The Broadway Theatre Review: Once Upon a Mattress

By Ross

I was itching to go see this revival, ever since it was first announced as part of NYCC’s Encores! series. I didn’t know the musical, Once Upon a Mattress. Still, I knew its famed theatrical history, and to be honest, any vehicle that elevated Carol Burnett to star status was something I wanted to get to know. Add in Sutton Foster (Broadway’s Sweeney Todd) alongside Michael Urie (Broadway’s Spamalot), Ana Gasteyer (Encores’ A New Brain), and Brooks Ashmanskas (Broadway’s The Prom), and this Broadway revival became a must-see in my book. And I’m so thrilled I did.

Now don’t get me wrong, this musical, with music by Mary Rodgers (Hot Spot), and a book written by Jay Thompson (Pocketful of Wry), Dean Fuller(Ziegfeld Follies), and lyricist Marshall Barer, is the slightest of slight shows, that one might ask, with so many people involved in the writing of the book, could they not have come up with something far more compelling and driving. It’s funny and mildly entertaining, but the story is as small as that pea hidden under all those mattresses.

Based on the simple yet sweet Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea”, the musical was never written to be deep or meaningful, and even now, adapted by “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” creator Amy Sherman-Palladino, the show remains a cute simple premise filled (not to overflowing) with some fun songs, two or three depending on your taste, and a whole lotta comic filler.

So thank the lucky theatre gods for this cast, because without them this “Shy” little show would only climb up out of the swamp a wee bit and the general response might mimic Winnifred’s retort, “What are you, some kind of nut?” after a viewing. But with that line coming from the screwed-up face of Foster, the laughs fly forth in abundance from a fully soaked place of joy and hilarity.

This is the second time this show has been revived (surprisingly), the first with Sarah Jessica Parker, which I missed, and I’m thinking I am sorta glad that I didn’t climb those castle walls to get in. Parker is a musical comedy pro, but it takes a certain level of genius, like Carol Burnett to pull this off. It feels like her magical energy is floating in and around this production elevating it up from the trenches like a Tarzan-yell from Los Angeles.

The show was never really loved by critics when it made its Broadway debut in 1959. Once Upon a Mattress‘s slim lines and formula were fine and fun when it first came into the world, making complete sense as it was first written as a much shorter play for an adult summer camp resort. It was only later expanded to play Off-Broadway in May 1959 before transferring to a bigger Broadway stage. But the main reason we are still talking about the show today, is because of its first star, Carol Burnett, who was making her Broadway debut with this show, and the rest of history. And it really is the only reason Encores! revived it as a vehicle for the equally brilliant and feisty Foster.

As Princess Winnifred, the rough-around-all-edges, wanna-be bride, Foster plays it up to the heights of those castle walls, digging her comic roots in deep and driving forward as fast and broad as one could hope for. Cause this musical needs it from every angle, she does her duty, even when it feels forced and hyperactive. Urie and Gasteyer, as royal son/prince and mother/queen, are pulling out all stops, mining for the jokes regardless of how hard they have to work for them, and assisted by Ashmanskas as the side-show Wizard, this joke-filled cocktail is tasty, even if its over-poured, overly self-conscious, and a little too sweet.

As directed full-force by Lear deBessonet (Encores’ Oliver!), this slim-pickings musical does its best to fill the Hudson Theatre with as many moments of laughter as possible, pushed forward with a few good songs and a lot of side-show comic juggling. Foster’s Winnifred is given every possible opportunity within the piece to find the joke, and she, along with the stellar cast of pros succeeds, unpack them with a determined spirit. Urie’s Prince Dauntless is hilariously silly, and Gasteyer’s Queen Aggravain is a jealous joy to take in. And her impassable tests for any lady vying for her son’s hand is as impossible as her performance is hilarious.

There is a secondary love plot that is played extremely well by Nikki Renée Daniels (Broadway’s Company) as the single Lady Larken who is desperate, for a few good reasons (mainly one), to get married to her ridiculous knighted love, Sir Harry, played beautifully funny by Will Chase (Roundabout’s Kiss Me Kate). The two work hard to deliver the goods, but their added ingredient feels almost meaningless in the big royal scheme of things. Blame the musical and not these two talented actors, much like the silent King, portrayed dead-pan wonderful by David Patrick Kelly (Broadway/Encores’ Into the Woods), and a Jester, usually portrayed by Daniel Breaker (Broadway’s Hamilton), but at the performance I attended, the part was played by Michael Olaribigbe (Muny’s Kinky Boots), who are also working hard on the side to find their way through, attempting to find as many laughs as possible.

Foster is the gamest of performers, unfazed and determined to deliver the goods, like she did in the 2011 revival of Anything Goes that showcased her triple threat status brilliantly. Here, as choreographed somewhat lazily by Lorin Latarro (Broadway’s Tommy) on a simple set by David Zinn (Broadway’s Stereophonic), with miraculous costuming by Andrea Hood (Broadway’s Into the Woods), sharp lighting by Justin Townsend (Broadway’s Moulin Rouge!), and a solid sound design by Kai Harada (PAC NYC’s Cats – The Jellicle Ball), she tries her big-grinned best to stuff herself full of grapes and laughs gallour. And it mostly works, hungrily forcing the laughs in like all those grapes. The writing doesn’t really support her in this endeavor, but the job gets done. Barely, with every ounce of talented will at her disposal.