Music by Mary Rodgers
Lyrics by Marshall Barer
Book by Marshall Barer, Dean Fuller and Jay Thompson
The kingdom is an unhappy one. King Sextimus has been struck dumb by a witch's curse and is condemned not to speak again until "the mouse devours the hawk!" Queen Agravia has assumed power and she talks enough for the whole Royal household. She has decreed that no one in the Kingdom may wed until Prince Dauntless is married to a true princess of Royal blood. So far the Queen has tested the eligibility of eleven applicants and each has failed the almost impossible tests the Queen has devised.
The Knights and Ladies of the Court are most distressed by the situation but the most concerned are Lady Larken and her handsome lover, Sir Harry. Lady Larken has informed Sir Harry that he is to be a father so the situation is quite desperate. Sir Harry, determined to find a true princess, sets off for, until now, unexplored parts and returns with Princess Winnifred. She arrives dripping wet have swum the moat and proceeds to act as unlike a princess as one could possibly imagine.
Prince Dauntless is very impressed by the new princess and is soon obviously in love with her - to the consternation of the angry Queen, who decides to give her an impossible test. She consults the Wizard and together they decide on the the sensitivity test - a pea is placed beneath twenty mattresses and the Queen decrees that if Princess Winnifred cannot sleep she will prove her royal birth. However, to ensure that she does sleep, she proceeds to do everything to make her tired out. A ball is held where the dancing is fast and furious and Winnifred is encouraged to drink heavily. She is also given a sleeping draught and a singing bird is provided to sing her to sleep.
However, the Queen fails, for Winnifred cannot sleep and spends the night counting sheep. The Queen is furious and orders Princess Winnifred to leave, but Prince Dauntless defies her and puts an end to the curse upon the King for, as the Jester proclaims, "the mouse has devoured the hawk!"
At the final curtain, we discover that the Princess was unable to sleep because the Jester has placed under the top mattress his lute, a helmet, a large spiked ball, some livestock and some old armor. Of course, all ends happily and the Queen is punished.
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| Well...I was dancing with Keith Brown on opening night at the end of Act I. The floor was slimy, and several theories were circulating as to the source of the slime. Keith lifted me, and then as he nimbly set me down, I so deftly landed with my foot half on his foot and half on the slippery floor. I felt my foot roll over and heard a snap as I landed on the top of my foot instead of on its sole. After a slight stumble, mostly concealed by my long goofy gown, we continued dancing and finished the act. What a surprise we all had as we saw my foot and ankle turn such interesting colors and swell up during intermission! "Break a leg" puns abounded. As we went on for the second act, I was wondering why my foot looked so weird. DUH! It's a good thing I spent my time after the show in the emergency room that night, because the cast party at Natalia's got BUSTED! Remember that? Ha ha! | ---Jill (Holland) Paterson |