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.

There’s one name on the marquee that stands out, and that’s Sutton Foster as Princess Winnifred, whose role is akin to Annie Oakley in “Annie Get Your Gun” or Kate in “Kiss Me, Kate,” which is to say that she’s rather ornery and uncouth, but lovable at the same time. Locally, audiences may remember Foster from 2005 when she starred in “The Drowsy Chaperone.” Nationally, however, she’s won awards up and down the spectrum.

And the thing is, she’s really, really good. A ‘triple threat’ is someone who can sing, dance, and act, but what you’ll see here is a performer who not only conjures up the chops and charms of Carol Burnett, Mary Tyler Moore, Sally Field, and Marlo Thomas, but she’s a real comedienne like Lucile Ball and can handle the kind of slapstick comedy that was the trademark of Chaplin and Keaton. Foster may be pushing 50, but on stage she’s simply timeless.

Also in the limelight are two of her co-stars, Michael Urie as Prince Dauntless and Ana Gasteyer as Queen Aggravain. Three topnotch actors is about all you can usually ask for from a show, but then we have Daniel Breaker as the Jester, Kevin Del Aguila as the Wizard, David Patrick Kelly as King Sextimus the Silent, Ben Davis as Sir Harry, and Oyoyo Joi as Lady Larkin, and all of them are remarkable (and that’s not to withhold kudos from the rest of the ensemble).

Maybe a better critic could quibble here and there, but I can’t, and I won’t go looking beyond what my eyes and ears took in on opening night. What I did think about, of course, was something I didn’t see: the hours of rehearsal time to nail down the humor, the timing, and all those little moves and gestures that entice a gentle laugh or a great roar from the audience.

One could ask, Does the story hold up? After all, the sensibility in 1959 was in a different ballpark than it is in 2024. Well, I think it does, but Amy Sherman-Palladino is credited with “adaptation,” which I can only imagine updated a few lines here and there.

For those who need a quick synopsis, the lonely prince of the fairy tale longs for a bride, but you can’t trust any old lass who comes by and claims to have royal blood. So all the girls are tested by the Queen mother in one way or another, and these do provide laughs for us but disappointment for the applicants. Winnifred’s test is to see if she’s sensitive enough to feel the presence of an uncooked pea placed upon the bottommost mattress with lots and lots of other mattresses placed on top. If her sleep is restless, then it proves that she’s the real deal. In this instance she gets a little bit of help, so we can draw our own conclusions at the end of the story.

As for a few of those behind the scenes (but first a nod to the fine, onstage orchestra, conducted by Annbritt duChateau), we have: director Lear deBessonet, choreographer Lorin Latarro, music supervisor Mary-Mitchell Campbell, scenic designer David Zinn, costume designer Andrea Hood, lighting designer Justin Townsend, and sound designer Kai Harada. They, and many others, have brought this production to life in a spectacular way.

So there you are; it’s a perfect show for the holidays, akin to the best cotton candy or popsicle you’ve ever had: It’ll melt in your mouth and be gone. But afterwards you’ll likely think that it sure was a pleasure to savor and consume.

Once Upon a Mattress is onstage through Jan. 5 at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., downtown Los Angeles in the Music Center. Performances, Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. Dark on Mondays and both Christmas Day and New Years Day. Tickets, which are already scarce, begin at $51.75 and go up to around $200. Running time is two hours and 25 minutes, with a 15 minute intermission. (213) 972-4400 or visit centertheatregroup.org. ER