?Babes In Toyland? opens Thursday at RCHS

The RCHS Drama Club will feature its seasonal opener, ?Babes In Toyland? with a multitude of students in the cast including youthful beginners from the elementary school level. The Victor Herbert music has become a classical favorite among theater goers for years. First produced in New York in 1903, the beautiful, memorable music and Mother Goose characters made it an instant hit. Over the years adaptations became an improvement to the original plot with updates and lyrics for today?s children. Gene Jackson, one of America?s most popular authors of children?s plays, produced this particular rendition.

In 1959 Walt Disney produced the movie based on the operetta and starred Ray Bolger as the evil Barnaby, Tommy Sands and Annette Funicello as Alan and Mistress Mary, and Ed Wynn as the Master Toymaker. THE ?BABES? opening this Thursday in the Little Theater (58b) room of the high school will feature, Matt Flanery as Barnaby; Morgan Suszek and Nicole Grulke as Alan and Mistress Mary. Michelle Cuipka will fill the role of the Master Toymaker. No less than 50 students will complete the cast that includes Mother Goose characters, gypsies, and Toyland characters.

The play begins with Mother Goose characters astir over the rivalry between Alan and the miserly, mean-hearted Uncle Barnaby for the love of Mistress Mary Quite Contrary. Alan has disappeared and Barnaby enters to announce that Alan has drowned, with two ruffians confirming the tragedy. Barnaby is ecstatic with nobody now standing in the way of his courtship with Mary, as well as his greedy gloating over the possibility of receiving his nephew?s inherited fortune. The inept dragoons have blown the job of drowning Alan, as the boat was only in two feet of water, and Alan makes his reappearance unharmed.

ALAN AND MARY try to escape the evil clutches of Barnaby by

running away to Toyland, but run into difficulties and find they are not safe even there. Barnaby and his thugs are in hot pursuit and use a machine invented by the Master Toymaker to bring dolls to life. The stirring music of ?The March of the Toys,? brings excitement as the dolls attack not Alan and Mary but Barnaby and his henchmen instead. This lighthearted musical under the direction of Bryan Mills and Missy Wozniak, will feature plenty of action and humor, as well as provide the audience with an entertaining evening beginning Thursday at 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.

The second week run will begin Thursday, December 11, 12, and 13 at 7:30 p.m. and will conclude with a final Sunday matinee December 14, at 2 p.m. All performances are $5 with only 100 seats per show. Tickets are available from cast members and at the RCHS office.