La Salle’s spring musical this year is Once Upon a Mattress, premiering April 17 and running April 18, 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 pm, as well as the April 19 matinee show at 2 pm.

In this comedic take on the timeless tale of the Princess and the Pea, an unfortunate curse has overset King Sextimus the Silent to silence, and the overbearing Queen Aggravain begins to run the kingdom. Due to the Queen’s rule, no one in the land can marry until Prince Dauntless finds a wife, but in order for him to find a wife they must pass the Queen’s test. She has to prove herself to be a real princess. After several supposed princesses fail the test, all hope seems lost. That is until Princess Winnefred comes into town, and she is not what everyone expects. Is she the long awaited princess that will save the town or will she fail the test?

For this show in particular, Mr. Casciato, the drama director (and himself an alumni of La Salle) said that he is excited because “it’s a show [where everyone will] be having fun.”

This year seniors — Alan Morales, Madelyn Starr, Emily Bacon, David Meyer, Catherine Danna, Bailey Bronec, Betsy Rivera, Paul Davis, Jack Kain, Clark Krahn, and Blake Colton — are all finishing the year with their last show acting. Seniors Willow Batson, Louis Bengsten, Mike Cleary, Jacob Dugan, Nathan Raschio and Brian Wright will be finishing the year working on the crews for the show.

Senior Madelyn Starr, who is playing Princess Whinnifred, said her favorite part of this show is “The knowledge that it’s the last show [and that] this show is one of the more enjoyable ones that we have done. Fairy tales are always cute…but this is a sassy parody. Just the knowledge that I am going out on this note as well as all the other seniors is just really good.”

Senior Alan Morales, who is the Minstrel, talked about his experience in the La Salle theater and said that his favorite experience has been “playing characters that are so unlike me, but gaining their traits and giving me part of my own personality. If I looked back I wouldn’t imagine being any of them because difference in personality, it served as a confidence boost. Also working with all the adults, like Cindy and John who do everything and help us, yet don’t complain with how much they have to do.”

Along with the leads, musicals require extensive support from a chorus. The chorus has to build the setting of an actual town. The chorus not only gives a setting support by showing a town full of people, but they also give a vocal support. The chorus is used to create harmony in the songs and give a more in-depth understanding of the story by what they sing.

In addition to the chorus, another important part of the play is what happens backstage. Without the crews, the play would be lacking in the visual aspects that build the story and setting. Different crews range from the set building crew to costume crews along with the lights and music crews. The Spring show is also a musical, so there is a live orchestra that hides behind the stage playing the scores, as well as a dance director who works with students to learn different stage movements and period dances.

The stage crew manager is parent Jim Van Hook, who has now built sets for the past shows. Students are given the opportunity to volunteer with Mr. Van Hook and learn basic stage making skills along with construction work.

The costume director Patsy Rinella has worked with Mr. Casciato on several shows now. Students can also volunteer to work on the costume crew where they learn different time frames of fashion and learn stage costume and make up.

Opportunities to work on crews can help give students a variation of skills in the performing arts. Working on crews, students can learn the technical and electronic work or the hands-on building of the set.

Tickets are $12 for students/seniors, $15 for adults and $10 for children under 10. Tickets may be purchased in advance here: http://www.lsprep.org/page.cfm?p=358&newsid=1580 or at the door.

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Here is the full Once Upon A Mattress cast list:

MINSTREL – Alan Morales

WIZARD – Brady Young

LADY LARKEN – Anna Meyer

QUEEN AGGRAVAIN – Emily Bacon

PRINCED DAUNTLESS- Eli Wild

KING SEXTIMUS THE SILENT – Jack Kain

JESTER – Jayde Blackmar

SIR STUDLEY – Joe Rink

SIR HARRY – Clark Krahn

PRINCESS WINNEFRED – Madelyn Starr

PRINCESS # 12/NIGHTINGALE – Alli O’Neill

LADIES-IN-WAITING,SERVANTS, KITCHEN WENCHES – Dannise Matario, Raywanie Paris, Oruul Johanes, Fiona Brunning. Rina Delos Reyes, Bailey Bronec, Veronique Poulson, Deborah Scmidt, Catherine Danna, Emma Kuffner, Betsy Rivera, Raiyasha Paris

KNIGHTS/SOLDIERS – Paul Davis, Sam Jensen, Blake Colton, Carson LeMare