2019 Production, "Once Upon A Mattress"

 

Once Upon A Mattress is based on the famous fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. Because of her noble birth, the Princess is unable to sleep on a bed of many mattresses when a tiny pea is placed underneath the bottom mattress.

 

The kingdom is an unhappy one. King Sextimus has been struck dumb by a witch's curse and is condemned not to speak again until "the mouse devours the hawk!" Queen Agravia has assumed power and she talks enough for the whole Royal household. She has decreed that no one in the Kingdom may wed until Prince Dauntless is married to a true princess of Royal blood. So far the Queen has tested the eligibility of eleven applicants and each has failed the almost impossible tests the Queen has devised.

 

The Knights and Ladies of the Court are most distressed by the situation but the most concerned are Lady Larken and her handsome lover, Sir Harry. Lady Larken has informed Sir Harry that he is to be a father so the situation is quite desperate. Sir Harry, determined to find a true princess, sets off for, until now, unexplored parts and returns with Princess Winnifred. She arrives dripping wet have swum the moat and proceeds to act as unlike a princess as one could possibly imagine. Prince Dauntless is very impressed by the new princess and is soon obviously in love with her - to the consternation of the angry Queen, who decides to give her an impossible test. She consults the Wizard and together they decide on the the sensitivity test - a pea is placed beneath twenty mattresses and the Queen decrees that if Princess Winnifred cannot sleep she will prove her royal birth. However, to ensure that she does sleep, she proceeds to do everything to make her tired out. A ball is held where the dancing is fast and furious and Winnifred is encouraged to drink heavily. She is also given a sleeping draught and a singing bird is provided to sing her to sleep.

 

However, the Queen fails, for Winnifred cannot sleep and spends the night counting sheep. The Queen is furious and orders Princess Winnifred to leave, but Prince Dauntless defies her and puts an end to the curse upon the King for, as the Jester proclaims, "the mouse has devoured the hawk!"

 

At the final curtain, we discover that the Princess was unable to sleep because the Jest has placed under the top mattress his lute, a helmet, a large spiked ball, some livestock and some old armour. Of course, all ends happily and the Queen is punished.

 

"Once Upon A Mattress" 2019 Cast

 

Minstrel ~ Jamie Mowat

Pantomime Queen ~ Shelley Munnings

Pantomime Prince ~ Paul Slipak

Pantomime Princess ~ Rose Atkinson

Princess No. 12 ~ Sara Jansen

Wizard ~ Daniel Peat

Lady Larken ~ Dina Senior

Queen Aggravain ~ Alison Braley-Rattai

Prince Dauntless the Drab ~ Nick Hilbing

King Sextimus the Silent ~ Joffre Mercier

Jester ~ Allison Fox

Princess Winnifred the Woebegone ~ Melinda Rewbury

Sir Harry ~ Connor Wilson

Sir Studley ~ Graham Tarajos

Sir Luce ~ Parker Heil

1 st Knight ~ Connor Davison

2 nd Knight ~ Alan Buri

3 rd Knight ~ Jake Horton

Lady Rowena ~ Shelley Munnings

Lady Merrill ~ Melissa Heil

Lady Lucille ~ Stephanie Menicanin

Lady Sarah ~ Bernie Piché-Proulx

Lady Helena ~ Amy Gooderham

Lady Mabelle ~ Jasmine Milley

Kitchen Wench ~ Morgan Wiatt

Emily ~ Patricia Wescome

Sir Harold ~ Paul Slipak

Lady Beatrice ~ Jaymie Ann Albrecht

Sir Studley’s Lady ~ Amie Lessard

Sir Luce’s Lady ~ Olivia Carr

The Nightingale of Samarkand ~ Rosemary Milne

1st Lady ~ Emily Swartz

2nd Lady ~ Cassandra Bivand

3rd Lady ~ Lily Carter

Knights of the Realm ~ Tim Albrecht, Graham Albrecht, Jacob Heil, Daniel Lawson, Jeff Richard

Ladies in Waiting ~ Coralie Gooderham, Cassidy Heil, Grace Munnings, Taylor Richard, Allison Vello

 

2018/19 Board of Directors

 

“Once Upon A Mattress” Producers

Port Colborne Operatic Society

 

President………………………………………………....………………………….............Melissa Heil

Past President………………………………………………....………………….…....Anne Converset

First Vice President…………………………………………....……………………..........Kevin Proulx

Second Vice President………………………………………….……………………......Amie Lessard

Finance Director and Treasurer………………………………....……………….......…...Sue Pittman

Business Director………………………………………………………..…..…………......Daniel Peat

Recording Secretary……………………………………....…………………....Stephanie Menincanin

Director of Communications, Goodwill and Society Historian.................................Donna Moreau

Membership Director……………………………………………………….……………….….Pat Ballin

Director Without Portfolio…………………………………………………........……..Jackie Crawford

Marketing and Publicity Director ………………………………..………..........………...….Jeff Ballin

Social Director……………………………………………………….....………............… Sara Jansen

 

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