CTC to present ‘Cinderella’s Holiday Dining’ Dec. 1

The princess-filled character dining experience “Cinderella’s Holiday Dining” will open the 35th season of The Children’s Theatre Company, with two additional productions planned in the spring.

Artistic director Kerry Onxley said children attending “Cinderella’s Holiday Dining” — set for Dec. 1 at Central School Arts & Humanities Center — will enter through a castle glistening with icicles surrounded by toy soldiers.

Characters who will be in attendance are Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Prince, Snow White, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty and Aladdin, he said.

During the meal — which includes pizza, dessert, hot chocolate and gingerbread — diners will get to visit with each character, take photographs and receive autographs.

Tickets are $25 per person and reservations are required at 433-7323 or www.childrenstheatre.cc.

Onxley said this year’s spring theater productions were selected by the company’s actors, who range in age from 5 to 18.

“We have a lot of females in the group that started when they were young who are now teenagers,” Onxley said. “For some reason girls really enjoy princesses; it’s very strange because I thought they would want to do something of a more mature value but I guess all little girls want to be Cinderella.”

He said the company last presented “Cinderella” about 10 years ago.

“I consider three things when selecting a production: the talent we have, what we think audiences in our area want to see and is it something myself and the rest of the staff want to do,” he said. “For this, it was really a yes to all of those.”

Onxley said the play follows the same plot as the beloved Disney movie.

Performances are scheduled for Feb. 22-24 at Central School. Tickets are $13 for children 13 and under and $15 for adults.

The company will perform “James and the Giant Peach” in May, Onxley said.

“We’re really excited about that one,” he said. “This will be the first time it’s on our main stage and it’s part of a new series we started about three years ago called Pizza Pie Theatre. It’s kind of a dinner theater for kids, and they’ll get an extra treat because the actors in the show will mingle with the audience before the show starts.”

The play follows James and his insect friends on their adventures traveling inside a magical peach, Onxley said.

The dinner theater shows seat about 150, he said.

“It sells out fast,” he said. “We’re not in the restaurant business, we’re in the theater business but Pizza Pie Theatre just grew in a very short amount of time into a very successful production for us.”

Performances are set for May 10-12 at Central School. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students.

Onxley said the company will also host five theater workshops in the summer, starting with Extreme Theatre in June.

“That’s where we take a full week, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day with a 30-minute lunch break, and the students create everything — their own costumes, building sets, working with the lights, then they do a very small performance. It’s extreme — it’s all day with extreme fun.”

Other workshops are Creative Dramatics for children ages 5-8, and Shakespeare, Acting for the Camera and musical theatre for ages 5-18.

“In my experience teaching theater to either high school or elementary school, they all have a love for the art,” he said. “They’re not scared of the work and I think our kids work hard.

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Children attending “Cinderella’s Holiday Dining” on Dec. 1 will enter through a castle glistening with icicles surrounded by toy soldiers.

Special to the American Press””

Children attending “Cinderella’s Holiday Dining” on Dec. 1 will enter through a castle glistening with icicles surrounded by toy soldiers.

Special to the American Press””

The Children’s Theatre Company will perform “James and the Giant Peach” in May.

Special to the American Press””

The Children’s Theatre Company will perform “James and the Giant Peach” in May.

Special to the American Press””

The Children’s Theatre Company will perform “James and the Giant Peach” in May.

Special to the American Press

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