By Jessica Martin
Bedford Recreation’s Junior Summerstock program is proud to present this year’s musical: Disney’s My Son Pinocchio, Jr. This classic “whale of a tale” is sure to delight audience members of all ages. There will be two performances: Thursday, August 9 at 2:30 pm and 6:30 pm, in the air-conditioned John Glenn Middle School auditorium. Admission is FREE! Donations will benefit the Bedford Summer Adventures Neighbors Helping Neighbors Campership Fund.
The story begins with the Blue Fairy (Ellie Mitchell) and her Fairies-in-Training (Mary Couvee, Keira Doyle, Adriana Panagiotou, and Insun Hong), celebrating yet another perfectly granted wish: to give Geppetto (Tyler Rauch), the Toymaker, a son of his own. Their celebration is interrupted, however, by Geppetto himself, claiming that the Blue Fairy’s latest wish was not perfect at all. Geppetto and the Fairies decide to take a trip back in time to see how the wish went awry.
We are taken to Geppetto’s toy workshop, where excited children (Hayden McAllister, Liliana Carman, Kate Collins, Mia Falco, Minna-Lisa Hubbard, Lucy Keefe, Ethan Washington, and Claire Wirth) and their exasperated parents (Maddie McAllister, Eva Boruchovich, Ben Couvee, Nicole Deneau, Sarina Olivieri Kuhnle, Siena Olivieri Kuhnle, Erika Falco, Samantha Nappi, and Mary Stewart) pour in with hopes of buying Geppetto’s latest and greatest toys. Geppetto longs for a child of his own. The Blue Fairy visits him, and brings his puppet, Pinocchio (Peter Simonini) to life, thereby granting his wish. While having a son fills Geppetto’s empty heart, he soon realizes that being a parent does not come without obstacles: evading Stromboli (Sophia Mola) and his marionettes (Sasha Gharios and Dhara Kaushik), who want to recruit Pinocchio for their Amazing Marionette Show; searching through the land of Idyllia, where Professore Buonragazzo (Nick Guetersloh) and Junior (John Mitchell) create “Perfect Children” (Evelyn Chiu, Amelia Crotty, Ava Derderian, Gavin Derderian, and Sophia Panagiotou); escaping Pleasure Island, lead by a mischievous Ringleader (Maddy Mola); and, of course, surviving being swallowed by a whale. With each twist and turn, Geppetto must learn how to build a meaningful relationship with Pinocchio, or he will lose his son forever.
Thirty-seven campers act, sing, and dance in this production directed by John Glenn Middle School music teacher, Amy Budka, and Jessica Martin. Marlee Cassel provided vocal direction and coaching, and Melanie Cordero choreographed the dance numbers. Christina Solitro assisted in music and acting coaching, and Marko Deperalta (piano), Filippo Tazzi (Bass), and Aidan Crotty (Drums) accompany the actors in the pit. Technical Director Brendan Coyne runs the lighting and sound with the stage crew: Andrew Venuti, Sarina Olivieri-Kuhnle, Jake Silva, Sarah Wirth, Quinn Ricci, Cynthia Li and Angela Gu.
Junior Summerstock is a four-week theater experience for students in grades 4 – 9, sponsored by the Bedford Recreation Department’s Bedford Summer Adventures program. Each child plays a major role in creating the final product–the performance– which family, friends and the general public are welcome to attend. The actors’ hard work over the course of the four weeks is reflected in each step they take, each line they say and each note they sing.
Disney’s My Son Pinocchio, Jr. is produced by special arrangement with Music Theatre International of New York, New York.
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