Unconventional fairy tale unfolds in CHS new auditorium

    As children, fairy tales often helped feed our imagination and as adults, fairy tales generate nostalgia. Many of us have heard of the fairy tale, "The Princess and the Pea" and Cascade High School's drama coach, Mandi Wickline, chose the familiar tale's fractured version, "Once Upon A Mattress" for the upcoming musical to debut in the new high school auditorium.
    A formula of a princess who was raised in a swamp, a domineering mother who demands approval of the woman who catches her son's eye and a kooky wizard for some added magic - the musical will produce an entertaining story for the audience to laugh along with.
    "(I chose this show because) Ted (Fredericks) and I directed this production seven years ago at Cascade and it was really fun," said Wickline. "It has two strong female protagonists and a woman as a villian. I strive to choose shows with strong female leads. The male roles are very unique for musical theater and there are a lot of good supporting roles as well as a cool variety of chorus numbers, so it offers a lot of opportunities for kids to shine."
    Not only is Wickline and Fredericks no stranger to directing Once Upon A Mattress, a lot of the student actors are no stranger to the stage. The cast is jam packed with students who have been staples in Cascade School District's drama department since they were in elementary or middle school.
    "It's been so rewarding to watch them evolve as performers," said Wickline.
    Ellie Camp will play the role of Princess Winnifred, the unconventional princess with swamp roots. Landon Davies plays Princes Dauntless who has a helicopter mom that is set on matrimony with a true princess. Sarah Butruille has the role of the villain, Queen Aggravain and Zane Priebe is her silent half, the King. However, Wickline says Priebe's expressiveness speaks volumes for the part. Tagen Mathews will play the Minstrel and no fairy tale can leave out the jester, who will be played by Josiah Smith.  Like most fairy tales, there are several love stories and two romantic leads to watch for are Isaac Tveten and Haydn Gunter. And the eccentric wizard role is being taken on by Nathan Hagan.
    "The chorus is a talented mix of kids who are new to drama or have been with us for years," said Wickline. "There are 30 kids in the show, ten of which are elementary or middle school students. They are all really good people."
    Despite the students not being that familiar with dance shows, Wickline says they still put their best foot forward and regardless of comfortability, don't skip a beat. Wickline brought in Briar Hoper in to choreograph the "Opening for a Princess" number, but otherwise choreographed a majority of the numbers.
    "We usually don't do dance shows, so the kids are either totally fine with dancing or a little freaked out by it. In any case, they jump right in and push the limits of their comfort zone," said Wickline.
    And even though fairy tales are timeless, Once Upon A Mattress has a medieval setting. The musical will keep the authenticity of the era attached thanks to Amazon props, impressive acting by Cascade students and the music score for the show.
    "The music is a unique mix of classic musical theater and jazz, which creates a boisterous, vaudevillian feed," said Wickline. "I like ordering props on Amazon, it's fun to find things that fit in a medieval setting."
    "A song sung by (Princess) Winnifred called "Happily Ever After" captures the theme of many musicals, where the lead female sits down and tells us what she wants in life," said Wickline. " I think we all aspire toward "Happily Ever After", especially when our lives are stressful and disappointing. But fairy tales give us faith that our lives could be more magical."     
    Beyond the magic of fairy tales and the appeal of happily ever after, the musical will also have: catchy numbers paired with fun choreography, veteran Cascade theater students along with fresh faces debuting and a playful story line. With a trifecta like that, the audience should stay immersed in what unfolds for Princess Winnifred on the stage.
    "This show is very colorful and fast paced. Ted and I try really hard to create an entertaining theater that tells a story. We believe that acting comes first in a musical, though it helps to have talented singers, which we do," said Wickline.
    Students leave rehearsal singing songs, so it's probable the audience will leave the new auditorium in the same fashion. The musical premieres on February 7 at 7 p.m. and the community will also have opportunities to view on February 8 at 7 p.m. and February 9 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 for adults and senior citizens, children and students will have a discount for a $5 ticket.