By Rich Flowers News Editor
The Athens Theater Arts Department’s tuneful tale, “Once Upon a Mattress,” hits the stage at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday.
Director Maggie Mizell said the musical has maintained its sparkle in the 50 years since its Broadway debut, which also introduced its star, Carol Burnett.
The comic retelling of the Princess and the Pea has also had several noteworthy revivals through the years.
“I think its a classic. They brought it back to Broadway a couple of years ago, with Sarah Jessica Parker as the star,” Mizell said.
Mizell believes the Athens High School cast has captured the spirit of the story.
“The kids are doing a great job with it,” Mizell said. “We try to do a variety of things, so they can experience different styles of theater.”
“Once Upon a Mattress” opened last weekend, but got somewhat lost in the shuffle when football playoff fever bit the city. Mizell hopes a lot of the football fans turn into theater patrons this weekend.
“We kind of got slammed, but we hope to recoup if possible,” Mizell said.
Winnifred, the princess is played by Jessie Williams. Other notables in the cast include:
• Sam Haynie as Prince Dauntless;
• Katrina Johnson as Queen Aggravain;
• Wes Matkin as King Sextimus;
• Katie Stark as Lady Larkin;
• Solomon Skiles as the minstrel and
• Willy Hadnot as the jester;
Performances will be in the Athens Independent School District Annex Auditorium. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students with ID, and $5 for children.
