By Anthony Wyatt
July 20, 2012. On Saturday, July 21, the Ensemble Stage in Blowing Rock will present a one-day only production of The Tale of The Frog Prince. Although not one of the summer’s feature performances, this musical audience participation play is still sure to be a hit.
The Tale of the Frog Prince centers around the trials of a “prince-turned-frog” who seeks to receive a kiss and become human again. Living in the middle of a magical swamp, the frog longs to be turned into the prince he once was, but as he sings, “no one wants to kiss a toad.” As fate would have it though, the royal Rosalie comes to the swamp with her pompous family and ends up kissing the frog, turning the shocked amphibian back into a prince.
As the play develops and the lessons are taught, the audience will have the unique chance to join in the action and learn the morals along with the frog prince. As members of the crowd, spectators will be able to cooperate with the actors and actresses and experience the events of the musical play first hand.
Because the production is not a multiple-performance play, tickets are only $5 and can be purchased at the door of the Blowing Rock School Auditorium. For those coming to see (and participate in) the play from out of town, thanks to Hemlock Inn’s continued generosity, those who stay the night at the Inn can see the performance for free.
On the heels of two hit productions already performed this summer (Moon Over the Brewery and The Complete History of America Abridged), this weekend’s one-day only play marks the half-way point in Ensemble Stage’s 2012 Main Stage Summer Season. From July 28 thru August 5, the organization will be putting on Fit to Kill, a “suspense-thriller about strategy, deception and betrayal,” and following that production they will be performing All the King’s Women, an Elvis Presley story told through the eyes of 17 women.
The Tale of the Frog Prince also comes in the midst of the Ensemble Stage’s donor donation campaign. Currently, the group has raised almost $26,000, putting them just above half of their fundraising goal. As a non-profit organization with a mission “to culturally enrich the lives of the residents of The High Country; to inspire, challenge and nurture the imagination and social skills of youths and adults through theatre; and to be an active part of the cultural and economic growth of the community,” the Ensemble Stage needs the community’s support to continue entertaining and enriching those in The High Country. The theatre group gladly welcomes all donations, and all proceeds go to keeping their performances coming.
The play begins at 11am on Saturday, July 21, tickets are $5 at the door and the performance will be held at the Blowing Rock School Auditorium on 160 Sunset Drive.
For more information about Ensemble Stage, visit their website at ensemblestage.com
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