C R OW t o p re s e nt “O n ce U p o n
A M at t re s s at F E C Ap r i l 1 0 - 1 2
“Once Upon A Mattress” was Carol
Burnett’s star vehicle in the 1960s, and there is
very good reason why. The show may re-tell
the age-old fairy tale of “The Princess and the
Pea,” but if you think you know what to expect,
you are in for quite a walloping surprise! This
classic musical comedy gem is quite possibly
the jewel in Mary Rodger’s and Marshall
Barer’s crown. Carried on a wave of beguiling
songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic
and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar
classic of royal courtship and comeuppance
provides for some side-splitting scenarios.
Chances are, you’ll never look at fairy tales
quite the same way again.
CROW’s latest production opens April
10, with shows set for April 11 and 12 on the
Florence Events Center’s main stage. More
than 50 children and young adults have been
put through the paces by experienced CROW
volunteers, like musical director Jason Wood
and assistant musical director Mary Beers.
At the director’s helm is Melanie Heard,
who has plans for the play’s leading lady to
make a grand and glorious entrance (backside
fi rst) through a window in a castle turret. And
that’s just a tiny glimpse into the shenanigans
audiences can expect in April.
“We are all so thrilled about producing this
show…it’s one of our favorites,” says CROW
producer Michael Jacobson. “Last year’s
production of ‘The Little Mermaid Jr.’ was
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truly wonderful, but this production is going to
delight and impress audiences even more.”
In addition to an outstanding young cast,
which was just selected through a rigorous
professional audition process, CROW has
assembled the best all-volunteer production
team available. Spectacular set pieces have
been created by Chris Heard, David Tidball
and Crystal Shahan. Karen Mechek and Judy
Murphy will once again dazzle with their
artistic skill. Margaret McDiarmid has returned
to design beautiful stage lighting, and Chris
Owens will provide professional soundboard
operation. Polly Fleming and Barbie Madden
have been sewing costumes like mad in order
to creatively clothe the large cast of lords and
ladies. Debbie Waiss returned this year to stand
guard at the castle doors as stage manager. And
many more outstanding volunteers, including
Genevieve Meltzer (assistant director and hair/
make-up designer) have devoted countless
hours to make the show the absolute best it
can be for local children — on stage and in the
audience.
“There are many unsung heroes who work
behind the scenes on our productions,” says
Heard. “Parent and community volunteers
have helped with T-shirt sales, safety team
organization, fundraising and prop collection,
to name a few. We could not do what we do
without these amazing people donating their
time and energy.”
Tickets for “Once Upon A
Mattress” can be obtained by calling
the Florence Events Center at 541-
997-1994, or visit www.eventcenter.
org. Adults tickets are $16, and kids’
tickets (under age 12) are $8. More
information can be found on CROW’s
website at www.crowkids.com.
“We hope everyone will mark
their calendars and join us in April,”
says Heard. “Let’s just say, a dance
number entitled ‘The Spanish Panic’
will be worth the price of admission.”
The Florence Events Center website: www.eventcenter.org