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Jennifer Collester

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The cast, from left, Lizzie Dolce, Matt Rafanelli, Justin Autz, Meaghan McInnes and Jae Hughes. Photo from Engeman Theater

By Heidi Sutton

As the weather outside becomes frightful, the Engeman Theater in Northport invites families inside for a heartwarming production of Frosty. The terrific cast, directed by Jennifer Collester with stage manager Jillian Sharpe, brings the holiday musical to life with catchy sing-alongs and plenty of audience participation. 

The narrator (Lizzie Dolce) introduces us to Jenny (Meaghan McInnes), a young girl who lives in Chillsville, “a little town way up north that is always covered with a fresh blanket of snow.” The daughter of the Mayor (Matt Rafanelli), Jenny’s favorite thing to do is to play outside. With help from her father, she builds a snowman and names him Frosty. When Jenny puts a scarf around him, Frosty (Justin Autz) magically comes to life and the two become fast friends.

On the other side of town, Ebenezer Pierpot (Jae Hughes), the president of Pierpot Enterprises (a manufacturer of snow shovels, snowblowers, and ice scrapers), wants to build a bigger factory in the park but can’t do that with all the snow. During a meeting at town hall, Pierpot tricks the Mayor into signing a contract to build a machine that will melt all the snow in the town, putting Frosty’s life in jeopardy. 

With Chillsville getting warmer by the minute, will Jenny come up with a plan to save Frosty or will he turn into a large puddle of water with a carrot?

I always look forward to reviewing this show because I love to see the children’s faces light up when they realize that they have been invited to become part of the production. They move to the edge of their seats with eager anticipation as they wait for the next question from the narrator or the cast and the next sing-a-long to join in.

During the performance the audience is asked what Jenny should do today (Build a snowman!), to come up with a plan to save Frosty (Move to another town!), help Jenny write a letter to her dad, and wish for snow (and it works!) They also join the narrator in the fun opening number, “Snow!” and the entire cast in a lively rendition of “Frosty the Snowman.”

With the ultimate message that love “is pretty powerful stuff,” this is the perfect show to introduce a child to live theater and is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday season.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Frosty through Jan. 2. Running time is 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. Children’s theater continues with Disney’s Frozen Jr. from Jan. 29 to Feb. 27 and Madagascar – A Musical Adventure from March 26 to May 1. All seats are $20. For more information or to order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

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From left, Meaghan McInnes, Amelia Freiberger, Jae Hughes, Katie Dolce, Ella Piscatello and AnnaBelle Deaner
Katie Dolce as Ariel in 'The Little Mermaid Jr'
T. Ramsey Pack as Sebastian in 'The Little Mermaid Jr'
Jennifer Collester as Ursula in a scene from 'The Little Mermaid Jr'
The cast of 'The Little Mermaid Jr'

By Heidi Sutton

The John W. Engeman Theater celebrates the return of children’s theater with a production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr., an abbreviated version of the 1989 animated classic based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. With music by Alan Menken, book by Doug Wright and lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, the show, which opened last Saturday morning, begins with the seafaring number “Fathoms Below” and never loses its momentum.

Directed by Steven Dean Moore, with musical direction by Nicki Winzelberg and choreography by Becky Grace Kalman, the story centers around Princess Ariel, the youngest mermaid daughter of King Triton, who is obsessed with the world above and longs to trade in her fish tail for a pair of legs, much to the dismay of her father. 

When she falls in love with Prince Eric, Ariel strikes a bargain with her aunt, the evil sea witch Ursula, to become human. There is a catch however — Ariel must give up her voice and Eric must fall in love with her in three days or she will lose her soul forever. With the help of her best friend Flounder, the court composer Sebastian the crab, and a seagull named Scuttle, Ariel sets off to follow her heart. Will love conquer all or will revenge strike it down?

Katie Dolce is perfectly cast as the strong-willed Ariel and her solo, “Part of Your World,” is breathtaking. She shares a nice chemistry with Matthew Rafanelli, her charming Prince Eric, who holds his own with “One Step Closer” where he teaches a mute Ariel how to dance in one of the most endearing moments in the show.

