Olmsted Performing Arts to Present ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, 7/11-13

Olmsted Performing Arts (OPA) in Olmsted Falls brings the fun, funny and heartfelt "Once Upon A Mattress" to the Olmsted Performing Arts Center (OPAC) Youth Stage in July.

"Once Upon A Mattress" is the story of an unmarried prince, Prince Dauntless, searching for a woman to marry him and be his princess. Dozens of girls want to marry the prince but his mother, Queen Aggravain, has dismissed each of the women. Queen Aggravain declares that nobody can get married until her son, the prince, gets married. The right wife must be found right away.

A production of the OPA Youth Stage, "Once Upon A Mattress," is being directed by Megan Hyde, a dance and theatre veteran who has directed and choreographed more than nine productions at OPA, and had starring roles in OPA productions of "Beauty and the Beast" and "White Christmas" among others.

The cast for "Once Upon A Mattress" is incredibly talented, Hyde says. The audience will enjoy the infectious and impressive singing, dancing and acting the cast brings to the show.

The story of "Once Upon A Mattress" is a hilarious retelling, a re-envisionment, of "The Princess and the Pea" fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen with a wave of wonderful songs carrying the story along. The musical has been performed on Broadway in New York City, New York, on television and in countless school productions across the country, and the show tunes have been stuck in the heads of countless smiling audience members.

Performances of "Once Upon A Mattress," at the 1,300 person OPAC state-of-the-art auditorium, will be on July 11 at 7 p.m., July 12 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and July 13 at 2 p.m.

Cast members include Brianna Burke as Winifred, Chelsea Falatic of Queen Aggravain and Blake Gallaway as Prince Dauntless. The "Once Upon A Mattress" production team includes technical director Bob Foraker.

Tickets to "Once Upon A Mattress" are $14.25 and $16.25 and are available now online at http://www.olmstedperformingarts.com or over the phone by calling (440) 235-6722.

Before each performance of "The Princess and the Pea" will be a pre-show puppetry workshop. The preshow puppetry workshop will start 90 minutes prior to each performance. The OPA ice cream shop will also be open 90 minutes before each "Once Upon A Mattress" performance. Tickets to the puppetry workshop are $10 per child. Adults are free. Register for the puppetry workshops at http://www.olmstedperformingarts.com or over the phone by calling (440) 235-6722.