Education @ Hartford Stage announces cast and creative team for teen musical ensemble production of Once Upon a Mattress

Hartford, CT, July 24, 2019 – Education @ Hartford Stage announced today the cast and production team for the Teen Musical Ensemble production of Once Upon a Mattress. Tickets are on sale for two public performances at Hartford Stage on Friday, August 9, and Saturday, August 10. Both performances begin at 7:00 p.m.

Once Upon a Mattress is a musical comedy adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. With music by Mary Rodgers, lyrics by Marshall Barer, and a book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Marshall Barer, Once Upon a Mattress is by turns hilarious and raucous, romantic and melodic, and carried throughout by wonderful songs. This rollicking spin on the familiar classic of royal courtship and comeuppance provides for some side-splitting shenanigans.

“The addition of our Teen Musical program four years ago allowed us to extend the pathway for students in our program by enabling them to participate longer and eventually have the opportunity to perform in our theatre downtown,” said Jennifer Roberts, Director of Education @ Hartford Stage. “We’re proud of the growth of this program and excited to see some of our long-time students and Youth Ensemble performers moving into it.” 

Once Upon a Mattress will be directed by Lisa Byrne, who helmed recent Hartford Stage Teen Musical Ensemble productions of Footloose, Pippin, and The Addams Family, and features choreography from Alyssa Serrambana (The Addams Family) and musical direction from Paul Feyer.

The cast of Once Upon a Mattress includes Frances Arnold, 15, of Windsor, as Prince Dancer/Sir Harold; Estelle Cohen, 14, of West Hartford as Princess Dancer/Lady Beatrice/Nightingale; Marcel Cohen, 14, of West Hartford, as Minstrel; Jocelyn Fonseca, 15, of Agawam, Massachusetts, as Queen Aggravain; Josephine Geremia, 18, of Rocky Hill, as Princess #12/Kitchen Wench/Emily; Elizabeth Hughes, 14, of West Hartford, as Lady Lucille; Zaria Longo, 16, of Hartford, as Lady Rowena; Skye Lee Lyons, 16, of Hartford, as King Sextimus; Autumn Munsell, 17, of Granby, as Jester; Cynthia Nocton, 15, of Storrs Mansfield, as Wizard; Emanuel Rivas, 15, of Hartford, as Sir Studley; Emily Roche, 14, of Berlin, as Princess Winnifred; Bairon Salgado Cruz, 19, of West Hartford, as Sir Luce; Jalina Secchiaroli, 14, of West Haven, as Queen Dancer/Lady Mabelle; Trinity Stewart, 15, of Bloomfield, as Lady Merrill; Jenna Tiso, 14, of Cheshire, as Lady Larken; Erin Williams, 15, of South Windsor, as Prince Dauntless; and Kaydin Younger, 15, of Hartford, as Sir Harry.

General admission tickets for Once Upon a Mattress are $10 and can be purchased through the Hartford Stage Box Office at 860-527-5151 or online at https://www.hartfordstage.org/education/performances.