More kids get chance to shine with two casts of 'Once Upon a Mattress'
Children often hear a re-telling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale "The Princess and the Pea" sometime before they advance beyond toddler-hood.
As "Once Upon a Mattress," the story about a prince's search for a mate with refined sensibilities became a Broadway play in 1959.
It gave Carol Burnett her first big show business break as Princess Winnifred, the lucky lady who demonstrated her ultra-sensitive side by detecting the presence of a pea under a stack of mattresses.
Tonight, Naperville North student Liz Stimac follows in Burnett's footsteps, taking her turn as the princess in "Once Upon a Mattress."
"It's got lots of choral sections, lots of dancing," Stimac said of the romantic comedy.
Stimac said students are bringing their individual interpretations to the show's roles.
"We don't really do any ad-libbing," she said. "We just bring our style of acting."
Stimac is one of two Princess Winnifreds at North. The other is Tara Morrow. North is presenting the show with two separate casts, a move designed to give more students a chance to be part of the experience. The blue cast performs tonight and Saturday, the orange cast on Friday and Sunday.
Stimac is a blue cast member, playing opposite Michael Kedzie as Prince Dauntless.
Playing the part of the prince is a pleasure, Kedzie said.
"I just like being a different person, and being in a funny role is fun," Kedzie said. "He's really awkward. He's a mama's boy, definitely."
Kedzie said the comic potential inherent in the prince's relationship with his mute father is fully exploited in the show.
"He has to pantomime everything to me," Kedzie said.
Dan Essig plays mute King Sextimus in the orange cast. The laughs come when the audience tries to decipher the king's attempts at communication, he said.
"People are trying to figure out what the king is doing or what he's trying to say," Essig said. "If you can imagine Chris Farley on stage, that's who I like to base my character on."
Student Emily Gingold plays Lady Larken in the blue cast.
"She's sort of ditzy, well-meaning, a well-brought-up little girl," Gingold said. "She's a caricature of a romantic lead in the musical. She's not very smart, but she's got some interesting things to say, I guess, about love."
The prince's mother, Queen Aggravain, is played by Liz Foreman in the orange cast.
"She's the extremely over-protective mother of the prince who doesn't want him to grow up and get married," she said.
The queen is responsible for coming up with the nearly impossible-to-pass test for her son's potential suitors.
"This is probably one of the most fun musicals I've ever been in," Foreman said. "There's no serious, underlying theme you can't laugh at."
If you go
What: "Once Upon a Mattress," staged by Naperville North High School students
When: 7 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Naperville North High School auditorium, 899 N. Mill St.
Tickets: $7 for adults, $5 for students and seniors
Info: (630) 420-6480 or www.naperville203.org/north/
'Once Upon a Mattress'
Thursday/Saturday cast
Minstrel: Michael Notardando
Princess #12: Erin Schield
Wizard: Jon Stricker
Lady Larken: Emily Gingold
Queen Aggravain: Nikki Wilson
Prince Dauntless: Michael Kedzie
King Sextimus: Dan Wood
Jester: Robbie Holden
Sir Studley: Ian Williams
Sir Luce: Jason TerMaat
Sir Bob: Alex Burton
Knight #1: Harry Gollakola
Knight #2: Peter Sargant
Knight #3: Dan Jameson
Lady Rowena: Julie Runge
Lady Merrill: Amanda DiFonzo
Lady Lucille: Joanna Brodecki
Sir Harry: Brandon Black
Princess Winnifred: Liz Stimac
Bird: Lisa Beggs
Friday/Sunday cast
Minstrel: Chris Perhatach
Princess #12: Becca Heitz
Wizard: Tony Castagnoli
Lady Larken: Emily Pettinger
Queen Aggravain: Liz Foreman
Prince Dauntless: Rob DeBruin
King Sextimus: Dan Essig
Jester: Duncan Slade
Sir Studley: Neil McCarthy
Sir Luce: Lee Sargent
Sir Bob: Dan Brennen
Knight #1: Alex Marshall
Knight #2: Ray Low
Knight #3: Thomas Stancey
Lady Rowena: Vivian Perez
Lady Merrill: Claire Morley
Lady Lucille: Melanie Burbules
Sir Harry: Devon Moon
Princess Winnifred: Tara Morrow
Bird: Lisa Beggs
Chorus: Nika Agrawal, Hannah Anderson, Lindsey Anderson, Meaghan Van Alstyne, Lisa Beggs, Michelle Beggs, Medhavi Bhasin, Brandon Black, Dan Brennen, Joanna Brodecki, Melanie Burbules, Alex Burton, Ryan Cap, Tony Castagnoli, Julia Celentano, Lauren Cervantes, Molly Cisnero, Rhae Cisneros, Maggie Collins, Kara Combs, Kelly Cummings, Samantha D'Alberto, Lindsay Dawson, Rob DeBruin, Bridget Deely, Amanda DiFonzo, Alyssa Dunne, Allison East, Dan Essig, Nina Ganet, Harry Gollakola, Anna Gormley, Shana Greenberg, Katie Grossweiner, Rachel Halpern, Michael Kedzie, Lindsey Hecke, Jenna Heinrich, Becca Heitz, Haley Hildenbrand, Megan Hill, Robbie Holden, Dan Jameson, Marisa Josupai, Vaiva Lagunavicius, Rabeya Mallick, Alex Marshall, Amanda Mehok, Jenna Mingus, Jessica Mohideen, Ray Low, Neal McCarthy, Devon Moon, Claire Morley, Michael Notardonato, Emily Novak, Brittany Olisar, Elisa Palluau, Jasmine Peterson, Chris Perchatsch, Vivian Perez, Samantha Piekos,Claire Pitstick, Julie Runge, Lee Sargent, Peter Sargent, Erin Schield, Ashley Singh, Duncan Slade, Loryn Smith, Julieanne Sthay, Thomas Stancey, Jon Stricker, Stephanie Svarz,Jason TerMaat, Beth Weiner, Ian Williams, Alaina Wis, Dan Wood, Carly Ziff
Highlighted Dance #8: Kelly Cummings, Lindsey Dawson, Liz Foreman, Nina Ganet, Elisa Pallau, Julie Runge, Alaina Wis, Carly Ziff
Highlighted Dance #19: Robbie Holden, Duncan Slade
Highlighted Dance #6: Alex Bunton, Ryan Cap, Tony Castagnoli, Rob DeBruin, Brandon Glack, Robbie Holden, Michael Kedzie, Devon Moon, Michael Notardonato, Chris Perhatach, Lee Sargent, Peter Sargent, Duncan Slade, Jon Stricker, Jason TerMaat, Ian Williams
Skleba #13, 14, 16
Females: Lindsey Anderson, Joanna Brodecki, Melanine Burbules, Kelly Cummings, Lindsey Dawson, Alyssa Dunne, Liz Foreman, Shana Greenberg, Jenna Heinrich, Becca Heitz, Julie Runge, Loryn Smith
Males: Brandon Black, Alex Bunton, Ryan Cap, Tony Castagnoli, Rob DeBruin, Robbie Holden, Michael Kedzie, Devon Moon, Michael Notardonato, Chris Perhatach, Lee Sargent, Peter Sargent, Duncan Slade, Jon Stricker, Jason Termaat, Ian Williams
Directors and designers
Stage director: Jim Yarbrough
Orchestra director: Dana Green
Choreographer: Katherine Skleba
Set design: Ron Leaneagh
Costume design: Katie Hubbell