All tagged Sarah Jessica Parker
In 1990, a play opened Off-Broadway and then moved to Broadway called Six Degrees of Separation. Written by playwright John Guare, the piece was well-praised by critics and popular with audiences. It ventured to explore the theory that we are all connected to one another in this world through (at the most) six people. It just requires the right configuration of six. As the play’s popularity grew and a film was made, a parlor game emerged called “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”. It alleged that all film celebrities could be traced to the actor Kevin Bacon through (at the most) six people.
Today I am celebrating the musical that essentially made a star out of Carol Burnett, one of our greatest living comediennes. Once Upon a Mattress opened Off-Broadway in 1959 and was soon ushered to Broadway not long after its opening. The musical features a score by Mary Rodgers (daughter of Richard Rodgers), lyrics by Marshall Barer, and a book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Barer. It was musical version of fairy tale The Princess and the Pea, taking a slightly satirical poke at the story of a princess who must earn the right to marry a prince, by proving her royalty through a test cooked up by a controlling queen.
The excitement I feel for the upcoming revival of Once Upon a Mattress at The Transport Group is not to be dismissed. I believe it is just what New York audiences need right now: a laugh riot with great music and a cast that can do this piece justice. Once Upon a Mattress, with music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and a book my Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Barer has always been underestimated, relegated to second tier musical status when in fact the piece is just about as perfect as it can get. A misbegotten 1997 revival of the musical didn’t make the best case for the musical which is funny, melodic, of one piece, and really just a fairy tale overflowing with joy. It’s everything musical comedy should be.
