'James and the Giant Peach, Jr.' Rolls Into Camden County College

Gloucester Township, NJ -- "James and the Giant Peach, Jr." rolls, floats, and flies into Camden County College’s Dennis Flyer Theatre, July 27-29. This master "peach" of a tale brings to life Ronald Dahl’s classic children’s book.

Protagonist James (Carleigh Cusick of Washington Township) is sent by his mean aunts, Spiker (Delaney Burke of Gloucester Township) and Sponge (Vilmi Rosseli of Sewell) to chop down their old fruit tree. He receives a magic potion from a mysterious man, Ladahlord (Ryan Fanelli of Marlton). The potion spills, resulting a tremendous peach inhabited by human-sized insects, who become like family to James: Ladybug (Natalie Wrigley of Gloucester Township), Grasshopper (Harrison Smith of Cherry Hill), Centipede (Colin Shea of Gloucester Township), Earthworm (Olivia Radcliff of Magnolia), and Spider (Vanessa Miranda of Gloucester Township). James enters the peach, it rolls into the ocean. He and his friends go on the trip of a lifetime and wind up at the Empire State Building in New York City!

Of portraying James, Cusick said, “It’s really a lot of fun being James. It’s challenging and exciting to figure out his feelings and how he changes throughout the show.”

Ladybug, a motherly character, and Grasshopper, a fatherly character, help James along the way. "I like playing this maternal role. Ladybug takes care of all the bugs. This is a new type of role for me," said Wrigley.

One bug who sometimes causes trouble for everyone is Centipede. "Centipede is cranky and mean. But, in the end he loves everyone. I'm having fun with it. James and the Giant Peach is a great show," said Shea.

This is the first time Mainstage will present James and Giant Peach, Jr. Grace Szczepkowski, of Marlton, directs this this production. Szczepkowski graduated from Arcadia University in 2015 with a BFA in Acting. She recently completed an internship with Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.

“It’s exciting to direct a new show that most local audiences have never seen before. There are so many little pieces that require a lot of pre-planning. Also each number of the show seems to have 3 or 4 different parts to it. It’s been a challenge to choreograph, plan and teach each number almost 4 times because we have to teach each different track for each different group in the number, make sure they all fit together and then put the whole number together,” said Szczpkowski. “But I've loved working on this new material and having fun with no preconceived notions of what the show is supposed to look like. We get to make our mark on this new show which is exciting!”

James and the Giant Peach, Jr. runs July 27 and 28, 7:30 p.m., and July 29, 10:30 am Dennis Flyer Theatre, Lincoln Hall, Camden County College, Blackwood, NJ. Ticket prices are $11 for adults, $10 senior citizens/children 12 and under. Group prices are available. For tickets and more information, please visit www.mainstage.org or call (856) 227-3091.

James and the Giant Peach, Jr. is sponsored by Precision Power Wash and First Bank; the Children’s Theatre program is sponsored by McDonald’s of Blackwood and Hurfville; and Summer Stage is sponsored by Econsult Solutions; AP Construction, Inc; and Investors Bank.

The remaining Summer Stage season includes Disney Journeys, a Musical Revue, August 3-5, sponsored by Beneficial and PostNet. This year’s full-length Broadway production is Titanic, the Musical, which runs July 23,24,29, and 30 and is sponsored by First Bank and Meadows Diner.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, located in Blackwood, NJ is committed to make the arts experience enjoyable for all its patrons.

In an effort to make the shows, concerts, events, workshops, classes, and offices accessible to as many as possible, Mainstage offers many services for patrons requiring assistance.

For anyone in need of assistance, please notify the office at 856-227-3091 at the time of purchasing tickets, or at least five days prior to the event you are attending.

Mainstage Center for the Arts, the parent program for Summer Stage, is a 501 © (3) non-profit organization committed to providing a creative, vibrant, and nurturing environment for youth and adults.

This program is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Photo caption
Peach Cast: The cast of James and the Giant Peach, Jr., will take audiences on a grand adventure July 27-29. From left: Colin Shea (Centipede), Olivia Radcliff (Earthworm), Ryan Fanelli (Ladahlord), Carleigh Cusick (James), Vanessa Miranda (Spider), Harrison Smith (Grasshopper),and Natalie Wrigley (Lady Bug).