On Sunday the 2nd, I had the pleasure of watching the Trinitas production of “Once Upon A Mattress.” I have never had the opportunity to see a Trinitas show, and let me say, I was absolutely blown away.

Walking onto the Rosary campus for the seventh time that week with no expectations and an empty stomach, I was slowly approaching my wits’ end. I was hungry and tired, and had no idea of what I was about to witness– but boy, oh boy was I in for a surprise.

With the pleasant greetings from the crew and the nice breeze outside, it was easy to settle into one of the lawn chairs and chat in anticipation for the show’s commencement. As fanfare introduced the show and the families around me chittered with excitement, the show began and I was completely blown away.

As someone that knows several of the performers in an academic setting, it was clear to me that the stage is the place for these people to shine. The opening song began, and I was sucked into the story. When the intermission came, I was genuinely disappointed that I had to stop watching, and not even the extremely loud child a couple chairs down could ruin the show for me (though he definitely tried).

Several parts of the show truly impressed me, but there were some shining stars in the mix that really made me see the talent that Trinitas fosters. The performances of the cast were astounding, specifically Anna DiCrisi ’22 as Lady Larken, Claire Early ’21 as Queen Aggravain, Sam George ’21 as Prince Dauntless, and Katie Thomas ’22 as the lead role, Princess Winnifred.

Anna’s performance was phenomenal, and her vocals left the audience truly speechless, even earning a comparison from Charlotte Jordan ’23 saying that, “Her voice really reminds me of Amanda Seyfried, she was amazing!” Every moment she was onstage, I was neck-deep in the story and ready to see her next scene.

Claire’s extremely dynamic acting felt like she was having a conversation with the audience while simultaneously interacting with the characters onstage. I was especially grateful to get a chance to watch Claire’s final performance with Trinitas, as she is one of many seniors within the cast. When asked about her experience as a senior in the show, Claire said, “As a senior, it was a very bittersweet experience because I was aware of how every moment was a ‘last’ for me.”

Sam George’s depiction of Dauntless the Drab was charming and insanely fun to watch, while also being extremely meaningful as a final performance. It truly was special for Sam as well, as he said, “Being able to do this show as a senior has been nothing short of amazing. Doing my last musical with my friends was quite the blessing and I’ll never forget it.”

Where do I begin for the excellence that was Katie Thomas’ portrayal of Winnifred? Her incredible vocals? Her hilarious and heartfelt acting? Her fantastic comedic timing? I have endless complimentary things to say about her in this musical, and she embodied her role through and through. Katie’s favorite part of her role in the show was her first scene, saying, “I entered with the rest of the cast but then had to wait and get ready, so by the time I got onstage I was always full of energy and anticipation. It’s quite an entrance to come on and spit into the audience. But it was so much fun and so gratifying to immediately burst into song while the audience roared in laughter.”

Every aspect of this musical blew me away, from the easy and clear comradery between the actors to the magical musical talents of each student. These kids have got (as they say in the industry, which I would know) some performing chops. Make sure to keep an eye on Trinitas news in the near future in order to find out what fabulous productions are happening next, and we wish a massive congratulations to the cast and crew of this amazing performance.