Although the musical Once Upon A Mattress is traditionally set in medieval times, for this year’s spring musical, Chapel Hill students donned gears, silverware and other accessories inspired by industrial machinery to give the show a “steampunk” flair.
“It’s probably never been done that way before by any company,” theater teacher Thomas Drago said.
Performed at Hanes Theatre from April 19 to 21, the show was presented as a twist on the story of the princess and the pea, and followed Princess Winnifred, played by junior Delia Vaisey, as she tried to prove her fairness and royalty to the Queen Aggravain, played by sophomore Sara Gordon, and marry Prince Dauntless, played by senior Enrico Drago, son of Thomas Drago.
The show had a relatively large cast, with over 30 cast members. Each costume matched the “steampunk” theme, a style that draws inspiration from science fiction and industrialization.
“If you were able to look closely at the costumes, they all had gears, chains, gadgets, and other steampunk-style decorations on them,” Alexis Drago, wife of Thomas Drago and costume designer for the production, said.
She created seven complete costumes and designed the rest.
“It was really good,” senior Jackson Paul said. “The costumes definitely helped shift the time period of the play.”
Dance teacher Danielle Cohen was the first to suggest the musical be done in a steampunk style.
“I really love steampunk style, and I threw the idea out to Mr. Drago, really, as a joke,” Cohen said. “Everyone liked the idea, though, and it gave us all a focus for the overall appearance of the show.”
Once Upon A Mattress marked the final performance of Enrico Drago, who has been involved with every theater production at Hanes Theatre since his freshman year.
“This is my last show here, and, honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better one to end on,” he said.
Junior Rachel Broun was the show’s stage manager. The last few days of rehearsal were some of her favorite parts of being involved with the production.
“The best part of the rehearsal process has been seeing it all come together,” Broun said. “Once we put costumes on and the tech cues started working, everything felt like it magically came together.”
Leading up to the show, Enrico Drago, Vaisey, Gordon and senior Henry Morfeld, who played King Sextimus, were interviewed by two radio stations, WHUP and WCHL.
“It was fun!” Morfeld said. “We got to talk about our second favorite part of the show, so as not to spoil the good part.”
Preparation for the show did not come without a few bumps in the road.
Vaisey broke her foot during rehearsals two weeks before opening night and was briefly unsure whether she would be able to perform.
“I was very upset that I broke my foot and had to perform in a boot at first, but then I tried to embrace it and make it part of the performance,” she said.
Since the show’s closing night, Vaisey has been nominated to be a part of the Triangle Rising Stars program for her performance. Sophomore Jake Genderson, who played the minstrel, was also nominated for the program for his part in the show.
