A musical number centered around Rob Clark, who plays the part of The Man in the Yellow Suit, the show’s antagonist. (Photo by Peter Currier)
WESTFIELD- The Westfield Theatre Group is getting ready to perform their rendition of the musical, ‘Tuck Everlasting’ at the Westfield Women’s Club in a run that will last from March 29th to April 13th.
The play, which takes place in 1893 and is based on the children’s novel of the same name by Natalie Babbitt, tells the story of a young girl named Winnie Foster who meets a family that has been bound to immortality. Foster, who is played by Emma Linehan, befriends Jesse Tuck, played by Caden Boeri, and the two struggle to keep the key to immortality out of the wrong hands.
The play’s director, Thomas LeCourt, had intended to run the play with the Westfield Theatre Group in previous years, but was unable to do so until this year.
From left: Music Director George Garber Jr, Producer Shelley Haber, and Director Thomas LeCourt. (Photo by Peter Currier)
“We’ve waited two years to get the rights to this play,” said Shelley Haber, the play’s Producer, “Tom actually saw it on Broadway when it first came out. He fell in love with the story.”
Tuck Everlasting’s Broadway run was short lived, as it had gone up against the ever-popular Musical ‘Hamilton’. Haber said that last year LeCourt had proposed performing the play, but he was unable to secure the rights to do so. This year, to their luck, they were granted the rights to put on the musical. The process to put the show together began late last year.
“We had auditions in December, and we started rehearsals January 3rd,” said Haber, “Three nights a week from 7 o’clock to 10 o’clock.”
Caden Boeri (Top left, sitting) Christine Greene (Bottom left, brown dress) and Emme Linehan (stage front, red dress) play the parts of Jesse Tuck, Mae Tuck, and Winnie Foster respectively. (Photo by Peter Currier)
Haber added that full dress rehearsals began on Monday, when the costumes, lighting, and sound effects were put together for the first time.
The show will have an approximate runtime of two-and-a-half hours with an intermission period in the middle. There will be showings on March 29th and 30th, as well as April 5th, 6th, 12th, and 13th, all beginning at 7:30 p.m.. There will be additional matinee showings at 2 p.m. on April 6th and 13th. Tickets are $18 for each adult and $15 for students, senior citizens, and military members.
The musical will feature a main cast of 10 people with an ensemble cast of 15. The pit band will feature nine musicians and will be led by Music Director George Garber Jr. The choreography for the dances of the cast was done by Caitlin Odell.
