Catch Once Upon A Mattress at the Egyptian Theatre

The Egyptian Theatre’s YouTheatre is bringing the much loved story of Once Upon A Mattress to the stage as their big spring musical this month.

Having started rehearsals the second week of February, the cast and crew have spent 12 weeks perfecting their roles and are excited to bring the characters of Princess Winnifred, Prince Dauntless, Queen Aggravain and the villagers to life.

Being a musical comedy, the show is full of silly and fun songs. One of the cast favorites is the song “Shy”. According to Education Director, Amy Livingston, “Our Princess Winnifred, Emma Bicker Caarten, brings a ton of life and humor to the song, and the youth chorus has some incredibly funny moments of physical comedy throughout the piece. Our choreographer, Amanda Anne Dayton, gave the cast some brilliant blocking and choreography to work with, and the whole number is a riot to watch. The kids always have a blast with it!”

Each YouTheatre production allows kids to not only to hone their theatre skills of acting, singing, dancing, set building, but also to develop skills widely applicable outside the theatre. “Theatre builds confidence and self-assurance, which is helpful no matter what you end up doing with your life,” says Livingston. “It helps people become better communicators and public speakers, it fosters creative problem-solving skills, and allows people to develop a stronger sense of who they are and what their place is in the world. It also encourages empathy and compassion for people whose lives and stories are different from one’s own.”

The YouTheatre program works hard to foster an environment that encourages creative freedom, self-expression, and long-lasting friendships. Now that the program has gone tuition-free, it’s an even more valuable resource to the community since there’s no longer a financial barrier to classes, camps, and productions.

“Theatre is a team sport,” says Livingston, “When you come to see Once Upon a Mattress or any of our other productions, the magic and fun that you see onstage is the result of kids who love theatre and who love each other choosing to come together and create something magical. That’s something they get to carry with them for the rest of their lives, whether they continue doing theatre later in life or not!”

The production runs May 12-14. For tickets click here.