Once Upon A Mattress
by Marshall Barer, Mary Rodgers, Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller

Once Upon A Mattress Book Cover
Once Upon A Mattress Cover

Awards & Recognition

Tony Award

Nominee: Two 1960 Tony Awards, including Best Musical Nominee: 1997 Tony Award, Best Revival of a Musical

Synopsis

Composed by Marshall Barer and Mary Rodgers

, this piano, vocal, and guitar songbook features seven selections from the beloved Broadway musical Once Upon a Mattress

.

Designed for medium-level performers, it provides expressive and accessible arrangements for singers, pianists, and theater enthusiasts preparing auditions, recitals, or focused personal study.

Each selection includes vocal melody lines, full piano accompaniment, complete lyrics, and chord names for guitar, making it suitable for solo practice or collaborative performance.

The edition also includes a cast list and black and white photos from the original 1959 Broadway production, offering historical context for fans of classic musical theater.

The arrangements balance musical depth with practical playability, allowing performers to concentrate on storytelling, phrasing, and character interpretation.

Teachers and students alike will find the repertoire engaging for strengthening musicality, timing, and vocal confidence while staying true to the spirit of the original score.

Whether building a theater repertoire library or preparing for performance, this collection delivers material that feels both nostalgic and enduring.

Its concise format makes it easy to integrate into lessons, rehearsal planning, or quick audition preparation without sacrificing musical substance.

Full Song List Happily Ever After * In a Little While * Normandy * Sensitivity * Shy * Very Soft Shoes * Yesterday I Loved You

Ideal for practice, performance, or gifting to a Broadway fan, this vocal selections collection captures the wit and warmth of Once Upon a Mattress in a format performers will return to again and again, supporting confident interpretation and expressive stage presence.

Press Reviews

"A perfect pastiche of its own charming self."

— Liz Smith

"A hilariously nutty retelling of the beloved fairy tale The Princess and the Pea. The show itself is a musical comedy gem. Mattress is a masterpiece of its kind."

— Michael Portantiere, Theatermania

"As fresh, inventive and funny as ever... Once Upon a Mattress shows you can retell fairy tales with wit and sophistication, and more important, human feeling."

— New York Daily News

Characters

Character
Featured
Ensemble
Characters
Principals

Videos

Sarah Jessica Parker Sings "Shy"

Publication

Publisher Hal Leonard
Year 1981
Binding Paperback
Pages 32
Language English
ISBN-13 9780881881011
ISBN-10 0881881015

Once Upon A Mattress is a American play written by Marshall Barer and published by Hal Leonard (1981).

Digital editions available on Amazon Kindle, Apple Books .

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Rating

3.8

175 ratings · 58 reviews

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