Rehearsals are Underway for Park Square's Dazzling New Production of The Snow Queen
Nov 11, 2015

Park Square continues its 41st season this month with the new musical spectacular THE SNOW QUEEN adapted by Michael Peter Smith, Blair Thomas, and Frank Galati. Mr. Smith is also the composer. Based on the beloved fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen that inspired the Disney movie Frozen, this new and innovative musical uses folk music to tell the age-old tale of the struggle between good and evil, and the girl who finds the strength to triumph. Doug Scholz-Carlson directs this regional premiere, and Denise Prosek serves as musical director. Jamie Kranz* is the stage manager. Talk Theatre called the new musical "... a smart, artful chamber folk opera. It will dazzle you."

Kai (Silas Sellnow) and Gerda (Caroline Amos) are summertime kids, but the Snow Queen brings a world of winter, piercing Kai's eyes and heart with ice shards. Gerda must brave soldiers, bandits, witches, and the Queen's arctic wrath to rescue her friend before they're iced out of the goodness within their own hearts forever. Hans Christian Andersen's beloved fairy tale receives a deliciously simple and elegant musical treatment that reminds us of what's beautiful in ourselves and in one another. The ensemble features Emily Gunyou Halaas* as the narrator, Elyse Edelman, Michael Liebhauser, Theo Langason, Sarah Ochs* and Quinn Shadko.

In The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, the psychologist Bruno Bettelheim suggests that fairy tales remain popular because they allow children and all audiences to grapple with fear and witness its demise. Even though it was once upon a time when men turned into beasts, frogs turned into men, and mermaids got their wish, fairy tales continue to enthrall and inspire for their plucky characters and sunny dispositions - a perfect antidote to the icy realm of the Snow Queen. THE SNOW QUEEN will delight children of all ages.

THE SNOW QUEEN production team includes Michael Dold (Properties Designer), Rebecca Bernstein (Costume Designer), Anita Kelling (Sound Designer), Michael P. Kittel (Lighting Designer), Erik E. Paulson (Scenic Designer), Miko S. Simmons (Projection Designer), and Lucas Skjaret (Assistant Director).

THE SNOW QUEEN Performance Schedule: Previews take place Friday, November 27 thru Thursday, December 3. December 4 is Opening Night, and the run continues through December 27. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. except for Saturday and Sunday matinees, which begin at 2 p.m. All performances are on the company's proscenium stage in Saint Paul's historic Hamm Building, 20 W. Seventh Place.

Ticket prices: Previews: $27 and $37. Regular Run: $40 and $60. Discounts are available for seniors, those under age 30, and groups. Tickets are on sale at the Park Square box office, 20 W. Seventh Place, or by phone: 651.291.7005, (12 noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday), or online at www.parksquaretheatre.org.

*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Park Square Theatre is a member of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for American theatre.

PARK SQUARE THEATRE. 20 W. Seventh Place, Saint Paul. Box office: 651.291.7005. www.parksquaretheatre.org

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