Give Disney's Once Upon a Mattress a Grade- Page 3

[Blanche]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:17pm

A-
First of all, when you have to scale down for time and for being a Disney TV movie, I thought they did an admirable job. I thought the casting of Ullman and O'Hare was inspired. Having them older made it even more believeable that they had been waiting a LONG time for a princess to pass a test.
I found the choreography very good considering it was done for television and not for the stage. I work in television as a director and I thought the direction was fine.
Sure, it wasn't the version we all wanted to see, which was the Broadway stage version, but considering the venue, I found it very enjoyable.
I missed the cut songs and original script just like most of you, but when you look at it as a whole project, IMO it was very good.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:29pm

I tend to agree with the others. Crappy set, crappy direction. The only really saving grace was Carol Burnett.

The show never really seemed to explode with joy like a musical should.

Don't forget the other tv musicals: Bye Bye Birdie and South Pacific (with Glen "I can still play ingenue" Close).

Updated On: 12/19/05 at 04:29 PM

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:30pm

The TV BIRDIE and SOUTH PACIFIC were Oscar gold compared to Disney's ANNIE, MUSIC MAN, CINDERELLA, and MATTRESS.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:35pm

"The TV BIRDIE and SOUTH PACIFIC were Oscar gold compared to Disney's ANNIE, MUSIC MAN, CINDERELLA, and MATTRESS."

I'll agree with Birdie. South Pacific was a nightmare. Miscast Glen Close. Anemic Harry Connick Jr. And anyone who thought Robert Pastorelli was anything close to Luther Billis should have their eyes checked.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:37pm

I really liked the BIRDIE re-make - it was a thousand times better than the original movie. I hated SOUTH PACIFIC, but I still thought it was more enjoyable and better made than the Disney ones.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:39pm

I also give it an A-!
Although my viewing was interupted by an Important message from George W. Bush! However, I'm glad it happened during a commerical and that they picked up where they left off! Good thing that Desperate Housewives was a re-run, or else it might not have turned out that way.


I LOVED the cast. Denis O'Hare was so cute it that role and I've alway loved Tracey Ullman and I really loved her in this role. Anyone who has problems with Tracey's voice can listen to my revival recording. Carole Burnett was great and she looked great and her new song was fun. Matt, the king and Lady Larken were great too. I think I'm like the only one that doesn't rave of Zooey's singing in Elf, and I wondered how she would do here, and she did just fine.
Ofcourse I was annoyed that they took out the Minstrel and his songs, but I'm glad that gave Harry and Larken "Normandy", instead of that other song. It made since too, because they really weren't as mad as they are in the play.
However, my favorite was the Wizard. He was so cute and fun to watch, and I loved how the queen made him be the Nightingale. He was my favorite!

I think I'll probably buy it, I have Music Man and and Annie so it can go right along with these.

BTW, whoever said that the Disney version of Annie was horrible, I suggest they watch it again. IMO, it's much better than the 1982 film.

Also, are the other two versions of Once Upon a Mattress availabe on VHS or DVD? I'd like to see them.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:44pm

"I thought the casting of Ullman and O'Hare was inspired. Having them older made it even more believeable that they had been waiting a LONG time for a princess to pass a test."


Yes, I will agree that they shouldn't be teenagers, but they were just TOO OLD. Denis looked the same age as his mother. And, from Denis' performance, it made me think that he wasn't married because of his mother, but because he's not interested in women...

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:51pm

I give it an F. In my opinion, they should've cut out Lady Larken (dreadful!) and Prince Harry completely. I didn't feel they needed to be in there at all.

I'm debating on whether I should buy the DVD... Hopefully it'll have all the cut songs on it. I hated how "Opening for a Princess" turned into one line and where was the Minstrel? And I love the trio song with the King, the Jester and I! Or whatever the title really is. Oh, and I loved Quiet! too.

Blah. I would've enjoyed watching something else. Mattress was my first musical and I loved doing it, but now I feel my experience is kinda marred.

[Danielm]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 4:57pm

I'm with Blanche and MTVMANN, I thought it was a lot of fun. I thought the age with Fred and Prince Dauntless worked really well. I thought the cast was great fun. I liked the very flat, frank quality of Lady Larkin and I thought the choreography was histerical. I give it a B+.

[MrMidwest]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 5:34pm

B-

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 5:47pm

C

[gumbo2]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 5:48pm

I think Dauntless/Fred's ages were fine, if not the most ideal. They made them work. Overall I give it a C, it was fun and cute at times but that was about it, nothing thrilled me.

[zippyjen]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:10pm

i would say b-. I enjoyed it but it was nothing great. ANd you got to love carol burnett!

[ljay889]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:15pm

Marshall is a Tony winner for her work on WONDERFUL TOWN. Which I think she did a fabulous job on.

She is probally better for the stage, her brother is obviously the one suited for films.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:20pm

D

[Madame X]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:22pm

F

It was unwatchable. And this is coming from someone who adores Carol Burnett.

[aslarson05]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:23pm

I would give it a B-/C+

The direction was horrible, but I think the music and the performances made up for the dreadful directing and choreography.

[Bwaybaby109]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:25pm

I give it a B+, I thought everyone did a pretty good job, esp Dennis O'Hare, he really portrayed Dauntless the way I wanted him to be and I loved Zooey and Matthew Morrison!!! They both did great! Tracey was good. I didn't know Carol Burnett could still sing like that, she did a great job. Overall I liked it, it did have some awkward choreograpy I admit, but the Spanish Panic was great though, Tracey and Dennis were a bit old for the parts but they both grew on me and I forgot about about the age. I hated that stupid part in the beginning with the gril in Disney World, thank God it didn't last too long. I'm sad that the Minstrel was cut out and they cut out Opening for a Princess, it's too great a song to cut out, like King of Broadway in The Producers, but I won't go into that. Really other than that, I enjoyed the movie, it was better than Music Man. And yay that they kept Normandy in! Love that song! And the Man to Man Talk was just adorable!

[gavrochegirl]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:28pm

B

[roquat]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:29pm

I've worked with Kathleen Marshall, and she is a GENUIS. Period.

I'd say a B-plus for "Mattress". No big deal, but a pleasantly goofy time-waster. Denis O'Hare couldn't have been more charming. And Zooey Deschanel's voice, though eccentric, is delightful--I can't believe several of you out there can rave about, say, Eartha Kitt and Elaine Stritch, who are flat ALL THE TIME, and yet complain about Zooey.

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:31pm

B+

I liked Matthew Morrison, Zooey and Denis. Quite good.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:37pm

Quite good? Do you people get out of the house enough?

[wickedfan]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:39pm

Munkus-why can't you just be a kind poster? Why do yo ualways have to be such a megab*tch? (And you get ten points if you can get that reference).

[minimel8817]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:45pm

I'd give it an A-...i actually enjoyed it, at least for sitting home on sunday night. I think the story is quite and enjoyable by itself, and i like the casting. However old Tracy may be, the girl can sing and Carol Burnett just brings something to these Disney movies, something broadway. I'm a huge Matt Morrison fan, but thats probably just because i was like 3 feet away from him when i saw The Light in the Piazza, and i thought he was great...there's no denying he can sing! Denis O'Hare was also really cute, in the dorky can sing like a lovesick puppy boy kinda way. Zooey didnt have the best voice for the role, but she was good. Overall, i thought the movie was very enjoyable!

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 12/19/05 at 6:52pm

It's not that I'm not kind, I'm just SHOCKED that anyone with eyes, ears, and a brain would think that this was GOOD. It really confuses me.