Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach
June 10 - 19, 2022
Fauquier Community Theatre presents “Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach”
“There are a whole lot of things in this world of ours you haven’t started wondering about yet,” says the Green Grasshopper from “Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach.” For James Henry Trotter, these things include human-size bugs, shark-infested waters, and a trans-Atlantic journey on a giant peach.
Audience members at Fauquier Community Theater (FCT) will be swept away into this adventure in musical form, filled with energetic songs and dances for the whole family to enjoy! The show takes place on Fridays and weekends June 10 -19 in Warrenton.
The music and lyrics are written by the renowned duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul behind hits like “Dear Evan Hansen”, “La La Land”, and “The Greatest Showman. “James and the Giant Peach” was the first of many beloved children’s books written by celebrated author Roald Dahl including “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda.”
The musical follows young James (played by 11-year-olds Lucy Underwood and Mark Tessier, on alternating performance dates) on a journey to find out what it means to have a family. While being raised by his two mean aunts, Spiker (Clare McKeown) and Sponge (Grace Tessier), James finds a spell that transforms a tiny peach into - well - a much larger peach, and some ordinary creepy-crawlies into human-sized bugs with larger-than-life personalities. The peach rolls down the hill and propels James onto an exciting new adventure.
The show is directed by Jack Tessier, who remarked, “my greatest joy is seeing the talent and confidence of young people on stage blossom to new heights over the course of the rehearsal process. Since our first rehearsal in March, I have had the privilege of working with 21 hard-working, talented kids. Theatre, in my experience, is one of the greatest activities for people of all ages to partake in since it inspires passion, creativity, and love for the community to achieve an end result that is bigger than the individual.”
FCT's production team includes producer Stephen Hyland, music director Carolyn Karcher, choreographer Gabrielle Buonocore, lighting designer Dan Martin, and stage managers Jay and Esther Wells. The show is sponsored by XS Telecom - Voice and Data specialists.
The choreography in the opening number with the full cast, gives the audience just a taste of the several high-energy, eye-capturing dance numbers to come throughout. Buonocore brings her long-time experience in musical theatre, on and off stage, and commented, “The music in this show lends itself to a variety of dance styles. It was a joy to see the kids take on the challenges of each number.”
With the set design expertise of FCT veteran Doug Barylski and the artistic vision of painter Genevieve E. Layton, “Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach” employs the use of two spinning stair structures to create all the scenes, including the New York City landscape and the magical giant peach.
Performances take place on June 10, 11, 17, and 18 at 7:30 pm; June 12 at 2 p.m.; and June 19 at 1 p.m. The venue is the Vint Hill Theater on the Green located at 4225 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA. Ticket prices range from $13 - $15 and may be reserved online at www.FCTstage.org or by calling 540-349-8760.
Special thank yous to Gloria Faye Dingus Music Alliance and Warrenton Presbyterians Church for rehearsal space!
FCT's production of “Roald Dahl's James and the Giant Peach” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theater International (MTI). The production is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts as well as locally by the PATH Foundation, and the Jesse and Rose Loeb Foundation.
.
