Once Upon a Mattress is a beloved musical featuring music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and a book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. Reston Community Players’ version is set in 1920s New Orleans with doses of Mardi Gras inserted throughout the visual elements of the production. Rather than hearing a traditional overture at the beginning, the audience is greeted by the Minstrel (Jonathan Grygiel) dressed as a cordial Southern Gentleman to tell the classic tale of the Princess and the Pea. Grygiel immediately captivates us with his smooth, Benoit Blanc-style persona and beautiful vocal performance.
We soon meet the Royal Court, and we learn that they are all unable to wed until Prince Dauntless (Ethan Keller) marries a suitable princess who is approved by his mother, Queen Aggravain (Liz Weber). A dozen princesses have come and gone with no acceptable match, so Sir Harry (Alejandro Cahoon) takes matters into his own hands after learning from his Lady Larken (Katherine Leverenz) of a very time-sensitive predicament that can only be solved by finding a proper princess who can pass the test. After a journey to the swamplands, Sir Harry returns with Princess Winifred (Lauren Fagan), whose first impression on the Royal Family and Court makes quite a splash.
Leading ladies Lauren Fagan as Winifred and Liz Weber as Queen Agravain are worthy opponents, going toe to toe in vocal power and comedic chops. Fagan’s meaty belt is delightful, and her acting has a heightened sincerity, helping us root for her from the beginning. Her attempts to sleep atop the mountain of mattresses are especially funny and elicit belly laughs from the younger audience members. Weber’s villainous Queen is delightfully dramatic alongside her Voodoo Wizard henchman Andrew Harasty. Weber masterfully embodies the camp of her character and delivers every line with purpose.
The entertainment is at its best in the hands of the Minstrel, Jester, and King, played by Jonathan Grygiel, Andie Matten, and Jonathan Uffelman, respectively. Their trio “The Minstrel, the Jester, and I” was my favorite of the evening. Grygiel and Matten have beautifully blended vocals while Uffelman, whose character is made mute by a witch’s curse, contributes to the song with comically communicative physicality. Another favorite is the duet between Prince Dauntless and the King called “Man to Man Talk,” where father and son have “the talk” before Prince Dauntless gets married. Keller and Uffelman are a wonderful match, between Keller’s engaging vocals and Uffelman’s mannerisms, both bringing heartwarming and hilarious performances to this very important conversation. The music and lyrics of Rodgers and Barer truly shine in the songs involving the King and his counterparts.
Director Steve Cairns and choreographer Kendall Mostafavi make wise use of the stage, particularly in large scenes and full-scale musical numbers. The set design by Anna Mintz and Sheila Widerski oscillates between extravagant and simple, making transitions seamless and helping the show’s quick pace. The music was the strongest component of the production, thanks to music director Jillian Law as well as Cairns and Mostafavi. The ensemble was clear and easy to understand in the group numbers, and the orchestra sounded crisp and powerful. Sound design from Liz Shahar also adds to the tomfoolery — particularly with the dropping of barbells.
Audiences are likely familiar with this musical, either through the original Broadway production starring Carol Burnett in 1959, the television adaptations of 1964 and 1972 (also starring Burnett), the 1996 Broadway revival starring Sarah Jessica Parker, an additional television adaptation starring Carol Burnette as Queen Agravain and Tracy Ullman as Winifred in 2005, or the most recent production starring Sutton Foster with a revamped book by Amy Sherman-Palladino.
This particular production is the first time I’ve seen such a drastic change to the setting of the show, and I was left wondering if the Mardi Gras theme heightened the story or if it was more of a decorative mask placed atop of it. The aesthetic does lend itself to some fabulous costumes from costume designer Eva Hansen and set decoration from Alecia Nault. I also enjoyed the few characters that maintained their Southern drawls, especially against Winifred’s Texan accent, which further heightened the fish-out-of-water journey. However, the few line changes (i.e., “She must be out of her mardi gras mind!”) and lyric adjustments in the song “Very Soft Shoes” were jarring and felt out of place within the Medieval (ish) story. At the end of the day, the cast, crew, and musicians have a production that invites the audience to “laissex les bons temps rouler” (or as it loosely translates from Creole French: “let the good times roll”).
Reston Community Players’ Once Upon a Mattress is a colorful, fun and enjoyable musical for all ages.
Running Time: Approximately two hours and 40 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.
Once Upon a Mattress plays through November 8, 2026, presented by Reston Community Players, performing at the Reston Community Center, 2310 Colts Neck Road, Hunters Woods Plaza, Reston, VA. Tickets can be purchased online.
The playbill is online here.
