Hilarity Served Atop Twenty Downy Mattresses

Image The BTC Junior Ensemble delivered nonstop laughs during their three performances of Once Upon a Mattress May 6-8. The production featured a script that was updated by BTC Artistic Directors Fiona Santos and Jason Brantman to include a mock episode of ABC's hit TV game show, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? as the 12th Princess (played by Claire McNally) is grilled and ultimately rejected by Queen Aggravain (Lily Cohen) as a suitor for her son, Prince Dauntless (Clara Reyes). In addition to BTC's hallmark brilliant musical work and exquisite staging, Mattress featured a heavy dose of physical comedy and slapstick, wonderfully executed by the Junior Ensemble students ranging from nine to twelve years in age.

Tyler Burr played Princess Winnifred, the rough and hearty moat swimmer who captures Dauntless' heart and ultimately triumphs over Aggravain's manipulations. Ethan Raduns-Silverstein played King Sextimus the Silent, who cannot speak until the final scene and resorts to a wonderful variety of gestures and body language to undermine Aggravain's plots, along with his cohorts, the Jester (Wynnie Van Dusen) and the Minstrel (Gabrielle Filiberti).

Blair Brownstein and Michela Proto turned in fine performances including two beautiful duets as Lady Larken and Sir Harry, working through difficult times in their fervent romance. And the Wizard (Marlene First) is, so far as we know, still trying to find a newcomer to the castle who will watch long enough for her to finish her "folded parchment" trick, when she's not scheming with her Queen.

The cast was rounded out by the lovely Ladies in Waiting - Jenna Lowry as Lady Lucille, Ciana Proto as Lady Rowena, Michelle Secunda as Lady Merrill and Evie Tzelios as Lady Mabelle - and the brave knights - Hannah Nash as Sir Studley, Arianna Thomas as Sir Luce, and Claire McNally.

Santos, as Musical Director for the show, again drew from local talent - including a number of high school students - to create a fine pit orchestra, featuring Jerome Morris and Rick Donato on percussion, Remy Kurs on keyboard, Dan Perelstein on Bass, Sarah Del Pizzo and Patrice Macedo on violins, Patricia Santos on violoncello, Leigh Ann Rettie on flute, Kathy Wilcox on oboe and clarinet, Antonio Thompson on trumpet, and Troy Messner on horn.

The Junior Ensemble got a great boost from their Senior Ensemble friends. Roxy Schoenfeld and Catherine Haydock worked tirelessly throughout the preparations for the show as Assistant Directors and as Backstage Managers during the actual performances. Melanie Burg and Todd Ritch worked the spots, and James Masciovecchio was on Deck Crew.

Liz Haydock was Lighting Designer and Lightboard Operator for the show, and Jake Fine did great work as Sound Operator.

Please browse the professional photos of the show offered by Fine Arts Photography Group and order prnts of your favorite shots.

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Broadway Training Center of Westchester, under the artistic direction of Jason Brantman and Fiona Santos, was recently awarded Best Theatre Classes in Southern Westchester by Westchester Magazine.  This premiere performing arts school, located in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY, provides children, teens, and adults with Broadway oriented performing arts training focusing on the joy of accomplishment and the enrichment of personal expression through classroom and performance work. Broadway Training Center of Westchester is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.