Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Theatre: The Magician's Nephew



This theatrical production of the magnificent C. S. Lewis classic gave me goosebumps. Director Alan Poindexter deftly handled the story, creating a piece that didn't shy away from the deep symbolism and haunting elemental and spiritual threads evident in the book. The costumes, set, and music tied together beautifully. This Narnia, like Aslan the Lion (who was dumbed-down in the recent movie) isn't safe, and the stylized, ethereal look of the show reminded me both of Tim Burton and the film Finding Neverland. The show is running at Children's Theatre of Charlotte until the end of October. (Buy tickets at www.ctcharlotte.org.) Whether you're an avid Narnia fan or not, you have to see this show!

(One of my favorite images from the show: Near the end, when the witch is alone in the garden, she turns around with her back to the audience, raises her arms to the sky, and laughs. The stage is completely black except for her standing there. It starts to snow. I had goosebumps!

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