Once Upon a Mattress is a family friendly musical comedy with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer. It opened off-Broadway in May 1959, and then moved to Broadway later in the season. The play was written as a humorous adaptation of the 1835 Hans Christian Anderson fairy-tale,  "The Princess and the Pea".

The kid-safe story centers around a kingdom where Queen Aggravain has decreed that no one may marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, finds a suitable bride. After an expectant Lady Larken, desperate to marry before her condition becomes obvious, implores her gallant knight, Sir Harry, to seek a princess for Dauntless, he returns with the unconventional Princess Winnifred. Winnifred's arrival sparks chaos, as her boisterous personality clashes with the Queen's expectations. The Queen devises the infamous "sensitivity test," placing a pea under a mountain of mattresses, to prove Winnifred's delicate royal nature. Despite being anything but delicate, Winnifred manages to pass the test. The curse on the mute King is broken when Prince Dauntless finally tells his mother to "shut up". Aggravain’s manipulations are revealed, and the kingdom is free to marry. The musical features popular songs like "Shy" and "In a Little While." This production explores themes of true love, overcoming adversity, and challenging societal expectations.

The original production opened on May 11, 1959, directed by George Abbot and choreographed by Joe Layton Once Upon a Mattress marked the Broadway debut of comedian Carol Burnett, who originated the role of Princess Winnifred.

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 📍ONCE UPON A MATTRESS is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com