’ (played by senior Chris St. John) wife. She is challenged by the Queen, played by senior Asia Bryant, mischievously assisted by her wizard, played by sophomore Jordan Arnold. Caught in the crossfire is the mute King Sextimus, played by senior Freddy Knight. Young lovers Sir Harry (junior Tom Niemann) and Lady Larkin (sophomore Arianna Mojdehbakhsh) are forbidden to marry until the prince has done so, thus providing more interest in the prince’s latest princess-applicant contestant’s success. Narrating the tale is the Minstrel, played by junior Zachary Perini, and providing comic color commentary is the Jester, played by sophomore Chi-Hsien Nieh. Pulling for the princess are ladies-in-waiting senior Kim VanderVoort, senior Nikki Weiner and junior Grace Weiner. The primary knights of the kingdom are senior Collin Stahlkrantz, junior Tucker Markus, junior Soomin Lee, senior Celil Cavusoglu and junior Sean Moyo. The student director is junior Rebecca Dewey.

The play is one of the most performed musicals in the American canon, featuring the songs Happily Ever After and Man-to-Man Talk. The Blair Academy Players alternate performing classical musicals with more contemporary works from year to year. Last year the Players performed Preppies, a rarely-done show from the 1980’s, preceded the year before by the ever-popular Guys and Dolls in 2008. Once Upon a Mattress is suitable for all audiences. The Blair Academy Players are proud to be competing in the Freddy Awards, a high school musical competition sponsored by the State Theatre in Easton, Pa.

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Updated 2/22/2010

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