Nathan Straus Photo Brownsboro High School theater students practice their work on Once Upon a Mattress. The musical will happen Nov 22 and 23. Brownsboro High School's theater department is ready to showcase a high-energy musical number for the Brownsboro Independent School District community. The musical is called Once Upon a Mattress, a comic and offbeat retelling of The Princess and the Pea.

Theater Director David Young said the musical is about a prince, the son of a controlling, overbearing mother who devises outra- geous tests for prospective princesses to beat.

"They come to Winifred, princess 13, who is completely different from what the mother thinks a princess should be," Young said.

Up to about 30 theater students will take part in the presentation. The first showing will be November 22 at 7pm, the second on November 23 at 2pm. Both shows will be in the Brownsboro theater building behind the football field.

The musical is free to attend, but Young said he is asking for a canned food donation from each audience member.

"It's so close to Thanksgiving and we wanted to do something for the community, " he said.

Admission is one canned food item, but theater-goers are certainly free to bring more.

Young said all who attend will be treated to a fun evening or afternoon.

"This is the show that launched Carol Burnett's career,

" he said. "It's high enappropriate with song and dance, and for all ages."

The students have put a lot of hard work into the upcoming program, Young stated, and have practiced long hours every night to bring the storytelling to perfection. In addition, they have learned challenging dance routines and are eager to show what they've learned.

"They're talented; when they get it, they get it and it sounds great," Young said.

In addition, parents of theater students have put time and effort into bringing the musical plans to fruition, working on costumes and constructing the set.

The theater director advised those interested in attending the production to arrive at the theater between 6 and 6:30pm.

There are about 430 seats in the theater building, and no reservations are needed.

"We're hoping we can get people out here to see how good the kids are," Young said.

Students made a bet with David Young: if the theater is packed full of musical-attendees, Young will have to have his head shaved.

The students are hoping to win the bet.