(Edited since original publication after WSB was notified 5/26/10 by another media outlet that the “promo photos” provided for our use in publicizing the show were actually the property of that media outlet. The photos have been removed at that outlet’s request, and we have removed text that referred to the no-longer-appearing-in-the-story photos.)
Thursday night is opening night for “Once Upon a Mattress,” a joint production of West Seattle High School‘s Drama and Music Departments, playing Thursday-Saturday and again May 27-29. Above, you see the production’s sizable cast, which is also getting help from student marketers who provided this synopsis of the musical’s plot:

A love-sick nobleman seeking to marry his sweetheart does his best to find his ruling prince a suitable bride so that he himself may wed. No one in Prince Dauntless’s kingdom is permitted to marry until the prince himself exchanges vows — a problem hindered by the fact that the prince’s overprotective mother, Queen Aggravain, has thus far thwarted all efforts to marry her son. This does not sit well with the honorable Sir Harry, a man whose heart longs to wed the fair Lady Larkin, and after a long and arduous journey specifically designed to find the prince a bride, Sir Harry returns to his kingdom to present Princess Winnifred of the swamps. Immediately smitten by the princess, Prince Dauntless sets into motion plans for a lavish wedding as his scheming mother cooks up a test that’s sure to send his marital plans awry.

Not only do ticket-buyers support this production, but they’re also helping raise funds for the program’s future.
Tickets for “Once Upon a Mattress” are $10 at the door, $5 with reservations, kids under 12 half-price with a paying adult, and if you make reservations for six, you only pay for five; for reservations, call 206-252-8834. All performances are at 7:30 pm; here’s the Facebook events page.