KINGSTON, N.Y. — This year’s Kingston student musical will be “Once Upon a Mattress,” opening at Kingston High School on Thursday, March 19.
The musical comedy, which first opened off-Broadway in 1959, is a humorous adaptation of the iconic 1835 Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea.” It has been adapted for television three times: in 1964, 1972, and 2005.
“It’s about a prince who is looking to find a princess that will suit everybody in the Kingdom,” said Jacqueline Geraci, director and choreographer of the high school’s production, in an interview on Wednesday, March 4.
Geraci said while “Once Upon a Mattress” is a bit of a departure from the high school’s recent musicals, it is intended to be that way.
“The past couple years, we’ve done stuff that was kind of more adult humor and kind of severe topics,” Geraci said. “I wanted to do something that was more kid-friendly, just because I do want kids to come see the production, so hopefully, one day, when they’re in high school, they will want to become part of our wonderful program.”
Students have been rehearsing for the production since the end of December. Among the cast are eight leading roles, all of whom, Geraci said, are stepping into their first-ever leading roles in a theater production.
“It’s very interesting because this year all of my leads have never had leading roles before,” Geraci said. “It’s been very rewarding to get to work with these kids on a more personal level.”
Cast leads are Grace Perry as Princess Winnifred, Rocco Frandino as Prince Dauntless, Jacob Miller as Sir Harry, Ana Rojas as Lady Larken, Lyra Woods as Queen Aggravain, Gabe Zou as King Sextimus, Matthew Creft as The Minstrel, and Connor Hickey as The Jester.
In addition to direction and choreography by Geraci, musical directors for this year’s production are Steve Garner and Anthony Schrader. Assistant directors are Jesika Berry and Teya Foss-Sellitti.
“Once Upon a Mattress” opens at 7 p.m. March 19, followed by a full weekend of performances. Besides Thursday, performances are Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m., Saturday, March 21, at 7 p.m., and Sunday, March 22, at 2 p.m. A senior citizens preview will take place at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18.
All performances will be at the high school, 403 Broadway.
Geraci urged locals to come out and see a performance.
“These kids have worked extremely hard for the past three months, and their dedication and their commitment and their talent is just unmatched,” Geraci said. “Like always, we should support the arts, and these kids really do deserve the chance to shine and perform this truly wonderful show in front of a huge audience.”
Tickets can be purchased both in advance or at the door. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (845) 943-3849 or send an email to tickets@kingstoncityschools.org.
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