Photo Credit: Traveling Lemur Productions
Carroll University’s Otteson Theatre is the setting for Theater Red’s modern twist on an old fairy tale, Once Upon a Mattress (also known as The Princess and the Pea). If you’re looking for terrific singing, acting and dancing, then you must attend by Saturday, Nov. 23, to catch a show that will leave you laughing in the aisles.
Director Eric Welch, who also stars as Sir Harry, fell in love with Once Upon a Mattress. It was the first musical he’d ever seen. His message in this version is to be who you are and to have the strength to be different, which is exactly what main character, Princess Winnifred, is all about. She swam the moat to get inside the castle, she is brash and carefree, and she gives the Queen a run for her money. Queen Aggravain is determined to ensure that her son, Prince Dauntless, will never marry and she will rule the kingdom forever.
Corey Richards gives a standout performance as the Minstrel with a wide vocal range and perfectly timed mockery. Richards is captivating in his versatility and talent. He brings sarcasm and spirit to the show.
Humor is never in short supply. At a ballroom dance, called Spanish Panic, the immodest Queen pulls out a boom box, interrupting proper medieval music with the likes of Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk” and Beyoncé’s “All the Single Ladies.” A thoroughly modern spin comes through, leaving the audience chuckling and bopping in their seats.
