The whispers die down as the curtains open and the scene starts. A classic telling of the Princess and the Pea begins. Suddenly, a minstrel interrupts, “There are many versions of this story–I sing them all. This is the prettiest, but it’s not quite accurate.” As the audience watches, the story detailing the love-struck prince Dauntless and the unconventional princess Winnifred unfolds.

Canyon High’s 2017 fall production of “Once Upon A Mattress” will play Nov. 16, 17 and 18 at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee Nov. 19 at 2:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

“The prince, Dauntless, has been trying to get married, but his mother is preventing that,” theater teacher Kylie Howell said. “She has all of these really difficult tests for all of these women to pass. No one can pass them, because no one is good enough for Dauntless in her opinion.”

Howell said the characters in the story work together to get a princess to the kingdom.

“We have a mute king, a jester and a minstrel,” Howell said. “Lady Larken and Sir Harry have this love story. He’s on a mission because everyone in the kingdom wants to get married, and they can’t until they find a princess.”

Junior Katelyn Spivey plays Princess Winnifred and said the cast is full of funny, extravagant characters.

“Each character has different quirks,” Spivey said. “They are all so different and silly, so it is a blast to see the personalities interacting on stage. With every dress rehearsal, we become the characters and let go of ourselves. Interactions and reactions are less of the students reading lines and more of the characters coming to life.”

The cast of approximately 70 people is supported by a crew of 13.  

“We have a lot of involvement and get a lot of kids from different areas of campus,” Howell said. “They maybe aren’t in the theatre class but heard about it, got brave and auditioned. It’s an all-school musical, and I think it’s named correctly because we use the whole school.”

Freshman Macie Lippke, a lady-in-waiting, said the musical experience is new to her.

“It was my first audition for a musical,” freshman Macie Lippke said. “As soon as my audition was over, everyone was very welcoming to me. They told me I did great. They are very supportive people. I really felt like this is my place to be.”

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'Once Upon a Mattress'

Senior Emily Tull, who plays Queen Aggravain, said the people and the experience of musical are good things.

“The friendships that blossom out of being in a show together are so intimate,” Tull said. “I’ve been in sports and other things, but singing and dancing is so intimate to someone’s soul. It’s you. It’s not an instrument you’re playing; it’s something that’s coming from inside of you. The intimacy with others, singing with others, dancing with others; it creates bonds you’ll remember forever.”