Peabody Students to Take Stoneham Theatre Stage

Submitted by Stoneham Theatre:

Four Peabody students will be taking the stage at Stoneham Theatre during the young company Summer Festival 2014.

Stoneham Theatre’s young company offers year-round theatrical training and performance opportunities for students in grades 1-12. The Summer Festival is the culmination of vieweeks of preparation by the students and their professional directors, music directors, choreographers, stage managers, and design team.

The young company Summer Festival includes six fully staged productions: Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr., Children of Eden, and Xanadu run from August 7-10, 2014 and are performed by students in grades 4-9. Monty Python’s Spamalot, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and Mary Zimmerman’s Argonautika run from Aug. 14-17 and are performed by students in grades 10-12 and recent high school graduates.

Amanda Frieser (Gull/Chef) will appear in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. a musical where a young mermaid longs to leave her ocean home—and her fins—behind. But to live in the world above, she and her underwater pals will have to defy her kingly father, make a deal with the evil sea witch, and convince the handsome human prince she’s the girl he’s been seeking. Join us for this journey “Under the Sea,” with all of your favorite songs and beloved characters. Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater. Book by Doug Wright. Based on the Hans Christian Anderson Story and the Disney Film. Music Adapted and arranged by director David Weinstein.

Caroline Castro (Hera) will appear in Xanadu, a musical based on the popular movie where a magical Greek muse descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to 1980s Venice Beach, California on a quest to inspire a struggling artist. But when they fall in love, her jealous sisters wreak havoc on the pair’s roller-disco dreams. This hilarious, free-wheeling musical adventure encourages us to listen to our hearts despite what others say. Book by Douglas Carter Beane, Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar. Based on the Universal Pictures film Screenplay by Richard Danus and Marc Rubel. Originally produced on Broadway by Robert Ahrens, Dan Vickery, Tara Smith/ B. Swibel, Sara Murchison/ Dale Smith and Cari Smulyan.

Sara Hayward will appear in Monty Python’s Spamalot which retells the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table with show girls, cows, killer rabbits, and Frenchies tossed in. The 2005 Broadway production won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and garnered 14 Tony Award nominations. Book and Lyrics by Eric Idle. A new musical lovingly ripped off from the classic film MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. From the original screenplay by Graham Chapman.

Becky Jo Roland (Sara) will appear in Picnic at Hanging Rock, a musical that takes place at the Appleyard School for Girls. Australia. 1900. St. Valentines Day. When a group of school girls picnic at a mysterious geological formation known as Hanging Rock, three of them never return. Did they run away, were they kidnapped, or was something more supernatural at play? This haunting new musical weaves an intricate web of longing, loss, and mystery. Book, music, and lyrics by Daniel Zaitchik. Based on the novel Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Weigall Lindsay.

Performance Schedule:

Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Jr. — Friday, Aug. 8 at noon; Saturday, Aug. 9 at noon; and Sunday, Aug. 10 at noon.

Children of Eden — Friday, Aug. 8 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 9 at 3 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 10 at 3 p.m.

Xanadu — Thursday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m; and Sunday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m.

Monty Python’s Spamalot — Friday, Aug. 15 at 5 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 17 at noon.

Picnic at Hanging Rock — Friday, Aug. 15 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 16 at 5 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m.

Mary Zimmerman’s Argonautika — Thursday, Aug. 14 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 16 at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, Aug. 17 at 5 p.m.

Tickets for adults are $15. Student tickets are $10. For more information, call Stoneham Theatre’s Box Office at (781) 279-2200, or visitwww.stonehamtheatre.org.