JULY 7, 2016 // 11
Actors dance during rehearsal for “Once Upon a Mattress” at Fort Columbia
Theater.
The cast dances of “Once Upon a Mattress” performs a dance number in the comedy musical.
mouse consumes a hawk.” The roy- a royal-lady nine-month way. But
al couple’s rather spineless though
no wedding is permitted until the
handsome and princely son is
prince is wed.
Prince Dauntless the Drab, played
Enter Winnifred the Woebegone,
by Ron Thompson. The prince and
played by Brooke Brown, a swamp
his knightly sidekick, Sir Harry,
princess and royal bride interview-
played by Billy Phillips, search for
ee No. 13. After swimming across
suitable royal marriage material for the castle’s moat twice, a feat never
the prince.
before accomplished, she swims
And that, folks, is no easy task.
herself into the heart of Dauntless.
The queen has decreed that
Now it’s game on. To wed,
none of her subjects
“Fred” must rise
may marry until
to the nasty Queen
IF YOU RUN
her son has taken
Aggravain’s
INTO ANYBODY seemingly undoable
a bride. If you run
WITH LONGINGS challenges.
into anybody with
longings to marry
Ladies in wait-
TO MARRY A
a prince, heed this
PRINCE, HEED ing, jesters, knights
piece of advice: Get
minstrels sing,
THIS PIECE OF and
to know his mother
dance and thread
ADVICE: GET
irst. Each princess-
their way through-
TO KNOW HIS out the kingdom.
bride-wanna-be
MOTHER FIRST. The suspense
must pass a series
of the queen’s tests,
builds, all of it set
which are trumped-up teasers such
to catchy music and lyrics.
as, “What was the middle name
Making it all come to life, Glenn
of the daughter-in-law of the best
Ripley runs the lights and sounds
friend of the blacksmith who forged while Becca Bageant operates a
the sword that killed the beast?”
simple-looking-but-complex music
These challenges aren’t looking
computer system, which matches
good for any girl’s chances — or
the fully orchestrated music to the
for Dauntless.
actors’ live voices. Grants and gifts
The prince’s pal, Harry, has his
by donors have provided a superb
own fast-track agenda to ind the
sound system. Costume designers, set
prince a mate. One of the royal
designers, stage managers and more
ladies, Lady Larkin, played by
— it is evident that the PAPA troupe
Kristen Gadzik, is Harry’s sweet-
love what they do each summer.
heart, and she has found herself in
The play’s original musical
Princess Winnifred, performed by
Brooke Brown, center, sings with
others in “Once Upon a Mattress.”
score is by Mary Rodgers — the
daughter of Richard Rodgers of
Rodgers and Hammerstein fame.
The lyrics, which cleverly run the
gamut from side-splitting comedy
to romantic swooners, are by Mar-
shall Barer.
The play irst appeared off
Broadway 1959, moving to Broad-
way the same year. Theater buffs
and trivia gatherers may remember
it as the debut of a long and illus-
trious career for Carol Burnett. To
use stage terminology, “This play
has legs.” With several revivals and
television adaptations, it remains a
popular choice for playhouse and
school productions.
PAPA’s production of “Once
Upon a Mattress” adds to the sum-
mer’s offerings for theater lovers
of all ages — there’s magic in the
air.
Brooke Brown, left, performs as Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, a prin-
cess who can hold her own against the scheming Queen Aggravain.
Cast members, including Cindy Flood, right, who plays Queen Aggravain,
take a break during rehearsal at Fort Columbia Theater in Chinook, Wash-
ington.