In his debut at the Engeman, T. Ramsey Pack is incredible as Sebastian. With a spot on Jamaican accent, a calming presence, and flawless comedic timing, Pack is the perfect crabby crustacean tasked with keeping an eye on Ariel and pulls off the show’s two most elaborate numbers, “Under the Sea” and “Kiss the Girl,” with ease. He even walks like a crab! 

Jae Hughes’ amazing talents abound in the role of Scuttle and shines in the tap-dancing number “Human Stuff” while teaching Ariel all about dinglehoppers, thingamajigs and snarfblatts, la-di-da! And AnnaBelle Deaner, as bestie Flounder, is in perfect harmony with Ariel’s sisters — Allana (Ella Piscatello), Aquata (Angelina Miller), Atina (Elizabeth Dolce), Adella (Amelia Freiberger), Arista (Jenna Hammelman) and Andrina (Meaghan McInnes) — in “She’s in Love.” 

The role of Ursula is shared by Jennifer Collester and Samantha Carroll. During Saturday’s show, Collester gave a powerful performance of the villainous sea witch — her version of “Poor Unfortunate Souls” will give you chills. And Suzanne Mason and Ryan McInnes are downright creepy as the slithering moray eel minions Flostam and Jetsam. Great job!

One of the most entertaining scenes of the show takes place in the palace kitchen with Chef Louis. Elizabeth Dolce takes this delicious role and runs with it, literally, as she attempts to serve Sebastian for dinner. Her version of “Les Poissons,” complete with a French accent and a chase scene, is hilarious!

Supporting cast members also include Justin Autz as Prince Eric’s confidant Grimsby, always by his side; Moore Theobald as the head sailor on Prince Eric’s ship; and Logan Dolence as King Triton, a protective and loving father.

As an added bonus, a large screen in the background changes with the scenery (the deck of a ship, Ariel’s grotto, the beach, the castle, etc) and shows scenes from the movie which are hard to replicate on stage including when Ariel saves Prince Eric from drowning and when Ariel gives her voice to Ursula. A nice touch. 

The incredibly beautiful costumes by Laura McGauley, from the colorful merfolk outfits and wigs, royal palace garbs, Scuttle’s feathers, Ursula’s tentacles, and iridescent eel puppets are the icing on the cake.

The cast and creative team have composed a wonderful morning of live theater. Don’t miss this one! 

The John W, Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents Disney’s The Little Mermaid Jr. Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through Aug. 22. The Disney theme continues with Beauty & the Beast Jr. from Sept. 25 to Oct. 31. All seats are $20. For more information or to order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

All photos by Corinne Wight

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'Frosty' returns to the Engeman Theater this weekend. Photo from Engeman Theater
Interactive show is a big hit with young audiences

By Heidi Sutton

In perfect timing with the frigid weather, the John W. Engeman Theater presents its annual production of “Frosty” through Dec. 29. Directed by Jennifer Collester, the wintry show has become a holiday favorite for many families over the years.

“I’m here to take you on a little adventure,” teases the Narrator (Jessica Gray) as the audience is introduced to the town of Chillsville, “A beautiful town way up north that is always covered with a blanket of fresh snow.” 

The cast of ‘Frosty’

There we meet Jenny (Katie Dolce), a little girl who’s favorite thing to do is to play outside. With help from her mother (Nicole Weitzman), Jenny builds a snowman she names Frosty (played by Dylan Poulos). Once she puts the finishing touches on the snowman, including a hat and scarf, he magically comes to life. Just like the song, Frosty is a jolly, happy soul and wait until you see him sing and dance!

Unfortunately, mean Ethel Pierpot (Sari Feldman), who makes snow shovels, snow blowers and ice scrapers in her factory on the other side of town, has just invented a weather machine that will eventually make all the snow melt in Chillsville so that she can build a bigger factory. Frosty has only a few hours before “He’ll be nothing more than a puddle and a carrot.”

The songs, including “One Friend Is Better Than No Friends” and “Thanks to You,” are playful and fun with the exception of “Pierpot’s Solution,” which is quite sinister! In the grand finale, the audience joins the cast in a rousing rendition of “Frosty the Snowman.”

