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children’s theatre

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Leah Kelly as Elsa sings 'Let It Go' in 'Frozen Jr.'
DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN? 'Frozen Jr.' is now playing at the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts. Photo by Courtney Braun
Elena Grassi sings 'Do You Want to Build a Snowman?'
Lorelai Mucciolo sings 'For the First Time in Forever'
Brody Hampson and Lorelai Mucciolo sing 'Love Is an Open Door'
Lorelai Mucciolo in a scene from 'Frozen Jr.'
Leah Kelly and Lorelai Mucciolo star as Elsa and Anna.
Ryan Romanelli belts out 'In Summer'
Leah Kelly as Elsa in 'Frozen Jr.'
Derek Hough as Sven and Brody Hampson as Kristoff sing 'Reindeer(s) are Better Than People'
Leah Kelly in a scene from 'Frozen Jr.'

By Heidi Sutton

When Hans Christian Andersen penned “The Snow Queen” in 1844 he surely had no idea that his beautiful fairy tale would live on and serve as the inspiration for Walt Disney Animation Studio’s Frozen over 150 years later. The second highest-grossing animated movie of all time, (Frozen II is the highest) it has morphed into a Broadway musical, short films, Disney on Ice and everything in between.

Now the timeless tale heads to the Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts Center for 29 performances in the form of Frozen Jr. With music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez and book by Jennifer Lee, the show features all of the beloved songs from the animated film  along with a few fun new ones.

The story follows two sisters who are princesses in the kingdom of Arendelle. The eldest, Elsa, was born with magical powers that allow her to create ice and snow. As a young child, Elsa doesn’t know how to control her powers and while building a snowman she accidentally harms her sister Anna. Although Anna is healed by the mysterious Hidden Folk, their  parents decide it would be best to protect Anna by keeping the two apart. 

Anna, who has no memory of the accident, can’t understand why her sister avoids her. When the parents are lost at sea, Elsa stays in her room, keeping her secret hidden from her sister and the outside world.

Ten years have passed and it is time for Elsa to become Queen, but on coronation day her magic unintentionally brings an eternal winter to the kingdom. Accused of sorcery, she flees into the mountains to hide. Anna enlists the help of Kristoff the icemaker to help her find her sister and free Arendelle from the spell. Will she succeed?

Directed and choreographed by Courtney Braun with musical direction by Melissa Coyle, the production is polished from start to finish. Ranging in age from 8 to 17, the 24-member cast is extremely talented and clearly love what they are doing. Special mention must be made of Leah Kelly and Lorelai Mucciolo for standout performances in the role of Elsa and Anna.

Lorelai’s bubbly personality shines in “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?,” “For the First Time In Forever” and in her fun duet, “Love is An Open Door,” with Luke Hampson who plays the role of Hans. In contrast, Leah’s character is more reserved, fearful of the powers inside her, and carries herself like royalty. Her vocals are incredible and she literally brings the house down with her powerful number “Let It Go.” Both are perfectly cast.

Elena Grassi and Jillian Cerrato as Young Anna and Young Elsa and Riley Ferraro and Gabby Blum as Middle Anna and Middle Elsa set up the relationship between the two sisters perfectly. Much to the delight of the younger children in the audience, Olaf the Snowman (played by Ryan Romanelli) and Sven the reindeer (played by Derek Hough) make an appearance as well.

Costumes, designed by Chakira Doherty, are stunningly beautiful and her attention to detail is impeccable. Of special note is when Elsa changes costumes mid-song during “Let It Go” and turns into an ice queen with a beautiful blue shimmering dress, drawing gasps from the audience.

A nice addition is the animated projections on a screen depicting different locations in the Kingdom of Arendelle including the inside and outside of the castle, the snowy mountains and Elsa’s ice castle. Large panels on either side of the stage turn with the scenes and the lighting pulls it all together for a magical experience.

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts has gone all out in this production and it shows. The team has succeeded in bringing the the mystical world of Arendelle to life on the stage. If your child loves Frozen, they will love this show. And what’s better than live theater? Costumes are encouraged and booster seats are available. Meet Elsa and Anna in the lobby for a photo and pick up a Frozen souvenir on your way out.

The cast: Leah Kelly, Lorelai Mucciolo, Brody Hampson, Ryan Romanelli, Derek Hough, Luke Hampson, Ari Spiegel, Michael Gualtieri, Ryan Van Nostrand, Gabrielle Arroyo, Justin Walsh Weiner, Zachary Podair, Alia Romanelli, Elena Grassi, Jillian Cerrato, Gabby Blum, Dori Alghrim, Riley Ferraro, Adrienne Porti, Mairead Camas, Savannah Shaw, Sophia Weiner, Jonathan Setzer and Gianna Oppedisano. 

The Smithtown Center for the Performing Arts, 2 E. Main St., Smithtown presents Frozen Jr. through Jan. 17 with a special sensory sensitive performance on Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. All seats are $25. To order, call 631-724-3700 or visit www.smithtownpac.org.

All photos by Courtney Braun

 

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'Barnaby Saves Christmas.' Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Inc.

