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Whole new world coming to Pickerington
(by Dedra Cordle, staff writer - June 16, 2011)
A whole new world will be coming to Pickerington.
Starting June 17, the city will be inundated with princesses and princes, backstabbers and shifty parrots, forbidden lovers and magical instruments that grant your deepest desires.
No, it’s not a new amusement park nor is it a traveling band of royal pirates. Instead, it’s the annual summer production from the Pickerington Community Theatre.
For six days, more than 40 children and young adults from the area will put their newfound acting chops to the test and bring Walt Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” to life.
For those unfamiliar with the tale, the plot goes something like this: Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Jasmine. She’s of marrying age so her father, the Sultan, invites several princes to the palace and tells her to pick one.
Wanting nothing to do with these suitors, she takes advantage of an altercation in the market outside, dons a disguise, and tries to get the taste of freedom she’s always wanted.
Enjoying her new liberty, she meets an attractive street urchin named Aladdin who is on the run from the royal guard. Together, they explore their new world and their budding friendship.
But while these two star-crossed lovers are getting to know each other, Jafar - the highest-ranking official in the royal guard - and his angry parrot Iago are devising an evil plan that will make the unwilling Jasmine his bride and leave Aladdin to rot in prison for the rest of his life.
With songs, such as “A Whole New World,” “Friend Like Me” and “Arabian Nights,” and a cute romance about falling in love with someone from the wrong side of the tracks, both the play and the movie have been hits. Adam Schroeder, president of the board of directors at the theater, hopes the production will be just as popular.
“It’s going to be a really great show,” he said. “The kids and the crew have put so much energy in it.”
He said children’s productions are one of the most rewarding shows to produce because you get to see the young adults grow as actors and people.
“So many of these kids come into the theater really scared but they grow so much during the rehearsal process,” he said. “You can see them come completely out of their shells while they are on the stage.”
Show dates and times are as followed: 8 p.m. June 17 and 18, 2 p.m. June 19, 8 p.m. June 24 and 25, and 2 p.m. June 26. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children younger than 12 and seniors older than 55.
“Aladdin Jr.,” which has a running time of 70 minutes, will be held at the Pickerington Christian Church, 575 Diley Road, Pickerington.
“This is going to be a really fun show,” Schroeder said.
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