Grand’s ‘Mattress’ filled with energy

“Once Upon a Mattress” isn’t exactly your garden-variety adaptation of a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. A domineering drag queen mother, a father under a spell of silence, their wimpy son, a headstrong princess and a lady in waiting who can’t wait to get married (she’s pregnant) drive this not-quite-for-the-kids version of “The Princess and the Pea.” When it opened on Broadway in 1959 – launching the career of Carol Burnett and featuring Jane White, one of the first black stage stars to take a lead in a musical – “Mattress” must have seemed racy. Nearly 50 years later, the story feels tame, if still a little hip-thrusty for the under-10 crowd.

Director Dominick Varney gives the story a robust and ribald turn in a production running through April 8 at The Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth. The plot is not so much about the pea incident as it is about a queen and her insurmountable standards for marrying off her baby boy. The twist is that no one else in the kingdom can marry until he weds. When one ready-for-the-altar prince takes the matter into his own hands and imports a princess from a far-off swamp, the face-off between her and the queen settles more than one marriage dispute.

Last year’s extremely successful production of “The Full Monty” marked an attempt on the part of the Grand to bring the musical-going audience up to date with contemporary themes in the genre. “Mattress” is a logical next step, even as it may not seem quite as rich as “Monty.” And Varney takes the step with gumption.

His real gift to the Grand is a fresh eye. He moves the orchestra out of the pit and onto the stage, where in a high tower of the castle set, the instrumentalists take their cues from music director Robert Bahr. The opening tableau sparkles: the actors poised gracefully, the costumes rich with color and a stylistic vision that suggests a painting, or a least a Macy’s window with a Disney theme. The nearly three-hour show doesn’t sustain that brightness, but it certainly nails it in much of the first act.

Varney shares a big chunk of success with set and sound designer Joe Lewis, who makes it all look and sound easy. Lewis has miked the singers and, bless him, the machinery serves to enhance the sound rather than compromise it. The only place where the sound falls short is during scene changes, most of which are done in dark, lagging silence. It’s not so much that we want more of Mary Rodgers’ cheery music. (By the way, she’s the daughter of legendary composer Richard Rodgers, mother to hit Broadway composer Adam Guettel and an impressive artist beyond her family ties.) But the dead moments are a stark contrast to the liveliness of the show. Add an audience that has visited the concession stand and is chomping on popcorn, and the silences get even bigger.

Popcorn aside, most of the energy comes from Varney smartly casting some of the region’s most talented singers. Chief among them is Frank Bachman, who plays the pathologically bossy Queen Aggravain. Bachman may be familiar to local audiences for his portrayal of the Beast in “Beauty and the Beast” a few years back. He pushes the role of the queen in “Mattress,” and the result is sophisticated camp with hilarious nuances. When he’s onstage, all eyes are on him. The wigs, robes, capes and hats (by costumer Anne Bahr) are the icing on Bachman’s cake. Wait for his monologue (of sorts) in Act I; it’s nearly a stand-up routine, and it’s definitely the best scene in the show.

Heather Libby is also at her wackiest as Princess Winnifred, the role Carol Burnett originated in the 1950s production. It has been said before, but is worth repeating here: Libby was made for Broadway, especially when it comes to belting comic roles. And she works this one for all it’s worth. She’s too strong an entertainer, in fact, to adopt bungled accents – something Southern in the beginning, something Brooklyn by the end and neither of them very good. Libby has always been a showstopper, and she holds on to that reputation here. But she should have left the accents back in the swamp.

Varney gets impressively playful performances out of nearly every member of this cast, most notably Tim Searchfield as the minstrel, Brianne Beck as the lady-in-waiting, Drew Myers as the daft prince, Jen Myers as the jester, Mark Ridenour as a prince and Jason Spivey as a wizard. Not every note is perfect, not every entrance is on time, not every bit is funny. But that’s community theater. And Varney is well on his way to keeping it delightfully vibrant in the region.

“Once Upon a Mattress” will be performed 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday through April 7, as well as 4 p.m. Sunday, April 8 at the Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth. For tickets, call 667-9500 or visit www.grandonline.org.