Once Upon a Mattress: A Musical Fairytale for the Family

Once Upon a Mattress: A Musical Fairytale for the Whole Family

Once Upon a Mattress sets an unapologetic free spirit loose in a repressed kingdom, reveling in the loveable Princess Winnifred’s ability to charm and transform with willpower, honesty, and a little bit of help from her friends.

The musical fairytale runs from January 24 to February 4 at New York City Center in midtown Manhattan for audiences ages 5 and up, with tickets starting at only $45 (fees included).

Starring musical theater legend Sutton Foster (The Music Man, Younger) as Princess Winnifred and Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) as Prince Dauntless, this uproarious update of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea” promises both classic charms and new delights perfect for the whole family. With a gorgeous score conceived by Mary Rodgers in 1959, this story is given new life with a concert adaptation by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Gilmore Girls) and an all-star cast, including Nikki Renée Daniels (Company), Tony winner J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot), Tony winner Harriet Sansom Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie), Cheyenne Jackson (American Horror Story), Francis Jue (Soft Power), and David Patrick Kelly (Into the Woods).

Once upon a time, Andersen’s fairytale told the story of a prince in search of a wife, who meets a woman who claims to be a princess. To test her claims of nobility, she must sleep atop 20 mattresses, underneath which—unbeknownst to her—is a single pea. When the young woman wakes in the morning complaining of discomfort while sleeping, it proves she must be royal, as only someone of noble birth would be so sensitive, and she and the prince wed.

Unlike many fairytales in which the moral of the story is quite clear, the message in “The Princess and the Pea” is not as obvious, which is perhaps why it is a story that has lent itself so easily to adaptations, including Once Upon a Mattress. When the new musical arrived on Broadway, it was beloved by audiences for its humor and brilliant score, and notable for presenting in Winnifred an alternative model to stereotypical femininity.

Winnifred is strong and independent, lifting weights and speaking her mind throughout the show. She is an underdog and outsider to this castle and court. She treats others with respect and embodies a positive outlook that she quickly wins over the hearts of the people who would be her subjects if she marries the prince. And thus, she seems fit to rule over her subjects. The means of demonstrating emotional “Sensitivity” are different in Rodgers’s princess than Andersen’s princess, but at its core the theme remains that a leader should care about those they lead.

Why tell this story? In Hans Christian Andersen’s time, it may have been a lesson to nobility on the importance of emotional sensitivity. In Mary Rodgers’s time, it was a portrait of a strong young woman who stood up for herself and wanted to be recognized on the merit of her own skill. Through a gloriously compelling score, and laughter-filled book, Once Upon a Mattress promises delight for the whole family, and a lesson about personal strength in the face of adversity. Learn more at NYCityCenter.org.

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