The Princess and the Pea at The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences {Review}
The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences presents special
one-hour presentations for kids (and parents) of all ages!
February 26 - May 3, 2015
The beloved characters from the whimsical fairy tale spring into action for The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences’ first show of the season!
From the Kingdom of Ipslonia comes The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences’ first show of the season, THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA, previewing February 26, running through May 3, with a press opening on Saturday, March 7 at 10 a.m. at 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire. I attended the press opening this past Saturday and was so pleased with the performances.
This was the first time we have visited The Marriott Theatre and we loved the stage setup with all the seats surrounding the small stage. The play was funny, age-appropriate and engaging. The actors were spot on with their lines and punch lines and garnered laughs from adults and children alike.
The one-hour presentation of THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA was basically a newscast from the castle in the search for the perfect princess for the Prince of Ipslonia. The prince himself was the perfect mix of goofy and goodness. He was able to fool his mother at one point and sneak off and get lost in the forest. His mother, the queen was hilarious and could have cared less if her son was searching for his one true love. She had preselected her future daughter-in-law and was going to do whatever it took to ensure she won.
The preselected future daughter-in-law was my absolute favorite character. She was gorgeous and dim and all sorts of Buffy-ness. She put the perfect spin on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale.
Once the prince was lost in the forest, he bumped into Ruth, a commoner, who was in search of her own path in life. They quickly discover they are quite alike and Ruth rescues the prince and brings him back to the castle where they run into the court jester. The Court Jester has great timing and delivers his quirky lines with attitude. You will adore him.
In fact, you will adore all the characters of this amazing live play. The Marriott Theatre really knows how to put every second to use. You will fall in love with Ruth and the Prince and be rooting for their true love. You will hope Ruth passes the princesses test and they can live happily ever after.
When Prince Wellington is forced into choosing a bride by his mother, Queen Evermean, all the princesses in the land line up to pass the “Princess Test.” Trouble arises when the Prince falls in love with a commoner, Ruth, instead of a “true” princess! To satisfy the Queen, Ruth must prove her worth by passing her own test, which requires her to sleep on a giant stack of mattresses piled on top of a single pea. If she endures a sleepless night due to the pea – of which she has no knowledge – she must be sensitive enough to be a real princess.
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA stars Alex Goodrich (On the Town and HERO at The Marriott Theatre) as Prince Wellington, Dara Cameron (HERO and South Pacific at The Marriott Theatre) as Ruth, Susan Moniz (Mary Poppins and Now & Forever at The Marriott Theatre, Thoroughly Modern Millie at Drury Lane Theatre) as Queen Evermean, Don Forston (HERO at The Marriott Theatre; A Christmas Carol and Oliver! at Drury Lane Theatre; A Midsummer Night's Dream at Chicago Shakespeare) as Papa and TV Reporter, Samantha Pauly as Buffy, and Derrick Trumbly as Chester.
The Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences team created an engaging play for all ages. My 8-year-old daughter loved the fact that Ruth passed the princess test on a stack of mattresses. She was so uncomfortable from a teeny tiny pea hidden somewhere amongst the stack that she was flopping all over the top. My 11-year-old daughter loved Buffy's silliness completely. But she really stated, I loved the entire play.
Directly following the one-hour presentation of THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA, there is a Question & Answer session with the cast. They come right out on the stage and the audience is allowed to ask questions. I have to admit, this is a favorite part of any play that we see. I think it is so important to take our chidren to see the arts. When theatres include the children during these Q&A sessions, it just brings so much more to live theatre.
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA will continue at Marriott Theatre Lincolnshire, located at Ten Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire (Entrance is on the east side of Rte 21/Milwaukee Avenue, one light south of Half Day Road/Rte 22) through May 3rd with plays most Tuesdays through Sundays at 10 AM and 12:30 PM. Single ticket prices are $17.23 per person (includes fees and taxes).
Free parking is available at all shows.
Buy Tickets at www.marriotttheatre.com
Disclosure: The Princess and the Pea Production Photos All photos are courtesy of Mark Campbell Photography and The Marriott Theatre. I received tickets to the performance. As always, my opinions are my own. I was not compensated in any manner.