'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' Enchants Playgoers at the Phipps

One might think that Midwesterners would shun anything having to do with the word "snow" in mid-February, but  opened to a nearly full house at the on Friday, Feb. 11, 2011.

Much of the audience was comprised of young girls nearly bouncing out of their seats with excitement. Some of them were dressed in outfits fit for a princess themselves, including one pig-tailed youngster who donned Snow White's signature dress for the performance.

The show opened with a musical gathering of Snow White's maids of honor, and the introduction of a new member to their number by a particularly humorous Sir Dandiprat Bombas, the court chamberlain. A pompous man with a ruffled collar and a lack of mathematical skills, Bombas orders the maids of honor to acquaint the new Lady Astolaine with the rules of court, including such critically important skills as "how to retire gracefully."

This production, written by Jessie Braham White and directed by Phipps' Executive Director John Potter, both reinforces and challenges the fairy tale's traditional characters. Queen Brangomar's eyes fairly sparkle with evil, while Witch Hex more closely resembles a sassy grandmother than a truly heinous sorceress. The troop of dwarfs, armed with large pick axes and even larger amounts of facial hair seem perpetually desperate for a housekeeper. Snow White, traditionally meek and compliant, shows a few sparks of spirit while retaining her kindness.

"The witch is so funny in this, and the queen is the truly evil one," Potter said.
"The other thing is that the prince doesn’t rescue her. She kind of rescues herself. It’s not dependent upon the prince giving her a kiss or sweeping in—it's kind of a twist on things."

The show drew bursts of laughter from the audience with both physical and verbal humor.

"I usually don't eat between meals," quipped Snow White as the peddler woman handed her the infamous apple.  

"Humor adds everything to the show. The original Brothers Grimm story is very dark, and you really need to lighten it up," Potter said.

The play featured some genuinely eerie scenes, aided by a talented cast and dazzling scenery. A couple of hiccups marred the stage, including a tree that refused to fall in line with the rest of the enchanted forest, but overall, the production went off without a hitch.

"The crew handled it well. I hate to have audiences sit in the dark, but to have gone on with the set not looking the way it was would have been a mistake," Potter said.

Indeed, the moment after the scenery was set right and the lights came up, the audience audibly gasped at the effect. 

Lake St. Croix Beach, MN, resident Cindy Matiski brought her granddaughter Makayla Matiski, 6, to the play. After the show, Makayla shyly noted that Snow White was her favorite character.

"I thought it was very good, and comical. The scenery was beautiful, and there was some humor that would fly over the heads of kids but adults would laugh at," Cindy said .

That's exactly the way Potter intended it. 

"We intended to appeal to all ages, from 4-year-olds to seniors," Potter said. "The whole idea is to have something that the entire family can come to. There's a sly humor that the adults enjoy." 

Did Snow White get her proverbial happily ever after? You'll have to see the show to find out. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is at the Phipps Fridays-Sundays through Feb. 27.