When royal pain's a pleasure
Magic, literally and figuratively, is what director Tish Lyon is looking forward to when Fox Valley Theatre Company opens "Once Upon a Mattress" this weekend at Elgin Community College's Blizzard Theatre.
Literally? That's the easy part, as long as you don't look too closely.
Collin Akemann, in the role of the Wizard, will have a few tricks up his sleeve that will be sure to entertain.
But figuratively? That'll take the whole 35-member cast. FVTC features youth from ninth grade through age 20 in its productions.
"We've got a number of really experienced actors who have a passion for theater, love singing and dance -- and they bring this beautiful youth and freshness to the story," Lyon said.
"I've worked with kids from 7 on up, but there's something (special) about this age group," she said.
"They understand that they can make magic, and that's an excellent quality for an actor to have."
If magic is what Lyon wants, it's likely what she'll get. An experienced director, artistic director, costume designer and acting teacher, she has been involved in every show produced by FVTC and its sister organization, Children's Theatre of Elgin, for the past 10 years.
Plus, she's got a great production to work with. "Once Upon a Mattress" opened on Broadway in 1959, going on to earn a Tony Award nomination for Best Musical and a Best Leading Actress nomination for stage and screen legend Carol Burnett.
"It's a show for the audience," Lyon said.
"It entertains. It's got a lot of fun stuff that's already written into it, and the music is just delightful."
And catchy, said vocal director Aaron Thomann. "People will go, 'I know I've heard that (song) before; I just didn't know it was from this show.'"
The cast will be accompanied by a live, seven-piece orchestral ensemble conducted by music director Michelle Hooper.
The story, an adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale "The Princess and the Pea," takes place in medieval times in a kingdom where no one is allowed to marry until the prince gets married.
But alas, his prospects look a little bleak as the picky queen dismisses a dozen bride candidates who fail to measure up.
Seems she's looking for a "true" princess for her son. And when Princess Winifred, or "Fred," stumbles in from the moat, the queen devises a way to disprove her claim of royalty.
Hiding a single pea under 20 mattresses stacked on the guest-room bed, Queen Aggravaine invites Fred to spend a night in the castle, knowing a "true" princess could never sleep on such lumpiness.
Danielle Floyd is enjoying herself in the lead role of Fred. A junior at St. Charles North High School, Floyd has been acting since sixth grade and also sings opera and at operatic recitals in Elgin.
"I love musical theater," she said. "This is the most fun I've had, ever. My character is a lot like my personality, so it's just good to be able to connect with that and be myself on stage."
Courtney Clauer, on the other hand, is happy to say she's not herself at all.
Clauer, a junior at St. Charles East High School, considers herself a nice and good-natured person, generally speaking, more in character as Glinda the Good Witch or Sleeping Beauty from previous productions.
This time she plays the devious and demanding Queen Aggravaine.
With more than 50 theater roles to her credit, Clauer said this is her first turn as antagonist.
"It's been a challenge because I've never had to transform myself into someone that's really mean and bossy," Clauer said, "but it's been fun doing it."
Clauer said she enjoys "Once Upon a Mattress" because it's a comedy and a musical and a fairy tale with a more mature sense of humor than most. Kids will like it, she said, but the jokes are directed mainly at adults.
Some thematic elements are, too, particularly Lady Larken's premarital pregnancy, but Lyon said it's still a G-rated show with no innuendo.
She's thrilled with the versatile set design and what the costume and props committees have achieved.
"There's an authenticity to the period regarding style, colors and all of the aspects of royalty and knighthood," Lyon said.
The knights' tunics, for example, sport real emblem designs from actual medieval houses. An authentic battleaxe, a mace ball and swords also enhance the look.
But the real challenge for props, of course, was a 20-mattress bed. That was created in one piece -- 6 feet, 8 inches high -- that will be rolled onto the stage with safety-locking wheels.
Michelle Clauer is the producer of "Once Upon a Mattress." Annette Thomann is choreographer. Fran Mitchell designed the costumes and Sue Lewis coordinated set design and stage management.
Apprentices Mark Michelson and Samantha Young, both high school students, serve as assistant stage manager and assistant director.
"Once Upon a Mattress" will be performed at 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays, this week and Sept. 14 and 15, and at 3 p.m. on Sunday and Sept. 16. An $8 matinee is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Sept. 14.
Tickets for regular shows are $10 for adults, $8 for students and seniors.
To buy tickets, call the ECC box office at (847) 622-0300. The Blizzard Theatre is located in the ECC Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
If you go
What: Fox Valley Theatre Company's production of "Once Upon a Mattress"
Where: Elgin Community College's Blizzard Theatre
When: 7:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday and Sept. 14 and 15; 3 p.m. Sunday and Sept. 16. An $8 matinee is scheduled for 9:45 a.m. Sept. 14.
Tickets: Call the ECC box office at (847) 622-0300