By Emersyn Lyon, grade 9 student at Concordia International School Shanghai
Being a part of Concordia’s 2015 spring musical, Once Upon A Mattress, was absolutely magical—and not just because it’s a fairy tale. As a cast member, it’s amazing how quickly the five months of rehearsal whirl by. One day you’re practicing your lines in the mirror, and then suddenly you’re face to face with the stomach-knotting day—opening night. For everyone involved in the production, the day begins at four o’clock in the afternoon. The dressing rooms are crowded with people adjusting costumes, applying makeup, and perfecting hair. Makeup is scattered haphazardly all around the dressing tables and a misty haze of hairspray fills the room. As time ticks by, the anxiety rises. Just when it seems the buzzing will explode, it’s time for places.
The lights dim and the orchestra melodically play the opening tune. A spotlight descends upon the stage and Jonathan Tai, the Minstrel, begins the story. Unsuspecting viewers watch in amazement as the show unveils itself. Through the true story of the Princess and the Pea, the audience follows various characters through their journey in this musical. They marvel at Elizabeth Metzger’s amazingly original performance as Princess Winifred—otherwise known as Fred. They adore the romantic and forbidden love story between Lady Larkin and Sir Harry. The small children boo at the evil Queen Aggravain and the Wizard, her right hand woman. They laugh in delight over the Minstrel, the Jester, and the mute King Sextimus, played by Jonathan Miao, who was clearly the crowd’s ultimate favorite. He was able to dazzle everyone with his hilarious facial expression and his comical body movements. The crowd giggles into a fit of hysterics at Prince Dauntless’ child-like manner and they are lulled by the beautiful music from the chorus accompanied by the pit orchestra. The tornado happening behind the scenes is the show’s best-kept secret as spectators praise our efforts to share this fantastic show.
As the red velvet curtain descends on the final performance, melancholy fills the stage. Our seemingly endless journey has come to a close, but it’s not totally over. The friendships we created offstage directly correlate to the energy and performance onstage, and they will last a lifetime. We stand side by side and join hands to take our final bow, which is fitting because from the start we faced this production as a single entity. With any theatrical production, there must be a sense of unity between the cast, crew, managers, directors, and choreographers because transferring a musical from page to stage is not an easy feat. Through theatre the barriers of age, grade, gender, reputation, and clique disappear. What’s left is a tightknit group of students who genuinely care for each other. While the characters of Once Upon A Mattress have taken they’re final bow, the magic of our newfound friendships will live happily ever after. The End.
