Medieval mayhem
February 19, 2020
Once Upon a Mattress. This musical is a rendition of the classic tale the Princess and the Pea with a comical twist.
Medieval knights, a prince, an evil queen, a competition to be a bride and a stack of mattresses. That is what lucky students and community members will be a witness to at the OHS 2020 winter musical,In the musical, the kingdoms king and queen are searching for the perfect bride for their son. The queen, unbeknownst to others, has been sabotaging the competition so that the perfect bride never shows up. That is until the most unlikely of characters show up soaking wet with rambunctious energy and forward nature, Princess Winnifred, the girl of the swamps. Princess Winnefred is played by OHS senior Kayla Mollenhauer, who has been involved in theater since her freshman year. Mollenhauer is a passionate theater participant. She said, “It’s really fun just being able to be silly and be myself during the show and it’s absolutely been such a joy and so much fun.”
Picking a musical is not always an easy choice, but OHS teacher and theater director Mr. Erik Eitrheim makes the tough decision every year. Mr. Eitrheim said, “It is as Mr. Harris is fond of saying, ‘The best musical you’ve never heard of’ as a lot of people don’t know about it but it’s a really funny musical.”
Aside from the actors on stage, the stage crew is also hard at work with lights, sound and shifting. Senior stage manager Maritza Vega said, “It’s a fun show in general, it’s a really well-known story, told in a different way. I love all my cast and crew members so it’s just a fun time all around.” Audience members of all ages can enjoy this musical with its mix of classic fairy tale love story and subtle humor that adults can enjoy. The play opens on Thursday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.
