Once Upon a Mattress

A Timeless Tale

Once Upon a Mattress – that timeless fantasy musical is based on the classic tale, The Princess and the Pea. It was a dream of Carol Burnett’s to remount it for television with ABCDisney so that an entirely new generation could enjoy its charms. While the costumes reference the Middle Ages, I was given creative freedom to expand the vision and introduced both pre-Raphaelite and Eastern elements to add a certain fluidity and vibrancy. This enhanced the overall look and feel of the dancers’ costumes and allowed them to have ease of movement without sacrificing visual impact.

This was a total design/build show and while incredibly hard work it was so much fun! How could it not be? We had the greatest cast – Carol Burnett, Tracey Ullman, Tom Smothers, Matthew Morrison, Edward Hibbert, Denis O’Hare and many others. I remember all the laughter on the set – this was one for the books!

Emmy nomination 2006 for Outstanding Costumes For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special