Families are invited to join the storytelling heroine Scheherazade and her cast of remarkable characters Thursday, Feb. 20 at Rent Auditorium on the Mississippi University for Women campus in Columbus. The Columbus Arts Council presents The Enchantment Theatre Company’s production of “Aladdin and Other Enchanted Tales” at 7 p.m.
Accompanied by music inspired by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, masked performers take the audience along as Sinbad sails to exotic lands, as Aladdin discovers a magic lamp and a prince battles a giant dragon.
Using puppetry, pantomime, illusion and costuming, this inventive, narrated production illustrates the power of storytelling in a modern reenactment of classic tales of adventure and romance.
After seeing the The Enchantment Theatre Company’s “Velveteen Rabbit” in Meridian in 2013, Columbus Arts Council Program Manager Beverly Norris wanted to present the theater group in the Golden Triangle.
“We were so taken by the magical, lyrical production quality, we wanted to bring them here,” said Norris.
In addition to Thursday night’s one-hour performance, the troupe will perform for school children signed up for the arts council’s Young People’s Artist Series (YPAS) for students ages 3 through sixth-grade.
“Because not all school children can attend the YPAS shows, we wanted to offer a night performance as an entertaining and educational theater experience for the whole family,” said Norris. “This is a great opportunity to enjoy something with children or grandchildren, but it’s also an enchanting show for adults.”
The show is labor intensive technically, Norris noted, thanking Jim Perkins of MUW who will serve as technical coordinator.
“This takes many volunteers and workers to put on — from MUW staff and security to ushers and CAC board members and staff helping with hospitality,” she added.
CAC Executive Director Tina Sweeten-Lunsford remarked, “We are thrilled to bring this very special production to the Golden Triangle. We hope families will take advantage of such a unique experience.”
How to go
Adult tickets to Thursday’s performance are $10 in advance at the Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main St., Columbus. Tickets at the door are $12. Tickets for those 18 and younger are $4 in advance, $5 at the door. MUW faculty, staff and students attend free with ID. For more information or tickets, contact the CAC, 662-328-2787. Read about this and other arts council events at columbus-arts.com.
Sponsors for “Aladdin and Other Enchanted Tales” include The Dispatch, MUW, Fairfield Inns & Suites and WCBI-TV.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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