From the opening number, “Snow!,” the audience is encouraged to clap and sing, help Jenny write a letter and find a way to help save the melting snowman. “How can we save Frosty?” the Narrator asks.
“Put him in a blast chiller!” is one response. “Get the key and turn off the machine!” is another. Of course! 

Frosty and Jenny in a scene from the show.

What will happen to Frosty? Well, you’ll have to see the show to find out. There is a great snowball fight and it will snow in the theater but I’ve already given away too much so I’ll stop. I do recommend taking the kids and heading to Northport to catch a performance of “Frosty” — it will be one of the best presents they’ll receive this holiday season.

Meet the cast in the lobby after the show for pictures and autographs. An autograph page is conveniently located at the back of the program. Running time is 90 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport presents “Frosty” through Dec. 29. The theater’s 2019-20 Youth Season continues with Disney’s “Frozen Jr.” from Jan. 25 to March 1. All seats are $15. For more information or to order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

Photos by Jennifer Collester

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The cast of ‘Rapunzel: A Tangled Fairytale’. Photo by Jessie Eppelheimer/ Engeman Theater

By Heidi Sutton

Question: What do you get when you combine the classic Grimm Brothers fairytale “Rapunzel” and Disney’s animated feature “Tangled”? 

Answer: “Rapunzel: A Tangled Fairytale,” a wickedly funny musical adaptation written by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, the creators of the hit TV show “Friends.” The children’s show opened at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport this past weekend and runs through Aug. 25.

Simon, trusted valet to the Prince, serves as storyteller and gives the audience the backstory on how Rapunzel ended up in the tower. We meet up with the young girl on the morning of her 16th birthday where her only wish is to be able to leave her imprisonment for one day and see the world.

Her “mother,” Gretta the witch, at first promises to grant her wish but then changes her mind. “I just want to know what’s at the end of the road!” begs Rapunzel. “The DMV – nobody wants to go there,” quips the witch. 

Meanwhile, Prince Brian has run away from the castle and vows only to return once he has slain a dragon or rescued a maiden. “As a hero, I’m a zero,” he laments. When the prince comes upon Rapunzel in the tower, he seizes this rare opportunity and hatches a plan to rescue her. What follows is a fun, exciting and hilarious adventure the entire family will enjoy.

Director Jennifer Collester knows her target audience well and has assembled the perfect group of actors to tell this hairy tale to young theatergoers. 

Making her Engeman debut, Joanna Sanges is terrific as the naive but strong-willed Rapunzel who will stand up to the witch, the king and anything else that comes her way — a wonderful role model for the many little princesses in the audience.

While not in a disco on the Engeman’s stage in the evenings (“Saturday Night Fever”) Christopher Hanford spends his morning weekends rescuing fair maidens as Prince Brian and does a fine job. Hanford spends the second half of the show wearing sunglasses (the witch cast a spell to make him blind) and is a good sport when Rapunzel forgets to help him navigate the stage. 

The indefatigable Bobby Montaniz plays multiple roles throughout the show (Simon, a cow, innkeeper, the king) and draws the most laughs. He quickly becomes the audience favorite.

But it is Suzanne Mason, as Gretta the witch, who gives the strongest performance and “with a twist of her wrist and a turn of her ring” takes this juicy role and runs with it. Like a sour patch kid, her character is both sweet and sour but not scary — just diabolical!

Perhaps the best part of the show is when Rapunzel and the Prince make their way into the audience on their way to the village and interact with the children, asking them questions such as what they like to eat.

The costumes, special sound effects and lighting pull it all together nicely to produce a marvelous morning of live theater.

Stay after the show and meet the cast in the lobby for pictures and autographs. An autograph page is conveniently located toward the back of the program.

The John W. Engeman Theater, 250 Main St., Northport, will present “Rapunzel: A Tangled Fairytale” on Saturdays at 11 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. through Aug. 25. Costumes are encouraged. Children’s theater continues with an audience favorite, “The Wizard Of Oz” from Sept. 28 to Oct. 27, followed by the theater’s annual production of “Frosty” from Nov. 23 to Dec. 29 and Disney’s “Frozen Jr.” from Jan. 25 to March 1. All seats are $15. To order, call 631-261-2900 or visit www.engemantheater.com.

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