THE MAGIC OF LIVE THEATRE

The holidays have arrived at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson with Barnaby Saves Christmas from Nov. 20 to Dec. 26 with a sensory sensitive performance on Nov. 21. Come join Santa, Barnaby, Franklynne and all of their friends for a wonderful holiday treat. As Santa’s littlest elf and his reindeer friend set off on their journey to save Christmas, they meet some new friends along the way and learn the true meaning of Christmas, Hanukah, and the holiday season. All seats are $10. To order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

Two more performances left! Children’s theater continues at Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson with A Kooky Spooky Halloween, a merry musical about a ghost who’s afraid of the dark, on Oct 23 and Oct. 30 at 11 a.m. Recently graduated spirit Abner Perkins is assigned to the Aberdeen Boarding House — known for its spectral sightings and terrific toast. Here, Abner finds himself cast into a company of its wacky residents. When his secret is revealed, he is forced to leave his haunted home and set off on a quest with his newly found friends and learns the power of helping others. All seats are $10. To order, call 928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
A scene from 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween'. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.
The cast of 'A Kooky Spooky Halloween' at Theatre Three. Photo by Peter Lanscombe/Theatre Three Productions, Inc.

By Heidi Sutton

October is such a great time of year with  the lovely weather, the changing leaves, mums, pumpkin and apple picking and trick or treating. It also means the return of the holiday treat A Kooky Spooky Halloween at Theatre Three. With emphasis on the power of friendship and the importance of helping others, the original musical, written by Jeffrey Sanzel and Steve McCoy, runs through Oct. 30.

The star of the show is a nice ghost named Abner Perkins (Steven Uihlein) who has just graduated from Haunting High School. Awarded a medallion of invisibility, he is given the coveted assignment of haunting Ma Aberdeen’s Boarding House, famously known for being the most haunted house in Harrison County U.S.A … and for serving the best toast! Abner must abide by two rules — he can only haunt at night and he can’t lose the medallion or he’ll become visible and lose his powers.

There’s only one problem — Abner is afraid of the dark, which is “like a vampire who’s afraid of necks!” according to his best friend Lavinda the Witch (Alanna Rose Henriquez). She gives him a night light as a graduation present and promises to help him adjust to his ghostly duties.

When Abner and Lavinda arrive at the boarding house, they find the Petersons — Paul (Liam Marsigliano), his wife Penelope (Stephanie Moreau) and son Pip (Darren Clayton) — and Kit Garret (Heather Rose Kuhn), who has just come “from a small town to the big city with a suitcase in my hand and hope in my heart,” in the kitchen helping Ma Aberdeen (Ginger Dalton), the finest toast maker in the land, prepare treat bags for Halloween.

In one of the funniest moments in the show, Abner casts a speed spell on the group, making them dance, sing, spin like a top, quack like a duck and do jumping jacks in fast motion. His final spell of the night is to have them “join together like birds of a feather.”

Things are going hauntingly well until fellow graduate Dora Pike (Beth Ladd) appears out of thin air. Filled with jealousy, (she was hoping to be assigned to Ma Aberdeen’s boarding house) Dora steals Abner’s night light and medallion and threatens to drop them into Black Ridge Gulch, the deepest, darkest gorge in the entire world (where it’s really, really dark).

Still stuck to each other, the group can now see Abner who must convince them to help him retrieve his medallion and undo the spell. What follows is a “Golden Goose” moment throughout the theater that will leave you in stitches!

Peppered with Halloween riddles and jokes, the show is wonderful on so many levels. Directed by Jeffrey Sanzel, the 8-member adult cast know their target audience well and deliver standout performances with special mention to Ginger Dalton as Ma Aberdeen, a character she has played since the musical originated in 2017. I can’t imagine anyone else playing that role. 

Accompanied on piano by Douglas Quattrock and choreographed by Sari Feldman, the song and dance numbers are the heart of the show, especially “Into the World I Go” by Abner, “A Witch Is a Person” by Lavinda, and the fun group numbers, “A Need for Speed” and “It’s Ma Who Makes the Toast.”

Jason Allyn’s gorgeous costumes are on fleek, from the ghosts dressed from head to toe in flowing white and the witch’s purple dress and pointy hat, to the Peterson’s coordinating orange and black outfits and the spooky lighting design by Steven Uihlein sets the mood and ties everything together perfectly.

Halloween is always such a fun holiday for children. This year, make it extra special and take them to see A Kooky Spooky Halloween. They’ll love you for it.

Snacks and beverages are available for purchase during intermission and costumes are encouraged. Souvenir cat, pumpkin, Frankenstein, Dracula and ghost dolls will be available for purchase before the show and during intermission for $5. Meet the entire cast in the lobby for a group photo.

Theatre Three, 412 Main St., Port Jefferson presents A Kooky Spooky Halloween on Saturdays, Oct. 9, 16, 23 and 30 at 11 a.m. and Sunday, Oct. 17 at 3 p.m. Children’s theatre continues with Barnaby Saves Christmas from Nov. 20 to Dec. 26, Puss-In-Boots from Jan. 15 to Feb 5, and a brand new production, Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz, from Feb. 23 to March 26. All seats are $10 and COVID protocols are in place. For more information or to order, call 631-928-9100 or visit www.theatrethree.com.

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