Joan Gandy

The Natchez Democrat

Go to see &8220;The Hobbit&8221; and be prepared to have a good time.

The show will be Aug. 3 through 5, with 7:30 p.m. performances, and Aug. 6 at 2 p.m.

Children of all ages fill the stage in fantasy costumes. They are trolls and dwarves (yes, you English teachers and language sticklers out there, J.R.R. Tolkien uses that plural of the word in his classic work).

The play, based on Tolkien&8217;s famous book by the same name, begins with a bang, as Landon Henry in the role of Gandalf, a great wizard, takes the stage proclaiming his superiority.

From there, the plot twists and turns as little people scamper, sing and act spiritedly.

&8220;It&8217;s a difficult show,&8221; said Tommy Jackson, director. &8220;The language it&8217;s written in is very unusual. But the kids are picking it up so fast.&8221;

Jackson and assistant director Leigh Anne Mason, musical director Darlene McCune and scenic designer Leon Hollins are teachers for the 2006 NLT Summer Youth Workshop, which drew more than 40 young people from ages 6 to 17.

Parents used pictures sent home with the children as a guide for creating the costumes. &8220;They&8217;ve each made their own,&8221; Jackson said. &8220;They&8217;ve made them exactly like the pictures I sent home with the kids.&8221;

The scenes shift throughout the show, as the musical story develops during 15 different settings.

As Gandalf opens the show with his mighty words, the dwarves &8212; 13 of them &8212; come down the aisles of the theater and move onto the stage, singing as they come, &8220;Thirteen mighty dwarves, straight and strong and true. With just one goal in view &8212; to slay the awful dragon, Smaug. He took our home and burned and looted. Now he must be executed.&8221;

Costumes, special effects and magic tricks should make the show fun for the audience, Jackson said.

Landon Henry, who was active in the 2005-2006 season in other roles and will be a senior at Cathedral School in the fall, said the show is different and fun. &8220;And the sets are going to be awesome,&8221; he said.

Nicole Ballard, an upcoming junior at Cathedral and also a youth veteran of the Natchez Little Theatre, said on Tuesday that she has enjoyed seeing the play come together, especially seeing the little children doing well.

&8220;It&8217;s going to be good. It&8217;s changed and it&8217;s coming together in the last two weeks,&8221; she said.

Carly Allen, another Cathedral student and an upcoming sixth-grader, said she was nervous at first, as this play is her first other than a small church play.

&8220;But I&8217;ve had a really good time with it,&8221; she said.

Gabrielle Richardson has the role of Bombur. She, too, is a veteran of NLT shows.

&8220;The Hobbit&8221; has been hectic, she said. &8220;There are so many children. I&8217;ve been around children a lot, but usually only two or three at a time,&8221; she said. &8220;This has given me a lot of patience.&8221;

Dwight Williams, a Trinity Episcopal Day School upcoming ninth-grader, has the role of Tom, one of the trolls.

&8220;It&8217;s a really good play,&8221; he said. &8220;I haven&8217;t done one like this before.&8221;

Musical numbers include solos but many chorus numbers sung by all the trolls or all the dwarves.