By ALAN SMASON, WYES-TV Theatre Critic (“Steppin’ Out“)
The Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea” is the basis for Once Upon a Mattress, the 1959 musical that launched the Broadway career of Carol Burnett as Princess Winifred – “Fred” for short – the Wobegone.
A 1996 production starring Sarah Jessica Parker established her as a bankable star prior to her being cast in HBO’s “Sex and the City” series. While there is no doubt Tony Award winner Sutton Foster was already established when she played Fred in a recent Encores! concert production in New York from January to February of 2024, there was no expectation that the show would be so successful that it would transfer to Broadway in July and play to packed houses for four months before closing at the end of November.
This show has enjoyed an impressive track record of promoting future stars. So, too, this show may be responsible for bringing Jordan Lawrence to the deserving attention of New Orleans audiences as a breakout star and comic actress. This is her sixth Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts production, but it is the first one in which she truly is the star with a leading rather than a featured role.
She may not be seen early in the show, but once she makes her entrance after swimming the castle’s moat, Princess Winifred is the center of attention.
Lawrence, the cantorial soloist and music director at Congregation Gates of Prayer, seemed to be making a habit of wearing nun’s clothes as she was featured as Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act and Sister Amnesia in Nunsense and Nunsense 2 previously at Rivertown. She managed to play Karen the Computer in Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical, too. But all of these roles, while great opportunities for her, gave audiences only a glimmer of what she was actually capable of doing. This show shows she is clearly destined for starring roles.
Lawrence is a delight as she positively carries this musical written by Mary Rodgers (music) and Marshall Barer (lyrics) with a book by Barer, Jay Thompson and Dean Fuller. Her voice soars as she sings such wonderfully rendered songs like “Shy” and “Happily Ever After,” but she also possesses the comedic chops to advance her character in several scenes with the other actors.
It is obvious she is having a great time on the stage and living out the dream of a New Jersey kid enamored with Broadway, thanks to director Gary Rucker casting her in this very enjoyable family fare at Rivertown.
Michael Civitano portrays the minstrel, but he also does double duty serving the production as its musical director. As the minstrel, Civitano acts as the narrator at the very beginning, familiarizing the audience with the basic story line portrayed by ensemble members of the cast. They act out how a suspect princess is proven to be a true royal when a single pea beneath 20 mattresses prevents her from undisturbed slumber. As the minstrel admits, though, that’s not how the story really went, because he was there.
Also providing lots of comic antics is Ryan Nocito, who is the jester and spokesman for the silent King Sextimus. Sextimus, played by the incomparable Ricky Graham, may not have many lines in the work, but he steals nearly every scene he is in, mute or not.
One of the more unexpected casting selections is that of Vatican Lokey in the role of Queen Aggravain, the overprotective mother of the prince. Lokey plays the plotting queen very well and is often seen opposite Savannah Chaisson as the wizard or hooding over her son Prince Dauntless the Drab played by Mitchell Samuel Kogan.
Interestingly, this is the second time Lawrence and Kogan have played love interests on stage. He played Plankton to her Karen the Computer in Spongebob Squarepants last year. This time their stage relationship is at heart and center of the plot.
Unless the prince finds his love and gets married, no one else in the kingdom can do so. This makes for some very tense times in the kingdom. No one is more concerned than Lady Larkin, played by Maria Hefte, who after a romantic encounter with Sir Harry (Beau Moss) discovers she is with child and counting the days until she’ll begin to start showing.
Hefte also possesses an impressive voice and she reveals her concerns in the duet “In a Little While” between her and Sir Harry.
Superb choreography by Belle Tudor is evident throughout, but is particularly noteworthy in the “Spanish Panic” scene, where Fred dances and drinks everyone under the proverbial table.
A throwback to a simpler time for musicals, this is great family viewing and highly recommended. The cast is really terrific and memorable in marking Lawrence’s first leading lady role. Do not miss this fantastic show…even if you have to swim a moat to see it!
Once Upon a Mattress, directed by Gary Rucker, continues through March 30 at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, 325 Minor Street, in Kenner, LA. Tickets are available here or by calling 504-461-9475.
