Carol Burnett is alive and well and not starring in the latest Broadway revival of Once Upon a Mattress, the fractured fairy-tale musical opening tonight that laid the foundation for the funnywoman’s skyrocketing comedic career in ’59. Luckily for Broadway audiences, the modern stage has its own Princess Winnifred more than capable of carrying out the royal succession: Sutton Foster.

Foster, who has starred in The Music Man , The Drowsy Chaperone , Anything Goes and, well, you name it, is a smart enough musical comedian to know not to mess with a good thing. Her sweetly vulgar Princess of the Swamp is a loving tribute to Burnett – even those who missed out on Broadway audiences during the Eisenhower administration may have vague memories of Burnett's performance from those early '60s TV specials.

Yes, Foster is a winner in this show, sometimes overdoing it, but mostly in the zone, and I suspect she’s the first to give credit where it’s due: a stage performer as smart as the woman who co-starred with Hugh Jackman in The Music Man knows her Broadway history, and almost every brash, over-the-top, and restrained comedic choice the charming Foster makes is a nice throwback. There’s also more than a touch of Lucille Ball, and a dash of Amy Sedaris and, unless I’m misreading one or two rubber faces, maybe even Martha Raye. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with borrowing from the best, and Foster has chosen her guardian angels wisely.

In short, Foster nails this performance, delivering what is, has been, and always will be a mid-tier musical, with more unnecessary subplots and singsong padding than an old mattress has springs. The rest of the cast – Brooks Ashmanskas, David Patrick Kelly, Ana Gasteyer, Daniel Breaker, Will Chase, Nikki Renée Daniels, and, especially, Michael Urie – provide plenty of support, but this is Foster’s show.