Town Players To Stage

British Panto For The Holidays

Town Players of Newtown will be celebrating the holiday season with a British family show: the Panto Puss in Boots.

Pantomimes (more commonly known as Pantos) are hugely popular in the UK.  Based on familiar fairy tales, they include song, dance, local references, slapstick and lots of audience participation — cheering, booing, calls of “oh, yes it is” etc. It is often a child’s first experience of the theater.

The cast of characters is as colorful as the production.  The Hero or Principal Boy, Jack, is being played in traditional panto style by a female (Jennifer Lyon of Middlebury) and the Panto “Dame” by a male (Andrew Morris of Ridgefield).

Athena Davis of Fairfield is taking on the role of the clever, talking Puss in Boots, while Christopher Bird of Newtown and Karen Short of Bethel are the royal King and Queen looking for suitable marriage material for their beautiful daughter, Princess Honeypie (Alexandra Napier-Ruzek of Newtown).

Audiences will love to boo the villain, Lord Roger, played by Maureen Marini, and laugh with the comedy pair Nosmo and Nopar, played by Pam Meister and Anna Maria Marini, all of Newtown.

Narrating the story is Martha Bishop of Bethel. Rounding out the cast are Bailey McCann of New Fairfield; Meghan Marini, Ryan Murphy, Sarah Greenwood (all of Newtown); and Madison diFato (Stevenson).

In keeping with the holiday season, Town Players will be supporting the Toys for Tots program at one of their performances.  All children 12 years and under bringing a new, unwrapped toy, will be admitted free of charge.

Puss in Boots is being directed by Paul Tocco of Redding, who first introduced Panto to Fairfield County in 1988 with a production of Cinderella at the Powerhouse Theatre in New Canaan.  This show will be the eleventh Mr Panto he has been involved with and the seventh he has directed.

Puss in Boots will run Friday and Saturday evenings at 8 pm December 5-20, with Sunday matinées at 2 pm on December 7 and 14.

Tickets are $15 adults, $10 children 12 and under.

Please note last week’s Newtown Bee incorrectly stated that children would be admitted free to all performances with the donation of a toy for Toys For Tots. The toy drive and child’s discount will be in effect only on Sunday, December 14. See below.

The Little Theatre is on Orchard Hill Road in Newtown.  For reservations or directions call 270-9144 or visit NewtownPlayers.org.

Special Performance

Town Players is teaming up with some local businesses to sponsor a special Toys for Tots performance of Puss in Boots.  At the 2pm matinée on December 14 admission is free for any child 12 and under bringing a new, unwrapped toy.  The toys will be collected by the US Marines and distributed to needy children in the community.

Support for this event is being provided by Village Eye Care, Blue Colony Diner, Drug Center Pharmacy, UK Gourmet, Georgetown Shell and Westy Storage. Call the theater for additional information.