BWW Interviews: Apollo Civic Theater to Present ONCE UPON A MATTRESS

Opening this weekend at the Apollo Civic Theater, Once Upon a Mattress, directed by Lauren Hugg and musically directed by Paul Cabell, tells the real story of the fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea". Not so long ago in a kingdom not so far away, evil Queen Aggravain has declared no one in the kingdom may be married until her precious Prince Dauntless finds a bride. However, the Queen devises seemingly more difficult tests for each Princess to pass and makes it almost impossible for Dauntless to find his true love, until an unusually bold and unrefined princess, Winnifred the Woebegone, arrives and may turn the classic fairy tale on its head when it appears the Princess must save the Prince.

As a spoof of the classic fairy tale and "happily ever after" ending, Once Upon a Mattress features hilarious and unusual characters and the cast enjoyed bringing the not-so-typical storybook characters to life.

"I love that Princess Winnifred is an unconventional princess. She's not afraid to break the norm and be herself. She's a very strong character who doesn't let anyone make decisions for her. In my opinion, Princess Winnifred is an excellent role model" said Shannen Banzhoff on playing Princess Winnifred.

" It is nice to be able to create the character of the Minstrel. I don't get anything as to who my character is other than he is a traveling minstrel and storyteller. I get to work a lot off of the Jester and the King and both of them are phenomenal actors, so it makes it very easy to play off of each other" said Rennes Carbaugh on playing the Minstrel. "My character is completely opposite of the "real" me, but it is amazingly fun to be so mean" said Gail Farmer, who plays Queen Aggravain

"While Prince Harry is a funny role, he is more masculine and serious than I am used to playing. It's been nice and refreshing to push myself as an actor and grow from this role. Once Upon A Mattress was the first show I ever performed in and it happened to be at the Apollo back in 2002. To revisit my first show as a lead and in the same venue thirteen years later has been such a joy and thrill!" said James Wright, who plays Prince Harry.

Once Upon a Mattress features a large cast of fairy tale characters and the cast at the Apollo greatly enjoyed the camaraderie while collaborating on this classic musical comedy.

"The cast has been great to work with. It has been a joy to watch some of the cast work and make choices as to their characters. The camaraderie with this cast has been phenomenal and has made working with people and playing off of them very easy and enjoyable" said Carbaugh

"One thing I've really enjoyed about this show is my cast mates. We all have so much fun on and off stage. There's so much talent in this cast and they're great to be around. I've met some amazing new friends and reconnected with some old friends" said Banzhoff

"We have such a funny and talented cast for this show. Sometimes it's very hard to keep a straight face during rehearsals because we are still finding things to laugh at" said Wright. "We have laughed so much! When the King (who is mute) called for a 'Mime' as opposed to a 'Line' in rehearsal, we all just howled with laughter. This is a community of theatre folks who have worked very hard to pull this together" said Farmer.

The cast is eager to introduce this not-so-classic fairy tale to an audience and share the laughter.

"The show is so funny! The script and score are so well written. Whether you're looking for something to cheer you up after a long day or something light the whole family can enjoy, this is the show for you" said Banzhoff. "There is so much to see and hear: music, guffaws, dance , and a little bit of intrigue. There is laughter to be enjoyed and shared and memories to be made. Plus it is a happy ending!" said Farmer. "It is a family show, it is absolutely hilarious, and audiences do not want to miss out on seeing the amazingly talented cast in this show" said Rennes

Once Upon a Mattress also features Lauren Fleming as Lady Lucelle, Karen Frail as Lady Larken, Alan Harner as Prince Dauntless, Rick Harner as King Sextimus, Jeff Hudkins as the Wizard, Cheyenne Kesecker as Princess #12, Shari Martin as Emily the Wench, Cari Parkinson as Mabelle, Letitia Parkinson as Lady Merrill, Ryan Perry as the Jester, Christal Miller as the Lady in Waiting, Mari Siemerling as a Wench, Amanda Willis as the Nightingale and Lady Beatrice, Kyra Windle as Lady Rowena, CorRay Lafluer as Sir Harold, Dustin McQuaid as Sir Studley, Chris Siemerling as Sir Luce and Myranda McQuaid as a Wench.

Once Upon a Mattress runs May 8, 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17. Tickets are $15 for Friday and Saturday evening shows and $12 for Sunday matinees. Student tickets are $7 for all performances. The Apollo Civic Theater is located at 128 East Martin Street, Martinsburg, WV, 25402. For more information about upcoming performances, please visit www.apollo-theatre.org

Photo Credit: Apollo Civic Theater

To post a comment, you must register and login.