Local community theater group The ABC Players is doing the musical version of The Velveteen Rabbit this weekend at Stuart’s Opera House.
Local community theater group The ABC Players is bringing yet another childhood classic to the Stuart’s Opera House stage.
The troupe will perform the musical version of The Velveteen Rabbit Thursday through Saturday at Stuart’s, 52 Public Square, Nelsonville. Each performance will be about one hour.
The musical is based on the book by Margery Williams. It follows a stuffed rabbit made of velveteen and his desire to be real through the love of his owner, a young boy.
“It’s one of my favorite books from my childhood,” said Jodi MacNeal, the director of the show and president of The ABC Players. “That story applies to our lives, especially in a society that wants you to look or act a certain way to be accepted. The book teaches you that when you’re really true to yourself, you can be genuine. … It also teaches lessons about honesty, courage and learning how to treat others with respect.”
There are 24 people in the cast and only four of them are adults. The children in the cast range from 6 years old to 16 years old.
“Working with the kids is definitely the highlight,” said Jenn Fritchley, the show’s assistant director and choreographer. “I would come up with something and worry if it was too hard, but they just amaze me. They picked it up and make it look super easy.”
Fritchley came up with all of the choreography herself because there isn’t any material from other productions that she could reference.
“It’s all different dancing styles,” she said. “Some pretty basic movements to hip-hop style, tap dancing and ballet. It’s a mix of everything.”
Both MacNeal and Fritchley spoke of their excitement for the costumes, designed and mostly created by Lynnette Clouse.
The Velveteen Rabbit, played by Allyriane Huq, wears velvet costume pieces, a headpiece with ears and makeup nose and whiskers.
MacNeal said she wishes the other toys could be featured more because of how much she loves their costumes. Buzz Lightyear and Jessie, a jack-in-the-box, a wind-up monkey with cymbals, a robot, Minnie Mouse and more will be featured.
To MacNeal, this show is another step to her long-term dream.
“My wish is to start a children’s theater in this area, something year-round,” she said. “Ohio Valley Summer Theater does the theater camp in the summer and school plays are just once a year. My hope is to, at some point, have a whole year full of theater for kids.”
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