Photos by Barry Wisdom

The magic of the theatre, the theater of magic. While great children’s theatre is a wonderful experience for children and adults any time of the year, it is especially magical during the holiday season.

The most recent opening is the B Street Theatre Family Series, “The Snow Queen.” The B Street premier is an adaptation of an 1845 Hans Christian Anderson story, “Sneedronningen,” which originally appeared in Danish. The production is a story of a sister, Gerda, and her brother, Kay, who live with their grandfather.

The adaptation was written by longtime B Street Acting Company member David Pierini. This is his fourth adaptation for B Street and follows “Pinocchio,” “The Princess and the Pauper” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” Currently Pierini is appearing as Lonny, one of the central characters in “Watching Wynter,” Buck Busfield’s holiday show on the B Street Mainstage.

The plot centers around the Snow Queen of the title, who wants to bring her coldness to the whole world. Her next victim is Kay, Gerda’s brother. The Snow Queen has made a mirror that distorts people to show only their ugly, mean sides. She breaks the mirror and allows shards to enter the hearts and eyes of her victims, including Kay, who runs away from home to the Snow Queen’s palace to be her prince and help change others to be cold-hearted individuals.

The audience is told right off that what they are about to see involves magic, and so it does - magic for good, magic for bad. It seems with all magic spells there is some sort of escape clause.

Will Gerda learn the magic words that release her brother and the others from the evil spell?

Gerda is played by Cynthia Zitter, a 2010-2011 B Street acting intern. Last season, she played Margot, Anne Frank’s sister, in “Extraordinary Things: Through the Eyes of Anne Frank” as part of the B Street Family Series and as Lauren in “Circle, Mirror, Transformation” on the Mainstage. Zitter has a lovely voice and did a good job on the musical numbers.

Stephanie Altholz as the Robber Maiden and Cynthia Zitter as Gerda (Image by: Barry Wisdom)

Kay is played handily by John Lamb, a B Street Company member who has frequently been involved with the B Street School Tours and the Family series. Lamb is no slouch on the adult side of theatre and has just finished the role of Sean in “The Walworth Farce,” the story of a horridly dysfunctional family, as part of the B Street B3 series.

Grandfather and three other characters, including a reindeer, are played by Ed Claudio. Claudio has been a producer, director, acting instructor, playwright and actor for over 40 years has been associated with the B Street Family series since its inception. It is quite fun to see an old master become multiple characters.

Amy Kelly also charms and amazes both children and adults portraying no less than four distinct characters starting with Raven, a common bird made magical by the ability to speak with the other characters through the magic of the Snow Queen.

Stephanie Altholz plays a princess and a robber maiden. As usual, Altholz does a great job performing temperamental characters. Her role as May in “Junie B Jones. Jingle Bells, Batman Smells,” at last season’s Family Series is a good example.

Stephanie Altholz as the Robber Maiden, Cynthia Zitter as Gerta (Image by: Barry Wisdom)

The title character is played by Maggie Hollinbeck in her B Street debut. She is well known around Sacramento for her performances on numerous stages and is strongly associated with her song performances at the wonderful Graham-A-Rama cabaret and New Helvetia Theatre Company where she most recently appeared as Charlotte, the central character in “Little Fish.” Hollinbeck has the perfect look for the Snow Queen, tall and regal in her snow white furs.

Maggie Hollinbeck as the Snow Queen and Cynthia Zitter as Gerda (Image by: Barry Wisdom)

Jerry Montoya is the associate producer and director. “Snow Queen” features music composed by Noah Agruss, whose music is also featured with “Watching Wynter,” currently on the B Street Mainstage.

"Snow Queen"  is a wonderful show for introducing classic literature translated to the stage in a meaningful way to young people.  Yet the show stands on its own quite well as an entertainment for both the young and their older theater companions.  

While the show it's self is great family theater it is only part of the excitement of attending what is refered to a children's theater from arriving and the level of excitement in the lobby to talking about the show on the way home.  Their are all generations having a great time together.  

I would also suggest that adults check with their younger theater companions to find out if they are interested in reading the original Hans Christian Anderson story. The story is available in the lobby for $10.   

“Snow Queen” B Street Theatre Family Series
Saturdays and Sundays at 1:00 and 4:00 pm through December 31, 2011
Additional shows: Friday, December 23 @ 1pm & 4pm Tuesday, December 27 @ 1pm & 4pm Wednesday, December 28 @ 1pm & 4pm Thursday, December 29 @ 1pm & 4pm Friday December 30 @ 1pm & 4pm
Information and Tickets