Mary Rodgers' musical "Once Upon a Mattress" is never going to be recognized as one of the great shows of the American musical theater. The show pales in comparison when held against both the works of Mary's father (Richard Rodgers of "South Pacific" and "The Sound of Music" fame) and her son (Adam Guettell, recent Tony winner for his show "The Light in the Piazza.") The piece, which starred Carol Burnett in its original incarnation, is nevertheless an old-fashioned toe-tapping good time.
The basic plot is well known to anyone who read fairy tales as a child: a prince will only be allowed to marry a princess delicate enough to feel a pea underneath 20 mattresses. The fun of the show comes with the comic twists and variations on the story. In this version, the prince (a cutely nebbishy Sean Fortunato) is the delicate one, dominated by his possessive mother (played to the comic hilt by Paula Scrofano). And the princess is anything but a blushing flower; in fact, she was raised in a swamp. This is the part played by Drury Lane newcomer (though an old hand in the Off-Loop musical theater scene) Kristen Freilich.
As Winnifred the Woebegone, Kristen knows how to milk a laugh from even the most unpromising of lines. Combined with a pleasing voice, her comic technique makes for a dynamite performance that hopefully is just the beginning of her assaying roles of this caliber.
She's backed up by a strong ensemble, with skillful cohorts such as Dale Benson as a mute king and Bernie Yvon as the Jester stealing every scene they can. As the more conventional secondary romantic couple Lady Larkin and Sir Harry. Pegah Kadkhodaian and Brian Herriott also share some nice moments. Everyone is dressed in delicious and eye popping costumes by Gregory Slawko: What more could you ask for in a night of golden age musical comedy? Go buy a ticket.
At Drury Lane Oakbrook Terrace, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook; (630) 530-8300; $22-$26, dinner packages available. Through Dec. 18; 8 p.m. Wednesday; 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Thursday; 8:30 p.m. Friday; 5:30 p.m. & 9 p.m. Saturday; 2:30 p.m. & 7 p.m. Sunday.
