“Once Upon A Mattress” is the Theatre department’s latest production, and it will absolutely blow you away. From its hilarious cast to its fantastic sets everything about this production left me glued to my seat, and wide, wide awake.
The musical follows a revised version of the classic children’s story “The Princess and the Pea.” What it lacks in depth and narrative uniquity, it makes up for with pure charm and charisma. When I tell you every single performer on that stage was cast perfectly for their role I mean it, and it really shows. Sonically this musical is beautiful, with many solo performances leaving my jaw hanging wide open. Similarly, the choreography and dance elements of the play were second to none, and it was amazing to see just how much physical comedy was sprinkled throughout this fantastic production.
The plot reminded me a lot of “Shrek” in the best way possible of course. A few characters really stood out to me. The King’s psychical comedy was definitely a highlight of the production, and the emotions he was able to convey with just facial expressions and exaggerated movements alone harkened back to prior physical comics like Rowan Atkinson and Charlie Chaplin. Winnifred’s character was also played perfectly, oftentimes dissolving right into the world around her making everything feel real and whimsical at the same time.
I saw this play opening night, a notoriously rough night in the theatre business, but everybody absolutely nailed their roles. The acting in this production really sold it for me, making this revisionist tale feeling not only believable but real as you begin to empathize more and more with each character throughout the course of the production.
To speak to the technical elements of the production as well, the costuming and set design were perfect for the scale and technicalities of this college production. I’m not kidding you when I say there were multiple times throughout the show where I was taken back to my times watching shows on Broadway just due to the sheer talent on display on that stage.
Let’s also not forget those who were working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring this musical to life. The crew behind the lighting and stage controls helped ensure everything ran seamlessly, and I oftentimes found myself entranced in the dynamic lighting as it shifted across the stage, or in the backdrops of the set that lowered and raised to fit the mood of a scene.
I can confidently say this, I have never been to a CWU Theatre production and left disappointed. A few times I have left deep in thought, following productions like “John Proctor is The Villain.” But this is the first time I left with an un-wipeable grin plastered all over my face.
Upcoming show times
Sunday, May 18 @ 2:00pm
Thursday, May 15 @ 7:30pm
Friday, May 16 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, May 17 @ 7:30pm
