TOWAMENCIN -It’s April, and that means it is spring musical season at North Penn High School.

North Penn High School Theatre is presenting Once Upon A Mattress April 28th, 29th and 30th at 7:30 PM and May 1st at 2:00 PM (The Gold Card Matinee is April 27th at 1:00 PM.) Once Upon A Mattress has music by Mary Rodgers (daughter of Richard Rodgers!); lyrics by Marshall Barer; and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshal Barer. Begun by the writers as a one-act show for an adult summer retreat, the show eventually made it to Broadway where it was nominated for a Best Musical Tony in 1960 competing with The Sound of Music. Of course, The Sound of Music won; however, the popularity of Once Upon A Mattress has rivaled that most other musicals with schools, colleges, community and professional theaters since 1960 and it continues as one of the most produced and best-loved of the musicals of all time. Once Upon A Mattress also made Carol Burnett a star in the title role of the Princess Winifred in its original Broadway run. Sarah Jessica Parker reprised the role in a popular Broadway revival in the 1990s.

Once Upon A Mattress is based – loosely – on Hans Christian Anderson’s beloved fable, “The Princess and the Pea.” Set many moons ago in the far off Kingdom of King Sextimus the Silent, the dejected Prince Dauntless the Drab (Francis Burk, junior), cannot find a bride to suit the exacting qualifications imposed by his mother, Queen Aggravain (Elizabeth Jebran, senior). Dauntless watches as yet another princess (Catherine Winner, junior) fails the twelfth Royalty Test contrived by the queen and her sycophantic wizard (Liam McKee, junior). The other lords and ladies of the kingdom are equally downcast as: “Throughout the land no one may wed / Till Dauntless to the altar’s led.”

After learning a little secret from his beloved Lady Larkin (Jamie Lynn Devine, senior), Sir Harry (Owen Nakatani, senior), takes a chivalric vow to find a princess for Dauntless, even if he must journey as far as the swampy marshland – he does – returning with Princess Winifred (Natalie Clauser, junior) who immediately captures Dauntless’ heart while scandalizing her perspective mother-in-law. Aggravain and the Wizard are forced to concoct a 13th test that “looks fair, and sounds fair, and seems fair, and isn’t fair!” Luckily, members of the court are on to the Queen’s schemes and the Minstrel (Omakar Katta, senior), the Jester (Doug Bell, sophomore), and King Sextimus (Stephen Sokolowksi, senior), are determined to upend Aggravain’s plans – and “therein hangs a tale!” With a slew of wonderful songs by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar classic tale of courtship and comeuppance provides many side-splitting shenanigans and endearing characters.

Over one hundred students are participating in the production as cast, crew, and orchestra members. They are bringing to life this engaging and heartwarming show. (Click on www.npenn.org/NorthPennTheatre for a complete cast, crew, and orchestra list.) This is a show the entire family will love and you’ll leave humming many of the delightful songs and show-stopping numbers. Chances are you’ll never look at “happily ever after” quite the same way again!

Tickets are on sale now. Save time in ticket lines at the door by ordering on-line at http://nptheater.ticketleap.com/once/ (some fees apply). Or avoid fees by clicking on www.npenn.org and follow the link to ticket order forms – and information about ways to support NPHS Theatre through the 2016 Spring Sponsorship Campaign.