"Once Upon a Mattress" Musical at Alhambra High School

Alhambra High School Drama Club invites the community to be part of the audience at their annual musical, Once Upon a Mattress! Performances will be held at the AHS Performing Arts Building at 150 E Street in Martinez on Thursday, April 30th, and Friday, May 1st at 7 p.m., with both a 2 p.m. matinee and a 7 p.m. closing performance on Saturday, May 2. Tickets for Once Upon a Mattress are available in advance on GoFan or tinyurl.com/alhambramusical. 

Once Upon a Mattress unfolds in a small medieval kingdom where all are forbidden to marry until the hopelessly sheltered Prince Dauntless is wed to a true princess. Every candidate in the region has been purposely disqualified by impossible royalty tests engineered by the domineering quueen and her wizard. Desperate to marry, two members of the court launch a last-ditch search for a royal bachelorette and discover Princess Winnifred, who hails from the swamplands. The tomboyish and spirited princess suddenly finds herself holding all of the kingdom’s hopes of winning the prince’s heart and freeing the citizens to marry.

With music by Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Barer, Once Upon a Mattress is a zany and irresistible comedic romp through Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Princess and the Pea” tale. The book's (Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller & Marshall Barer) clever wordplay and wit are punctuated by jazzy, upbeat musical numbers brimming with theatrical charm including standout songs “Shy,” “Song of Love,” and “Happily Ever After.” The musical premiered in 1959 starring Carol Burnett in her Broadway debut and has flourished through famed Broadway revivals and several popular television adaptations. Audiences will delight in the lively choreography, vibrant costumes, and fun medieval sets in Alhambra’s version as they find themselves rooting for the underdogs of this topsy-turvy fairy tale.

Once Upon a Mattress is directed and produced by Ms. Emma Malki, and Mrs. Sara Stafford is the technical director and musical director with assistance from Mr. Monte Bairos. The show is choreographed by Ms. Brittany Finley with costume design by Ms. Sara Bragg. In all, more than 100 Alhambra High School students are involved in the production including a large ensemble cast, student musicians, and technical crew, with design and construction by AHS’s Stagecraft classes.