It's Snow Time
Children’s Theatre brings classic fairy tale to life
Nikki Lanzer, photos by Andrea Paulseth |
Get your singing voices ready and prepare to join the Eau Claire Children’s Theatre this winter in their upcoming musical rendition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Performances of this song-filled adaption of the Brothers Grimm classic will take place at Eau Claire’s State Theatre from Feb. 4 through Feb. 7.
As the actors on stage dance, sing, and work to discover the fairest in the land, audiences will be swept away into the world of a cherished fairy tale. Viewers young and old will be captivated by the story’s familiarity – a quality that ECCT executive director Wayne Mark believes is what makes a production like Snow White a success.
“Classic tales are very accessible to audiences because they come in already knowing the basic story line,” Marek explained. “For some, it’s reliving a favorite childhood story; for others it’s a chance to introduce their children to a classic tale in a new way – through live theater.”
Yet when a fairy tale – even one with a well-known plotline – gets a musical upgrade, the work involved in putting together the production multiplies. Incorporating song and dance creates a more time-consuming commitment for the actors and crew, as they often must allot additional space in their schedules for practice hours in order to ensure solid performances. “Musicals always take a little more time to rehearse,” Marek said. “In addition to blocking and learning lines, there is music and dance to learn.”
But the show’s director isn’t too worried about the whole production coming together. In addition to having already performed this version of Snow White before, Marek has confidence in his actors’ skills and talents. And as long as a decent-sized crowd appears for the show’s debut, the director believes the rest of the weekend’s performances will be able to continue riding on the opener’s excitement. “We’d love to see a large audience on opening night,” Marek said. “It’ll create some positive word of mouth for a full weekend of performances.”
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, an Eau Claire Children’s Theatre Production • Thursday-Friday, Feb. 4-5, 7:30 pm • Saturday, Feb. 6, 10am and 1:30pm • Sunday, Feb. 7, 1:30pm • State Theatre, 316 Eau Claire St., Eau Claire • $22 adults, $18 seniors, $12 students, $8 youth • In addition, Snow White’s Enchanted Party will be at noon Saturday in the basement of the State Theatre. Tickets for the party are $5 • tickets for the show and the party available at eauclairearts.com or (715) 832-2787
