Once Upon a Mattress
at Los Alamitos

Reviewed on November 20, 2015

Amanda Rooker
San Juan Hills
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Los Alamitos Finds Happily Ever After

Amanda Rooker is a junior at San Juan Hills High School

With ardor and ability, Los Alamitos High School's "Once Upon A Mattress" follows a medieval kingdom caught in spouseless suffering by a domineering queen who has forbidden all marriage until her son is wed. Test after test, the queen finds each princess unsuitable for her darling prince until an uncouth maiden stumbles in. The kingdom is unconvinced by her lack of refinement, but who says a perfect princess must be the picture of poise and grace?

Exposing the reality behind the classic tale of the princess and the pea, the production journeys alongside Princess Winnifred as she pursues the heart of Prince Dauntless.

With a cumbersome gait and gawky chortle, Hasti Bakian delivers an impeccable performance as Princess Winnifred. She effortlessly maintains a beautiful voice without compromising her maladroit character when belting in "Shy," while demonstrating impressive range with soft soprano notes in "Songs of Love". Her fluctuating facial expressions, ranging from deep frowns to exuberant grins, and her engaged physicality lend to her determined and lovable character.

Youthful vitality abounds in Connor Franzen's performance of Prince Dauntless. Flouncing about the stage, he radiates childlike innocence with his wide grin or furrowed brow. He begs with a docile disposition utterly different from his overbearing mother, played by Shelby Marsh.

With a vocal quality dripping in disdain, Marsh aptly embodies Queen Aggravain. Her dignified posture and sweeping gesticulations exude nobility, yet her pompous personality is exposed each time she issues a boisterous objection or shoots a menacing scowl.

Praise is also due to lighting designer Evan Cusato as the light clearly distinguishes the mood, from happy light blues conveying love and joy to dark violets accompanying the mischievous plots of Queen Aggravain.

The set, designed and built by the Los Alamitos Technical Theatre Crew, effortlessly accommodates the large cast of fifty while not feeling bare in scenes with only a few actors. The two level set provides constant balance and creates beautiful pictures.

Complete with dazzling dance numbers, unique characters, and flawless technical elements, Los Alamitos delivers "Once Upon a Mattress" with passion and panache, demonstrating that despite impossible odds, happily ever afters really can come true.

Rebecca Bogdanovic
San Juan Hills
Submitted for publication to OC Register

Los Alamitos' "Once Upon a Mattress," a fairytale with a twist

Rebecca Bogdanovic is a junior at San Juan Hills High School

A single white spotlight vividly illuminates a singing Minstrel, who whimsically laments the difficulties of finding a genuine princess. As she approaches the stage, the lights go on to reveal a dignified stone castle, clad in majestic blue and regal red. Los Alamitos' "Once Upon a Mattress" is a thrilling tale that transports the audience to a medieval era, with a joking jester, dictatorial Queen, and vivacious princess. Fiercely warding off any attempt to marry her son, the Queen will only deem this princess authentic if she can feel a tiny pea placed under a mountainous tower of mattresses.

Shelby Marsh is domineering Queen Aggravain. Proud and imperious, Marsh embodies the aristocratic queen through her stiff posture and wide range of emotions, turning from manipulative mother into despotic ruler in the blink of an eye. As Marsh's heavy footsteps and loud, authoritative voice dominate the room, Prince Dauntless (Connor Franzen) perfectly characterizes the naive, youthful son with his awkward stance and blubbering inability to stand up to his omnipotent mother.

The moment she takes the stage, it is evident Winnifred isn't a quintessential princess. Stumbling into Queen Aggravain's orderly royal court after swimming through the surrounding moat, Hasti Bakian's facial expressions and dramatic movement exemplify the princess's idiosyncrasies. Bakian's strong, clear belt fills the theater during "Shy," and her eccentric personality flourishes as she zealously embraces every knight in the court in search of her prince.

In contrast to Winnifred and Aggravain's charismatic personalities, Lady Larkin (Micaela Erickson) remains courtly and graceful, even when faced with the troubles of love. Erickson's high soprano mixes in breathtaking harmony with Sir Harry (Christian D'Alessandro) as the two proclaim their love in "Yesterday I Loved You."

As King Sextimus the Silent, Simon Martin keeps the audience laughing with exaggerated gestures and expert comedic timing. King Sextimus, the Minstrel (Tara Virgil), and the Jester (Michael Moseray) are a dynamic trio, mischievously skipping, singing, and scampering around the castle.

The captivating set design by Los Alamitos Tech Theatre, along with the use of dark silhouettes, bright spotlights, and flickering candles in Evan Cusato's lighting design, bring the stage to life. With exhilarating energy, Los Alamitos gives this classic tale an entirely new meaning, proving that one does not have to be a standard princess in order to live happily ever after.

Baylee Shlichtman
Pacifica
Submitted for publication to OC Cappies Facebook

Los Alamitos High's ‘Once Upon a Mattress' is enchanting

Baylee Shlichtman is a senior at Pacifica High School

Los Alamitos High School puts on a lively performance of "Once Upon a Mattress", demonstrating that perfection is in the eye of the beholder.

Prince Dauntless needs a princess to marry, and his mother will do whatever it takes to make the task impossible. When Princess Winnifred emerges after swimming through the palace moat, the Queen concocts a test to determine if she is worthy, hoping to ensure her failure.

Hasti Bakian bursts through as the crude and lovable Princess Winnifred, commanding the stage with her physicality and infectious air. Her voice ebbs and flows with her bubbling energy, becoming gravelly on points of emphasis and spiraling upwards into a shriek when excited. During singing numbers, like the fast-paced "Shy", Bakian maintains her eccentricities while contrasting them with an electrifying belt, showcasing her prowess as a singer while not compromising her character.

The talkative and vindictive Queen Aggravain, portrayed by Shelby Marsh, subdues the other characters with her arrogant poise. She stiffens her back as she moves, keeping her hands lifted above the waist to effectively appear more aristocratic than her counterparts. When moving about the palace, her nasally, fast-paced snarl moves her subjects to silence, making her the focus of attention whenever she is present.

Simon Martin's performance as King Sextimus the Silent provides comic relief through his exaggerated use of pantomime. In "Man to Man Talk", his frustration twists his face and contorts his entire body as he desperately searches for a way to communicate without words. When he is finally allowed to speak, his high-pitched squeak compliments his hysterical antics, adding further dimension to his character.

Lighting designed by Evan Cusato transitions the mood through the use of color, despite having only limited means. The climax as Queen Aggravain imposes herself on her son is intensified by the deepening of the blue light flooding the background, until at last she is silenced and the darkness reverts to a happier shade of sky blue. Fluid silhouettes lit only by a dim blue in the background create a whimsical feel in the opening scene, while the spotlight on the Minstrel creates a point of focus to contrast from the dimly lit stage.

With great energy and heart, Los Alamitos reinvents this classic tale with a comical twist that delves into the importance of remaining true to oneself.