HPA to Present ‘Once Upon a Mattress’

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academyʻs Ka Makani Players present Once Upon a Mattress. Courtesy photo.

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academyʻs Ka Makani Players will present Once Upon a Mattress, a comic retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea.

Carried on a wave of wonderful songs, by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, this rollicking spin on the familiar classic of royal courtship and comeuppance provides for some side-splitting shenanigans. Chances are you’ll never look at fairy tales quite the same way again.

If you thought you knew the story of The Princess and The Pea, you might be in for a walloping surprise! Did you know, for instance, that Princess Winnifred actually swam the moat to reach Prince Dauntless the Drab? Or that Lady Larken’s love for Sir Harry provided a rather compelling reason that she reach the bridal altar post haste? Or that, in fact, it wasn’t the pea at all that caused the princess a sleepless night?

The Ka Makani Players cast features Kristen Cole-Lanier as Princess Winnifred, Colby Camero as Prince Dauntless, Katie Gargiulo as Lady Larkin, and Tanner Riley as Sir Harry.

Also featured are Shanae Butler as Queen Aggravain, Kaika Painter as The Wizard, Jacob Rouse as King Sextimus, Cameron Supplee as The Minstrel, Mako Yamamoto as The Jester, and George Donev as “Many Moons Ago” Prince and Sir Studley.

Fourteen other HPA students play supporting roles and assist with production.

Once Upon a Mattress will run Nov. 10 through 13 at the school’s Gates Performing Arts Center.

Shows begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 through 12 and at 2 p.m. on Nov. 13. Tickets, which only are available at the door, are $10 for adults and $5 for students. For more information, please call 881-4002.

Tickets are only are available at the door—$10 for adults and $5 for students.

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy is located at 65-1692 Kohala Mountain Road in Waimea.

For more information, call 881-4002.

Once Upon a Mattress is presented through special arrangement with R&H Theatricals. Music is by Mary Rodgers, daughter of famed composer Richard Rodgers. HPA theater instructor Mary Ellen Agnew-Place is the director and music director. Tani Wright Cordova is the choreographer, Jared Terpak is technical director and lighting designer, and June Kim is set designer and stage manager.