Once Upon A Mattress (1959 Original Broadway Cast) available on June 16 2015 from Amazon for 4.61
UPC bar code 008811076825 ξ1 registered October 10 2014
UPC bar code 008811076825 ξ2 registered October 23 2014
Product category is Audio
Manufacturered by Verve
Product weight is 0.21 lbs.
Based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Princess and the Pea, Once Upon a Mattress opened in May 1959 and was a solid success, if not a huge blockbuster. It did well enough, in any case, to warrant a 1997 revival starring Sarah Jessica Parker. The show was far from revolutionary, but it provided a really fun vehicle for a cast of top stage personalities, including black actress Jane White, who played Queen Aggravain (a part originally written for comedienne Nancy Walker) in whiteface. But of course, Once Upon a Mattress's heart and soul was Carol Burnett, who, in her Broadway debut created the part of Princess Winnifred and delivered two of Mary Rodgers's best songs, the hilarious "Shy" and the spunky "Happily Ever After," which sounds a bit like Jule Styne at his most rhythmic. Burnett's timing and performance remain as sharp as they were 40 years ago. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
