Sutton Foster soars in “Once Upon a Mattress”
Bedtime story “Once Upon a Mattress” snuggles into the Ahmanson by Bondo Wyszpolski Based upon Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea,” the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” was a Broadway hit in 1959, starring Carol Burnett. It’s been revived a couple of times since, and mostly applauded each time. The current production, rather fresh from its New York run, is about as flawless a show as one could hope for. It opens with a lighthearted, cartoonish overture that sets the tone for all that follows. If it reminds one of “Pippin” or “Kismet” or “Little Shop of Horrors” that’s all for the good. We lose ourselves in it the way we lose ourselves in a delicious meal. The book for the show was penned by Jay Thompson, Marshall Barer, and Dean Fuller. Barer also wrote the lyrics, and Mary Rodgers wrote the music. All of them are now deceased, but I’m willing to believe that they’d smile approvingly if they could see this rendition. David Patrick Kelly as King Sextimus the Silent, Ana Gasteyer as Queen Aggravain, and Michael Urie as Prince Dauntless. Photo by Joan MarcusThere’s one name on the marquee that stands out, and that’s Sutton Foster as Princess Winnifred…
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