As many of you probably don’t know, the WWT musical dedicates an entire performance just to their understudies, and for just cause. Understudies are responsible for learning all of the lines and actions of the starring character, but never get the credit the main role get. Though most of their work is done behind the scenes, there is no reason why they shouldn’t get the attention they have all worked hard for and deserve.
The idea of understudies is a good one not only so that there is a backup for if the leads are not able to perform on the day of the show, but also for the understudies themselves who are often newer to the musical, so they can gain experience in order to be more prepared to receive a lead role in their later years of high school.
Understudies also have their own roles in the actual performance of the musical. So in preparation for the night that they will finally get to shine, they go to not only their own rehearsals, but also to their lead counterparts’, which is pretty much double the rehearsal time of everyone else. They work tirelessly behind the leads every practice, mirroring their every movement and memorizing sometimes even two sets of lines in order to get the job done.
Some of the major understudies for Once Upon a Mattress‘s understudy night are Brittany Arthur as Winnifred the Woebegone, Marianne Abou-Jaoude as Queen Aggravain, Rachel George as Lady Larken, Thomas Bresnahan as Sir Harry, Samantha Robert as the Minstrel, Matthew Zamiska as the Jester, and Ali El-Ali as King Sextimus.
Wednesday, March 28 will be the shining moment for the understudies of Once Upon a Mattress. Understudy night will take place in the middle school auditorium at 6:30 pm. Although the set is not finished, and the costumes have not arrived, the spirit of the musical starts to come alive tonight in the hands of these understudies who have worked so hard just to get to this point. Admission is free, and all are encouraged to go support our hard working understudies for a sneak preview of what will soon be a fantastic final production of Once Upon a Mattress.
The finished performances of Once Upon a Mattress will be held on April 13th, 14th, and 15th in the middle school auditorium as well. On April 13th and 14th it starts at 7:00 p.m. and on the 15th it statrts at 2:00 p.m. Adult tickets are $9, children $6, and groups with 10 or more people are charged $5 each.
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