Students in Tulare County Office of Education’s Theatre Company are preparing for the program’s annual spring musical – a production full of familiar children’s storybook characters.
Beginning Thursday, April 30, audiences can enjoy “two productions in one” with first- through sixth-grade students performing the adorable Winnie the Pooh Kids, while middle and high school students present Into the Woods. More than 110 students have spent the semester rehearsing for the production.
Director Charlotte Garcia Da Rosa reports that Winnie the Pooh Kids was written by the same composers who wrote the music for Frozen.
“It’s a wonderful musical and we are fortunate to have phenomenally talented young leading actors playing the beloved animal friends of Christopher Robin,” she said
Into the Woods is a Tony Award-winning musical that includes lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The musical intertwines several of Brothers Grimm fairy tales. The main characters are taken from Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel and Cinderella, as well as several others.
“The challenge for students in Into the Woods was to re-imagine famous fairytale characters as real life people with real life problems,” says Garcia Da Rosa. “The kids have done an amazing job interpreting Stephen Sondheim’s challenging musical score. It’s also very exciting that the Disney-produced film version of the musical has added to the popularity and love of the show!”
Show times and ticket information: Evening shows will be held April 30, May 1 and May 2 at 7:00 p.m. A matinee show will be offered Saturday, May 2 at 2:00 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 per person and available during normal business hours at two TCOE Visalia locations: 2637 West Burrel Avenue and 7000 Doe Avenue, Suite A. All performances will be held at the Rotary Theater located at 330 S. Dollner St. in Visalia.
For information about the Theatre Company and the musical production, call director Brian Roberts at (559) 651-1482.