‘Once Upon A Mattress’ takes stage
Published 12:08 am Wednesday, June 3, 2015
BOUTTE — The River Region Drama Guild recently announced the cast for the summer production, “Once Upon A Mattress.”
Performances are planned at 7:30 p.m. June 11-13 and at 2 p.m. June 14 at the Hahnville Auditorium at Hahnville High School, 200 Tiger Drive in Boutte.
Pre-sale tickets are available at brownpapertickets.com for $15, and online sales end at 1 a.m. June 10.
Tickets will be available at the door for $20, cash or check only.
Production leaders said people who think they know the folk tale “The Princess and the Pea,” are in for a walloping surprise with “Once Upon A Mattress.”
The play includes songs that by turns are hilarious, raucous, romantic and melodic.
The plot is simple. No one in the kingdom can marry until Prince Dauntless first marries, but his mother Queen Aggravain cooks up scheme after scheme to make sure her darling boy doesn’t wed.
Finally, a princess from the swampland far away literally swims the moat of the castle to get into the “Who will Marry the Prince?” competition.
How she manages to win the heart of the prince, virtually everyone else in the castle and eventually the Prince’s hand in marriage make for a captivating story.
The lead characters are King Sextimus the Silent, played by Mike Brooks; Queen Aggravain played by Sara Tweedy; Prince Dauntless played by Dylan Ortego and Sir Harry played by Evan Deroche.
Haley Taylor will play Lady Larken and Lauren Rainey will play Princess Winnifred.
The wizard will be played by Luke Schaubhut; the Minstrel will be played by Warren Hovis with the Jester being played by Logan Tauzin.
Rounding out the cast as Knights and Ladies in Waiting are: A’layjah Alexander, Julianna Berger, Semaj Brady, Eli Brooks, Kristen Brooks, Sara Brooks, Delaney Carson, Gabrielle Charron, Mary Clare Eastland, Neal Eli, Emma France, Shelly France, Mia Gaudet, Elizabeth Gilmore, Anahja Hickerson, Lynn Hynes, Corinn Hovis, Lee Ann Hovis, Jonathan Ryan, Brittany Schaubhut, Natalie Tauzan and Parker Watson.
The director for this year’s show is Joel Rainey, head of theatre at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans.
The musical director is April Ebeling, director of music ministries at the St. Charles United Methodist Church in Destrehan.
Laura Sullivan, a senior at Destrehan High school and a principal dancer with the River Region Ballet, rounds out the production team.
The program is supported in part by a grant from United Way of St. Charles; the Louisiana Division of the Arts, Office of Cultural Development, Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism in cooperation with the Louisiana State Arts Council as administered by the Arts Council New Orleans and by the River Region Arts and Humanities Council.