Musical theatre has been putting in incredible amounts of effort to perfect their musical this year. They will be performing Once Upon a Mattress, which is a comedic retelling of “The Princess and the Pea.” The cast has numerous things to say about the approaching performance and journey so far. Each member has a favorite part of musical theatre that helps them stay motivated during all the ups and downs. Hailey Salyers (10) loves being able to dance and practice skills and choreography.
“My favorite part is learning the dance numbers for dance core,” Salyers said.
Delilah (Zayne) Demers (10) really enjoys the atmosphere created and insane talent from everyone in the class.
“I really enjoy being able to sing and spending time with other members of the cast,” Demers said.
Kendra Armstrong’s (9) favorite part is to be able to watch her castmates and friends come together and work hard on this musical. At this point in the semester, all of that effort is finally paying off, and the independent scenes are forming together to create a show.
“My favorite part of musical theatre is definitely watching the musical come together by learning the dances and songs and slowly piecing them together,” Armstrong said.
With a performance coming soon, cast members will feel a variety of emotions, ranging from uneasiness to incredible excitement, along with opinions on how the show is coming along. Salyers feels both enthusiastic and anxious for the approaching performance.
“I’m feeling super eager and also super nervous about the musical,” Salyers said.
Demers spoke about how the progression of the musical is coming along extremely well. The incredible discipline inside and outside of the classroom is what sets them apart from others.
“I feel like it’s coming along amazing especially for it only being March,” Demers said.
Armstrong mentions her excitement towards the show and how much she is anticipating the opening of the curtains on performance day.
“I feel confident about the performance coming up and I’m very much looking forward to it. I feel like it’s going to be so great,” Armstrong said.
There are a variety of scenes in Once Upon a Mattress, and each cast member has a favorite scene. Whether it’s because of fun characters or dramatic scenes, this one is a favorite. Salyers said she loved the Nightingale scene where the Queen tries to ensure that Winnifred can not sleep, so she hires the Nightingale to sing a lullaby.
“The Nightingale scene is definitely my favorite because of how silly it can be,” Salyers said.
Demers loved the scenes with specific characters in it because of the energy they bring to the show. All of the roles in this play were perfectly casted for each member of musical theatre.
“My favorite scenes are any scenes with the minstrel, jester, and king,” Demers said.
Armstrong’s favorite part of the musical is a specific song that has a comedic story to go along with it.
“My favorite scene so far is the song of love, where Winifred and Dauntless make their love known to the kingdom,” Armstrong said.
Getting casted as certain roles is a big deal in musical theatre. It impacts people to approach each moment differently, and determines what they do in the show. Salyers has a broader role in the musical and has a vast amount of opportunities to express her talents throughout the show.
“I’m in dance core, so I don’t play a particular role. Instead, I put together bigger artistic scenes with other dance core members. For example, I’m a princess in one scene and a bird in another,” Salyers said.
This is Demers first time in the show, and he was cast with a safe and simple role which is allowing him to get out of his comfort zone on the stage and have a jumpstart for his career.
“I’m in the ensemble as a servant and wench. I think it’s a good start for my first time in the show,” Demers said.
Armstrong is extremely grateful for her role as a freshman for the great exposure to the stage.
“I’m playing Luce’s Lady and I feel extremely fortunate to have that role because I get a good amount of stage time,” Armstrong said.
Being in a performance art program can come with difficulties as well as great moments. Salyers said her biggest challenge was when the dancing and acting turns into a workout.
“Getting hot and sweaty during rehearsals is for sure a challenge,” Salyers said.
Demers said that his biggest challenge is more related to the musical aspect of the rehearsals.
“My biggest challenge is reading the music and remembering what notes to hit,” Demers said.
The musical will be from April 29th to May 1st and the cast can’t wait to showcase what they have been diligently working hard on for months.
