Fri Mar 02 2012 at 07:30 pm
Venue : South Oxford Space - A Project of A.R.T./New York, 138 S. Oxford Street, Brooklyn, New York, United States
Created By : Jack Dyville
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FACT Brings adaptation of L. Frank Baum Novel To Life
with New Stutte-Dyville musical, ‘The Mermaids’ Tale’
Friends Always Creating Theatre (FACT) will bring an adaptation of L. Franks Baums’ 1911 novel, ‘The Sea Fairies’ to life in a new musical, “The Mermaids’ Tale” with book & lyrics by Fact Producer Jack Dyville and music & lyrics by John Stutte MARCH 2-3-4 & 9-10-11 at The South Oxford Spaces - Great Room, part of the Alliance of Resident Theatre’s Spaces in Brooklyn at 138 South Oxford Street.
The musical is presented in story theatre form and follows Baums first novel published after his famous ‘Oz’ books with a very contemporary look at a class-room of students presenting an English report a la the kids from the popular Fox-series, ‘Glee’. It is part of the FACT Family Fiction series.
This is a story that brings together the ideas of good and evil which Baum so effectively used in his Oz series, ideas that have generated inspired works of stage and cinema. It involves a teacher who assigns his students a task of reading and reporting on a novel published in 1911, the year their school opened. To the surprise of both the students and teacher the class all choose the same book. As a result, they decide to do an impromptu play and set it in the 21st century in an all singing, all dancing Glee-style production. Everyone, including the teacher and the school custodian participate in the tale of a sea captain who goes under the sea to investigate why “no one who has ever seen a mermaid lived to tell the tale.” Their adventures involve a myriad of classic characters so much associated with Baum’s books of fantasy.
The cast includes David Gillam Fuller as the teacher and Capt’n Bill his credits include Pinafore, NY Fringe Fest Over-All ’03 winner, Amy Marie Stewart plays the Captain’s granddaughter, Trot. Amy has been featured as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty and Olive in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee in regional theatre. Mermaid Princesses, Merla is played by Kacey Cardin, Clia by Nicole DiMattei and Oceana by Vicki Oceguera. Queen Aquereine is portrayed by Maren Fischer and King Anko, a long-winded good ole sea serpent brought to life by the schools custodian, Delores is played by actress/playwright Marjorie Conn. The evil Zog, is Charles Moran and Prince Sacho is played by Kyle Torrence.
To get to this perfect family musical at The Great Room, 138 South Oxford Street take the “C’ train to Lafayette/half a block to theatre which is part of the Alliance of Resident Theatre’s South Oxford Spaces. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets 718-389-8100 or 1-800-838-3006 or on line www.brownpapertickets.com. Adults $18, Seniors $15, Students $10, Family $50 (includes 2 adults & up to 4 children).
Performance times are Friday evenings March 2 & 9 @ 7:30pm, Saturday March 3 & 10 @ 3:00pm and 7:30pm and Sunday afternoons March 4-11 @ 3:00pm.
The production is also directed and staged by Mr. Dyville, a member of Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, with musical direction-pianist, Heather Edwards, scenic design & costume help by Rodrigo Bolenos,Dance Captain/Assistant to the Director is Nicole DiMattei.
The musical was first commissioned by the James Memorial Library of Williston North Dakota last summer for their Centennial Celebration and presented in their small theatre with students of Mr. Dyville and Mr. Fullers’ summer theatre, Youth Education on Stage.
