Old favorites ‘Once Upon a Mattress,' ‘Sound of Music' on regional stages

FINDLAY — Fort Findlay Playhouse opens its 2010-11 season Thursday night with Once Upon a Mattress, the musical comedy based on the fairy tale of the princess and the pea.

With music by Mary Rodgers (daughter of composer Richard Rodgers), lyrics by Marshall Barer, and book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Barer, the plot revolves around the socially challenged Princess Winnifred the Woebegone, who travels to a faraway kingdom to offer herself as a bride for Prince Dauntless the Drab.

Dauntless falls in love, but his mother, Queen Aggravaine, is appalled and schemes to get rid of the upstart from the marshlands.

Directed by Ryan Neal, the playhouse's production features Mandy Bour as Princess Winnifred, Eric Hertenstein as Prince Dauntless, Kelly Fandrey as Lady Larkin, Jason Jerisha as Prince Harry, and Julie Lane as Queen Aggravain.

Rounding out the cast are Dennis Clark as the king, Carol Clark as the kitchen wench, Pat Courtney as Lady Rowena, Jean Daniel as Lady Lucille, Cynthia Habagger as Lady Merrill, Wes Taylor as the jester, Marty Williams (who also produces) as the minstrel, Jim Yarger as the wizard, and a chorus of knights and ladies in waiting played by Tim Cooper, Patrick Davis, Linda England, James Foust, Sam Henry, Lindsay Taylor, Pete Reynolds, Richele Reynolds, George Rustemeyer. Rachel Rustemeyer, Andrew Varney, and Mandy Wolber.

“Once Upon A Mattress” runs through Aug. 21 in the Fort Findlay Playhouse, 300 West Sandusky St., Findlay. Performances are at 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 5 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $15 from the Arts Partnership box office, 681 South Main St., Findlay. Information: 419-422-4624.

SANDUSKY, Ohio – The beloved musical The Sound of Music opens Thursday night for a three-day run in the Sandusky State Theatre.

Produced by the theater and sponsored by Terra Community College, the story follows Maria Rainer, who believes she wants to be a nun, but the mother abbess knows better. She sends the high-spirited young woman to take a job as a governess to the seven children of Capt. Georg Von Trapp, an Austrian naval hero.

Maria and her music win the heart of the children — and ultimately their widowed father — as the growing evil of Nazism threatens to overtake their happiness and freedom.

Memorable songs from the show include “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev'ry Mountain,” as well as the title song.

Directed by Lisa Wiley, the cast includes Pamela Shirtz as Maria, Warren Brown as Captain Von Trapp, Cindy Bilby as Baroness Schrader, Ron Abbott as Max Detweiler, Dylan Tremaine as Rolf, and Karen Abbott as mother abbess.

The children will be played by two casts. Thursday night and at 2 p.m. Saturday, the roles will be filled by Benji Battiste, Jon Ellis, Kayla Haase, Rebekah Klepper, Charley Nuesse, Caroline Printy, and Aubrey Wenzinger.

Friday and Saturday evenings, the children will be played by Ireland Bennett, Alli Brownell, Erica Henning, Casey Rhine, Jackie Squires, Rachel Stadler, and Andrew Walsh.

“The Sound of Music” is scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday in the Sandusky State Theatre, 107 Columbus St., Sandusky. Tickets are $20 for adults and $16 for children. A dinner-show option is $34, with the meal served in the State Room adjoining the theater. Tickets can be ordered online at sanduskystate.com or by calling 419-626-1950.

Contact Nanciann Cherry at: ncherry@theblade.com or 419-724-6130.