Natchez Little Theatre, a charitable non-profit organization and Mississippi’s oldest community theatre, is proud to present May 12-15 the Mississippi premier of a new American musical about Natchez in 1910, “Mississippi Pinocchio.”

Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday with a final Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.

Commissioned and originally produced by Theatre of the First Amendment, George Mason University’s Professional theatre in Fairfax, Va., “Mississippi Pinocchio” was nominated for The Helen Hayes Award — The Charles MacArthur Prize for Outstanding New Musical. The book is by Mary Hall Surface and has a lively score inspired by Dixieland and Ragtime music composed by David Maddox with lyrics by David Maddox and Mary Hall Surface.

The play is based on the rich and magical original tale, “The Adventures of Pinocchio” written by Carlo Collodi in 1881, that follows a bad good boy on a journey from wooden headed selfishness to maturity and compassion.

This Pinocchio, played by Tim Leak of Woodville and NLT’s Huck Finn in “Big River,” is carved by an Italian immigrant, Gepetta, played by Morgan Mizell, who arrives in the Mississippi River town of Natchez circa 1910 dreaming of the good life in America.

With her comes her guardian angel, Speranza, which means hope in Italian, played by Ashleigh Johnson and Hannah Hargis. The puppet who longs to be real wrestles with a riverboat gambler of a Fox, played by Jon Borum in his NLT debut, and a parasoled Cat, played by Brittany Mitchell who last played Shug Avery in NLT’s “The Color Purple,” as well as Fire-eater, a sideshow entrepreneur played by NLT Award winning actor, Terrence Robinson.

But through his many wild adventures the rogue/hero Pinocchio must grow to understand how freedom and opportunity in this limitless new American world are leavened by compassion and responsibility.

The remainder of the ensemble are Jonathan Rosso, who plays Lampwick, Sara Davis, Addison Laird, Anabella Laird, who plays the Cricket and Tam Winston. The cast plays a variety of characters throughout this fast paced, lively musical.

“Mississippi Pinocchio” is directed by myself with Terrence Robinson as musical director, Justin Roland as assistant musical director and rehearsal accompanist, Shemeka Ware as choreographer and original costumes by Sarah Freeman Carey. The sets were constructed and painted by Don Vesterse, Jennifer Rosso, Stacey Carden and Courtney Fleming.

“Mississippi Pinocchio” is for adults and children alike and is one of the most complicated difficult productions NLT has ever mounted. I am very proud of the results and all those who have dedicated their time and talent to this most uniquely Natchez production.

Tickets are $20 for non-members of NLT and should be reserved in advance by calling NLT at 601-442-2233, toll free at 877-440-2233 or securely on-line at natcheztheatre.org. Natchez Little Theatre is located at 319 Linton Ave. at Maple Street in historic Natchez.

I hope to see you at “Mississippi Pinocchio.”

 

Layne Taylor is Natchez Little Theatre’s artistic and executive director director of “Mississippi Pinocchio.”