Once Upon A Mattress (1959 Original Broadway Cast) [CAST RECORDING]

Carol Burnett, Harry Snow, Allen Case, Mary Rodgers, Matt Mattox, Marshall Barer, Jack Gilford

Product Details

• Audio CD (April 13, 1993)
• Original Release Date: 1959
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Cast Recording
• Label: Decca U.S.
• ASIN: B000002ONH
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #16,150 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
Based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Princess and the Pea, Once Upon a Mattress opened in May 1959 and was a solid success, if not a huge blockbuster. It did well enough, in any case, to warrant a 1997 revival starring Sarah Jessica Parker. The show was far from revolutionary, but it provided a really fun vehicle for a cast of top stage personalities, including black actress Jane White, who played Queen Aggravain (a part originally written for comedienne Nancy Walker) in whiteface. But of course, Once Upon a Mattress's heart and soul was Carol Burnett, who, in her Broadway debut created the part of Princess Winnifred and delivered two of Mary Rodgers's best songs, the hilarious "Shy" and the spunky "Happily Ever After," which sounds a bit like Jule Styne at his most rhythmic. Burnett's timing and performance remain as sharp as they were 40 years ago. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a classic Broadway delight, November 26, 2002

By	Byron Kolln (the corner where Broadway meets Hollywood) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)

ONCE UPON A MATTRESS is the classic Broadway musical version of the fairytale "The Princess and the Pea" and features music by Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Barer.

The story concerns Princess Winnifred (played by the legendary Carol Burnett in her first Broadway leading-role), a princess who is given the ultimate test; to sleep on twenty mattresses and be sensitive enough to feel the tiny pea that lies underneath them. Prince Dauntless and his mother, the Queen Aggravain (played in whiteface by Jane White) eagerly await the result...

The score is perfectly performed here (forget the Broadway revival recording which features Sarah Jessica Parker, completely out of her depth as Winnifred), and is regarded as the best recording available. Stand-out songs include "Shy", "The Song of Love", "Sensivity", "Happily Ever After" and "Yesterday I Loved You".

Even in this earliest of performances, Carol Burnett shows her incredible Broadway belt, and sings her songs with impressive comic timing and verve. She later played the role in two live television versions (one in black and white, the other in color).

Highly-recommended.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars in a far off land. . ., January 31, 2003

By	Portia (United States) - See all my reviews

One of the first musicals to usher in the era of slightly off-beat, quirky, grown-up fairy tales we came to expect from Sondhiem (Into the Woods) and Stephen Schwartz (Pippin); "Once Upon a Mattress" is absolutely perfect from beginning to end.

I played Lady Larken with a semi-professional production and fell in love with the music and the humor of the piece. It pokes fun at the very conventions associated with musical theater, right from the big opening number "Opening for a Princess" (which has slightly medieval chord progressions, but a definate Big Band swing!) to the hilarious "Man to Man Talk", which explains the facts of life as mimed by the King and sung by his slightly under-educated grown-up son.

All the conventional Broadway ballads are assigned to the romantic couple Larken and Harry, who are caricatures of the gullible damsel-in-distress and the stuffed-shirt stage hero, respectively. Larken is slightly less than a traditional damsel, as she is pregnant with Harry's baby (although he gallantly admits that they should not both suffer all their lives because *she* had a "moment of weakness"!).

Only Carol Burnett could endow Winnifred with just the right combination of honesty, goofiness and charm. Watch out for her biggest and funniest number: "Shy".

Other great songs are "Normandy", "Yesterday I Loved You", "Swamps of Home" and "Song of Love".

The revival album is good too, but Sarah Jessica Parker is simply an inferior Winnifred. This is one of those must-have Broadway albums... pretty much every song is funny and/or gorgeous. Enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have classic!, November 9, 2004

By	Vincent Green "nyackjazz" (Valley Cottage, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Carol Burnett's big break on broadway! Anyone who is a Carol fan probably has this recording already. If not, it's worth it just for "The Swamps of Home", with Carol singing 'gluggle-uggle-uggle'.

The orchestral arrangements hearken back to a simpler day, when everything wasn't blaring trumpets and screaming electronics. Be aware that the production value also hearkens back, so you will not be using this CD to test your new speakers.

However, this show reflects the joy of Broadway of old, and the performances within do the genre justice. Join Carol for her Tour-de-force, old school.