In the News: ‘Once Upon a Mattress’ will debut at NHS

In the magical kingdom that will take the stage at Newberg High School beginning Thursday, a prince is to marry and young women flock to the castle with hopes of becoming a princess. The candidate, to be successful, has to pass a test reminiscent of a television quiz show with the cards stacked against her by the queen. Oh, and she has to sleep on a pile of mattresses and be bothered by the pea underneath them all.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea,” “Once Upon a Mattress” is this fall’s musical at NHS and this time theater teacher Drea Ferguson is telling her cast to be bigger, bolder and louder; to smile more; and to generally ham it up as much as they can.

“Because the musical is a fairy tale, everything has to be bigger,” said Ryan Sherrard, 17, a senior baritone who plays Prince Dauntless the Drab, who sees his mother reject would-be princess after would-be princess.

“We want to be as big, bold, and sometimes as obnoxious as possible,” Garrett Gibbs, 15, chimed in.

As usual, the lead roles are double-cast and one crew has a distinction. When Kaytlin Ebora, 18, hits the stage as Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, she’s the only actor without a mike. The senior alto doesn’t need one.

“She’s unbelievable,” Ferguson said. “She’ll just blow you off the stage.”

“I just have a really loud voice,” Ebora said. “I was a cheerleader so I learned to use my diaphragm for shouting.”

“Nobody can get married in this kingdom until the prince does,” said Gibbs, who plays Sir Harry. Not only do young men and women want to marry, they cheer the would-be princesses as the queen forces them to jump through her mischievous hoops. The queen uses a wizard to ensure the candidates lose. “The queen makes all the decisions. I just carry them out,” said Samara Eilert, 16, who plays the wizard.

Most couples, it turns out, have already married behind the queen’s back and comedy ensues as one finds out they’re expecting.

Ferguson said that “Once Upon a Mattress” is a high school favorite. “It’s like a fairy tale with a lot of funny jokes,” she said.
The musical opens at 7 p.m. Thursday. Shows are Friday, Saturday and Nov. 10-12.

By: Laurent Bonczijk Newberg Graphic