So I'm in a production of Once Upon A Mattress right now...

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 9:46am

But we've made one big change.

We've killed Winifred. It never felt right having her live so we changed it so she falls off the bed to her death.

Thoughts?
Updated On: 8/16/10 at 09:46 AM

[Dancin Thru Life]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 11:23am

I'm dressing up like a mattress when I come to see it!

That's OK, right?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 7:58pm

I really think this is an amazing idea! It brings a gritty realism to the piece. When to performances begin?

[wonderwaiter]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 8:09pm

I was walking by the theater and I saw this big pile of mattresses, so I put them in my car. How much will you give me for them?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 8:09pm

Did you change the title to Once Fell Off a Mattress?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 8:54pm

I wanna see this!

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 8:56pm

I saw a production of Once Upon a Mattress where they cut out the illegitimate pregnancy.

It was so confusing and unfortunately my first exposure to this wonderful show.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 9:58pm

Heck, I saw a hick production of BYE BYE BIRDIE that cut the "Shriner's Ballet". Wait...that was at the Roundabout!

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 11:42pm

The production I did of MATTRESS cut out the illegitimate pregnancy....probably cause we were between the ages of 8 and 12.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 8/16/10 at 11:44pm

So eight year olds don't know they were ever born?

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 12:44am

Do they offer a script with those changes? "In a Little While" makes no sense without that and Lady Larkin needing to flee (or even her urgency for the marriage ban to be lifted) has no purpose.

[theaterkid1015]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 12:55am

No new script explanation of why she wanted to get married, just cutting lines about being pregnant and anything racy.

Basically, she just really really REALLY wanted to get married.

[byebyebaby12]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 12:56am

Jordan is it okay if I dress up like Carol Burnett to see the show?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 1:01am

Just don't sit next to me if you're wearing those curtain rods.

[byebyebaby12]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 1:03am

BTW- There is a Once Upon a Mattress Junior edition availible not sure of any of the changes.

[singingbackup]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 3:52pm

It's done with Bunk Beds and Strawberry Shortcake Bedding Collection

[romgitsean]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 4:14pm

Are you guys five years old? Really?

Directors make changes ALL THE TIME. Anyone who is an actor on this board has been in a production were at the very least a line was changed. There is no crime in what my director is doing. So what? She made a change. The production isn't charging admission, and we got the rights from MTI.

This is no better or worse than when in a mentioned production of Annie the ending was changed to where it was all a dream, or in a production of Company when some of the couples where changed to same-sex couples. Or any alteration large or small for ANY production.

In order for a piece to be fresh, things for certain productions are added or cut. It happens all the time. It's not like we're completely destroying the piece. And none of this, "It's not what Jonathan Larson would've wanted!" bull****, because for all anyone knows, he would've changed it later on.

I stand by my director 100% by her decision, and while everyone's entitled to their own opinion on the ending change, your basis for why or why the change affects the work shouldn't be based purely upon legality. The organization I'm working with has been a generous sponsor of MTI and has launched many premiere shows from them, so we're not out to f**k over their work.

Updated On: 8/17/10 at 04:14 PM

[MeggilyWeggily08]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 4:29pm

She changed a crucial part of the plot. Having Mimi die is a LOT different than changing a single line. People make fun of each other on this board, get used it.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 4:31pm

You can stand by your director but what she is doing is illegal, no matter how minor you think it is. EXIBIT A:

"Music Theatre International makes clear that scripts cannot be changed:

Some people think making "minor adjustments" to a show (such as changing the gender of a character or changing the name of a town to give it local significance) is inconsequential to its integrity, or believe they have the right to "experiment" with the authors' intentions as an expression of their artistic vision. This is simply not the case. When you are granted a performance license, by law the show you license must be performed "as is." You have no right to make any changes at all unless you have obtained prior written permission from us to do so (emphasis mine). Otherwise, any changes violate the authors' rights under federal copyright law. Without prior permission from MTI, your actions will subject you to liability—not only to the authors, but also to us—for breaching the terms of your license agreement, which clearly forbid you to make any changes or deletions."

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:lFhXpnnlc60J:lecatr.people.wm.edu/copy.htm+musical+theatre+international+cutting+and+changin&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

You can rationalize it whatever way you want but she is breaking her licensing agreement with the rights holder AND the law.

[D2]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 4:35pm

Most of the changes that people make are illegal unless they have written permission from the show's authors (or their estate) to make said changes. Even a line change, without permission, is illegal.

And that production of ANNIE that your refer to was shut down by the author when he found out about it.

Your director is opening the company up for a major lawsuit should MTI get wind of this change. And posting about it on a fairly high-profile message board is one way to do just that.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 4:38pm

i believe Sondheim has sued to stop productions of Company that change the genders of the couples.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 4:39pm

Charging admission or not is also not an arguement for tampering with a script. The production has to be licensed (and a fee has to be paid) even when admission is complimentary. The rules are no different.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 5:04pm

I have friends at MTI. Should I accidentally let them know about this production of RENT?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 5:12pm

Jordan-
If i knew the proper channells, I'd totally do it.

[Edna Turnblad]

Posted: 8/17/10 at 5:17pm

When I was in eighth grade, the director of the show we were doing changed two word into one word because I said it in rehearsal. It was like "cocoa puffs" to "cheerios." Naturally, we were middle schoolers and didn't know that it was kinda bad. Of course, this wasn't as major a change as this production of Rent, but it was still there. Anyway...I just felt that I should get that out here because every time I read about illegal changes in script, I feel bad.
Also, what about adlibs? That same high school did a show last year where one of the actors adlibbed things pretty much every scene. Is that legal?