Review: The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe

Review: The Lion The Witch & The Wardrobe
By Megan Wirts

C.S. Lewis is known for his magical tales or wonderment and fantasy, with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe being one of the most well-known and popular. The stage adaptation of this fantastical tale written by Joseph Robinette and directed by Mike Gesler, was brought to life this weekend by LionHeart Productions at the Dogwood Center for Performing Arts in Fremont.

Don’t worry if you missed it, there are three more chances to see it at Grant Fine Arts Center March 24, 25 and 26. 
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The first scene starts with the four siblings, Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter discovering the wardrobe that will lead them to the enchanting land of Narnia. The set design is lovely and lets your imagination run wild. The costumes and makeup of the colorful characters who... 

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...fill Narnia are fantastic and detailed. You are welcomed to the land of Narnia by a brightly colored Unicorn (Randi Koogler), a beautiful White Stag (Voca Ford) and of course the scene stealing faun Mr. Tumnus (Mat Emerick).

The siblings were perfectly cast, with Brighton Fries as Lucy, Nic Anderson as Edmund, Molly Hurrle as Susan and Adam Carlson as Peter. These four young actors were phenomenal! Brighton is poised and confident on stage. Nic portrays the conflicts within Edmund well and believably. Molly brings a sweetness to Susan and Adam comes into his own as Peter, the eldest of the four. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for these young thespians.

Then there is the charming and adorable couple  Mr and Mrs. Beaver, played by real life husband and wife Jim and Mellissa Bowman. Their off-stage chemistry certainly was brought onto the stage with their hilarious portrayal of the fussy couple.

Leslye Fries brings the evil White Witch to life and she is terrifyingly terrific. While Jamie Evans, who plays Aslan, brings a kindness and gentleness to his character. They both bring the fight between good and evil to the forefront and do an excellent job. With Jamie’s loud roaring and Leslye’s fantastic facial expressions it was a delight to watch.

The entire cast and crew should be proud, from the wood nymphs, that seamlessly set each scene, to the main characters, everyone did a fantastic job. The entire family, young and not so young, will love this tale of love, faith and sacrifice.

Performances at the Grant Fine Arts Center are March 24, 25 and 26.

For ticket information go to https://tickets.grantps.net/ or call 231-834-5630.
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Tickets are $15 for Adults and $10 for students and seniors.

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