‘Mattress’: Still Stuffed With Comedic Charm

In Mary Rodgers’ most famous musical, “Once Upon a Mattress,” written with Marshall Barer, the lights go up on the Minstrel, who informs us that there are many versions of the story of the Princess and the Pea, but what we are about to see is the real story, because he was there.

What we are about to see is a charming musical that was tailor-made in 1959 for the goofy antics of the young Carol Burnett. In fact, one reason this show is not done more often may be the scarcity of goofy comediennes who also can belt out a song.

Saddleback Civic Light Opera has solved the problem by casting Susan Dohan as Princess Winnifred the Woebegone. She sings in the brassy tones right for the role and has a comic sense that is within realistic bonds yet outrageous enough to make the idiocy in this show believable.

As the tale begins, “Many moons ago, in a medieval castle in a far-off land,” Prince Dauntless the Drab is looking for a bride. No one in the kingdom can get married until he does. This is especially a problem for Sir Harry and Lady Larken, for she’s pregnant. So Sir Harry goes out into the world, and into a swamp, to find the perfect real princess for the prince.

Of course the prince’s mother designs a test: 20 mattresses with a pea at the bottom, to find out if this watery princess is genuinely sensitive. OK, you know the story. But you’ve never seen it played out with such lunacy and charm, which under director Sheryl Donchey’s affectionate and lively guidance is so real that it all seems to make sense.

Donchey also makes it look as though it’s happening for the first time, and her choreography is mostly inventive, particularly her silly choreography for the latest dance craze, the Spanish Panic. Her most noteworthy feat is keeping the entire cast in an honest frame of mind. No one tries too hard to be funny, and they are funnier because of it.

Dohan has a marvelous cast to work with, and vocally they’re all bell-ringers. Tim Klega is even funnier than Broadway veteran Joe Bova was as Prince Dauntless, giggling, jiggling and mooning over his reject of a princess. As Dauntless’ nasty mom, who doesn’t want her child ever to marry, Lisa Hale is icy but still warm enough to win friends in the audience. Robert Clayton Parish, as the mute king, is so laid-back vaudeville that he almost steals the show.

Richard Kinsey is as pompous and pseudo-macho as he can be as the dumbest knight in the Middle Ages, but is smart enough to drag the soggy Winnifred back for his prince. Charlotte Carpenter is a delight as his lady-in-waiting-too-long. Jeff Weeks is a charming Minstrel, whose tongue-in-cheek manner doesn’t hinder his brash narration, and Mat Genuser--who verges on going overboard but never does--is delightfully raucous as the Jester.

* “Once Upon a Mattress,” McKinney Theatre, Saddleback College, 28000 Marguerite Parkway, Mission Viejo. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and Aug. 11-15, 3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $21. Ends Aug. 16. (949) 582-4656. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.

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“Once Upon a Mattress,”

Susan Dohan: Princess Winnifred the Woebegone

Jeff Weeks: Minstrel

Tim Klega: Prince Dauntless the Drab

Lisa Hale: Queen Aggravain

Charlotte Carpenter: Lady Larken

Robert Clayton Parish: King Sextimus the Silent

Mat Genuser: Jester

Richard Kinsey: Sir Harry

A Saddleback CLO revival of the Mary Rodgers-Marshall Barer musical. Executive producer: Geofrey English. Directed and choreographed by Sheryl Donchey. Musical direction: John Massey Jr. Scenic design: Wally Huntoon. Lighting design: Kevin Cook. Sound design: David Edwards. Costume design: Diane Lewis. Stage manager: Teresa Mollindo White.