Annandale High School’s Cappie performances of “Once Upon A Mattress,” the musical adaptation of “The Princess and the Pea” will take place on April 20-22, at 7:30 p.m., in the G. Raymond Watson Auditorium.
"Once Upon a Mattress" tells the ageless story of a cursed kingdom, where the Queen rules, the King is mute and the Prince must find a genuine, certified princess to marry. Until he does, no one may wed, the cast laments in “Opening for a Princess.” Prince Dauntless (Eric Jurenas) sees the woman of his dreams when he meets Princess Winnifred (Lindsey Mitchell) from the Swamps of Icolmkill. Alas, he cannot marry her until she passes a dastardly test administered by Queen Aggravain (Alaina Talley) and the Wizard (Alex Spita) to prove that she is a true princess. Meanwhile, Lady Larken (Angela Siler) and Sir Harry (Paul Mathis) have their own little problem growing after a little picnic in the hills as told in the ballad “In a Little While.”
The Queen has no intention of allowing the moat-swimming princess to wed her baby boy, and she and the Wizard devise a test of sensitivity to prove Winnifred, who prefers being called “Fred,” is not of the royal blood. But, because Dauntless really likes Fred and wants to marry her, the Jester, the Minstrel and the Knights team up to find out what the test is and how to make sure that Fred passes. In the meantime, Lady Larkin and Sir Harry are fighting, and it takes the Minstrel, Jester, and King to set things right.