Kara Lindsay Will Be Once Upon a Mattress' Standby Princess

Broadway's upcoming revival of Once Upon a Mattress has unveiled its full cast, which newly includes Wicked and Newsies star Kara Lindsay as the standby Princess Winnifred. Lindsay also served as the role's standby in the production's New York City Center Encores! run earlier this year. The production's Broadway bow begins July 31 at the Hudson Theatre, where opening night will be August 12. The limited run is set to continue through November 30.

Also reprising their performances from the Encores! staging, as previously reported, will be Sutton Foster as Princess Winnifred, Michael Urie as Prince Dauntless, Nikki Renée Daniels as Lady Larken, and David Patrick Kelly as King Sextimus the Silent. Joining for the Broadway transfer are Ana Gasteyer as Queen Aggravain, Will Chase as Sir Harry, Daniel Breaker as the Jester, and Brooks Ashmanskas as the Wizard.

Newly announced for the ensemble are Daniel Beeman, Wendi Bergamini, Cicily Daniels, Taylor Marie Daniel, Ben Davis, Sheldon Henry, Oyoyo Joi, Amanda LaMotte, Sarah Michele Lindsey, Michael Olaribigbe, Adam Roberts, Jeffrey Schecter, Darius Wright, and Richard Riaz Yoder.

The Hudson's box office will be open for Mattress ticket sales beginning July 12. The production will celebrate the first day with a morning of discount tickets (two per person for select performances), special guests, and games. Attendees will be able to enter a win a grand "V-I-Pea" prize package that includes a Casper mattress and a lifetime supply of tickets to the revival's Broadway run.

Featuring a book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller, and Marshall Barer; music by Mary Rodgers; and lyrics by Barer, Once Upon a Mattress is a comedic retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale The Princess and the Pea. The musical, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1959, launched the career of Carol Burnett, who starred in the work's Off-Broadway and Broadway bows along with a string of live TV performances. The musical has since become a favorite at high schools and theatre groups around the world. This revival features a book adaptation penned by Amy Sherman-Palladino.

Read reviews for the Encores! run here.

Following the Broadway run, Foster and Urie (further casting is to be announced) will take the revival to Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre via Center Theatre Group, with performances beginning December 10 and continuing through January 5, 2025.

Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet (Into the Woods) staged the January run, and will reprise her work on Broadway, alongside fellow returning creative team members choreographer Lorin Latarro; scenic designer David Zinn; costume designer Andrea Hood; sound designer Kai Harada; hair, wig, and makeup designer J. Jared Janas; and physical comedy and effect designer Skylar Fox. New for the Broadway bow will be lighting designer Justin Townshend. Cody Renard Richard will serve as production stage manager, and casting is by The Telsey Office's Craig Burns.

And, it also appears that the transfer will not use the musical's original orchestration as it did in the earlier run. The transfer will feature orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin, who also scored the musical's 1996 Broadway revival. Encores! Music Director Mary-Mitchell Campbell will serve as music supervisor, with Annbritt duChateau as music director.

The upcoming revival will be the eighth Encores! production to play the Main Stem, following earlier transfers of Chicago, The Apple Tree, Gypsy, Finian's Rainbow, After Midnight, Violet (which originated as a New York City Center Encores! Off-Center production, also starring Foster), and Into the Woods. A 2000 Encores! concert of Wonderful Town also inspired a full Broadway revival in 2003.

Seaview and Creative Partners Productions are producing.

Tickets are on sale at OnceUponaMattress.com.

See photos from the production's New York City Center run: