Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Dramatic pause

Take time from holiday hustle to revisit the classics on stage


By JENNIFER LIEBRUM
Express Staff Writer

Courtesy photo. Arielle Rawlings is Belle and Judah Claffey is the Beast in the fairy tale turned ballet.

There's something extra special about going to live performances at Christmastime, and this year there are plenty of opportunities.

Sun Valley Ballet School Director Sherry Horton is living a dream in being able to stage Beauty and the Beast, having performed it in professional production before her retirement from the Columbia City Ballet.

"This is the last ballet I danced before I retired, so it is very special to me," she said.

The version that will be performed at the nexStage Theatre on Friday, Dec.9, through Sunday, Dec. 11, is an original production created for the Sun Valley Ballet School.

The ballet tells the tale of a handsome prince turned into a beast by an evil fairy because of his selfishness. A good fairy gives him a rose and tells him true love is the only way to break the enchantment. After the prince has spent years of living alone as a beast, a man picks the rose and promises his daughter Belle in return.

They share his castle as he tries to woo and win her love to break his curse. When the Evil Fairy returns to kill the Beast, Belle realizes her love for him. Her kiss breaks the spell and the Beast is once again a handsome prince.

The lead role of Belle is danced by Arielle Rawlings with the Beast being danced by Judah Claffey. Other principal roles are danced by Emmet Fortuin as the Prince, Lily Gillespie as the Evil Fairy, Bailey Cleven as the Good Fairy, and Katelynn Geissler and Mariah Stout as Belle's sisters. The ensemble is composed of Sun Valley Ballet School dancers, who range in age from 4 to 21.

"This has been a very collaborative effort," Horton said. "Technical director Chip Booth and I started writing the story this summer, then it was the music supervisor, Dawson Howard's turn. He assembled the amazing musical score to create a beautiful backdrop for the dancing."

What's Christmas without the story "It's a Wonderful Life"? This year, Company of Fools is putting on the famous Capra show as Joe Landry adapted it to be seen as a live radio play.

The setting is Christmas Eve 1946, a time when news, music, comedy, drama and soap operas were heard by those huddled around the family radio. A group of talented radio players have gathered to bring to life all of the characters in "It's a Wonderful Life," plus commercials, sound effects and music—an engaging and memorable way to experience anew the powerful story of George Bailey, "the richest man in town."

Company of Fools' production features Rachel Adams, Andrew Alburger, Jana Arnold, Greg Cappel, Kathryn Cherasaro, Scott Creighton, Keith Joe Dick and John Glenn under the direction of Denise Simone. Musical direction is by R.L. Rowsey, set design by Joe Lavigne and light design by Steven Koehler.

Frank Capra's much-loved film was based on a story written in 1939 by Philip VanDoren Stern titled "The Greatest Gift." After an unsuccessful bid to get his story published, Stern decided to turn it into a Christmas card and mailed 200 copies to family and friends in 1943. The story came to the attention of RKO producer David Hempstead, who showed it to Cary Grant's agent, and in 1944, RKO Pictures bought the rights to the story for $10,000, hoping to turn it into a vehicle for Grant. Failing at that, and with Grant moved on to another show, a script polish was undertaken, the results of which became the screenplay that made Jimmy Stewart everybody's Christmas hero.

The show will play from Tuesday, Dec. 13, through Sunday, Dec. 18, at the Sun Valley Opera House and from Tuesday, Dec. 20, through Friday, Dec. 30, at the Liberty Theatre in Hailey. Each venue has tickets packages and scheduling. Book early—you'll want to be able to squeeze in the Christmas Carol at nexStage Dec. 17 through Dec. 24 and Vincent, a one man show by Jim Jarrett about the painter, Dec. 26-29.




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