"Once Upon a Mattress" Nominated for Multiple Awards

Congratulations to the cast and crew of “Once Upon a Mattress,” which was nominated for multiple Greater Philadelphia Cappies awards and Philadelphia Independence Awards. 

Over the last two weekends in April, 51 ANC students performed “Once Upon a Mattress '' for over 1,000 patrons at six shows at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center. “Once Upon a Mattress” is a hilarious, musical version of the classic tale “The Princess and the Pea.” Winnifred the Woebegone is just a simple swamp princess looking to win the heart of Prince Dauntless. But can she pass the impossible test Queen Aggravain has in store for her? 

Senior Maggie S. charmed audiences as Princess Winnifred and sophomore Padraic F. stepped into his first lead role as her love interest, Dauntless the Drab. The comedic trio of the Minstrel, the Jester and King were played by Anya D., Ainsley O. and Pax C. Sarah H. commanded the stage as Queen Aggravain with Ian K. as her sidekick, the Wizard. Lady Larken and Sir Harry were played by seniors Paige S. and Leopold K. 23 seniors total graced the stage and the ANC Performing Arts program will miss them next year! Over 80 students were involved in this production, either on stage or behind the scenes. 

The senior StageCraft class took inspiration for the castle from Glencairn Museum. Early in the design process, students took a trip to Glencairn to take photos and get ideas for their own scenic designs. 

22 Cappies critics attended the first weekend and wrote reviews [read them here]. The production received 7 nominations, including Critic Team, Special Effects (Grace C.), Makeup (Audrey S.), Sets (StageCraft Class), Featured Actress in a Musical (Anya D.), Comedic Actor in a Musical (Pax C.) and Lead Actress in a Musical (Maggie S.). 

Winners were announced at the Cappies Gala at Cardinal O’Hara High School on May 21st. Grace C. won for Special Effects and Pax C. won for Comedic Actor in a Musical! 

ANC once again was a part of the Philadelphia Independence Awards. Theater Professionals attended performances as adjudicators, scoring the show in 24 different categories. “Once Upon a Mattress” was nominated for 5 awards: Supporting Actress (Anya D), Featured Actor (Pax C), Small Ensemble (Minstrel, Jester & King), Lighting (Audrey S), and Scenic Design (StageCraft Class). Winners will be announced at the Philadelphia Independence Awards Ceremony at Temple Performing Arts Center on May 22nd. 

Check out photos from the production here and here.