However, only those of us who have seen the hilarious musical comedy Once Upon a Mattress know the real story. Like how the conniving and dominating Queen Aggravain (Parnia Ayari), who couldn’t bear the thought of her son ever leaving her side to marry another woman, kept creating impossible tests for any potential princesses who might try to prove their royalty, at the same time not allowing anyone in the kingdom to marry until her son was married. This untenable situation led Sir Harry (Perry Lee), desperate to marry Lady Larken (Natasha Feldman) as soon as possible, to travel to distant lands in search of a princess who had not yet failed Queen Aggravain’s tests. His journeys netted a princess from the swamps – Princess Winnifred (Cailene Kilcoyne) who preferred to go by just “Fred.” But Princess Fred ain’t exactly your classic storybook princess, as quickly becomes obvious when she makes her big splash on the scene in her kelp-covered gown following her swim across the castle moat – so excited she was to hurry and meet her potential new hubby.

Director Becky Cherlin and company put together a royally fun performance of this quirky musical led by the remarkable performance of Cailene Kilcoyne as Fred. With extraordinary stage presence, hilarious body language and facial expressions, and a belting voice, the swamp princess creates a deluge of laughter and energy each time she comes on stage beginning in her first scene in which she tries to convince her husband-to-be that deep down inside she’s really quite demure and Shy. Her strong personality (and remarkable swimming ability) makes her an instant hit with Prince Dauntless (Tim Roberts) and most of the rest of the kingdom, but immediately rubs Queen Aggravaine the wrong way, with the talented Parnia Ayari turning in a particularly amusing performance with her regally haughty and disdainful air so entertainingly expressed in her voice and movements.

The cast included other great performances including the fine voice of Meagan Rossin as the Minstrel who narrates the tale and who joins with the mute and miming Josh Herren as King Sextimus and the adorable Jester (Madeline Maio) in The Minstrel, The Jester And I scene. Madeline again shines as she dances in her Very Soft Shoes. Natasha Feldman and Perry Lee combine for some nice romantic ballads, Princess No. 12 Paulina Slagter struggles humorously through one of Aggravain’s outrageous tests to start the show, and Tim Roberts leads the entire ensemble through the fantastic last scene of Act One as he celebrates that he is “in love with a girl named Fred” while Princess Fred performs all manner of great feats cheered on by the entire cast complete with a chorus of young cheerleaders. But will she notice the pea and be deemed a true princess? Cleverly, Becky Cherlin had “the pea” played by an actual person – the Zoe Eprile dressed up as a little, precious peapod.

Rob Hopper
San Diego Playbill