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Photo by Jodi Kasch
Tinkerbell (Quinby Kasch from Camarillo) and Peter Pan (Mariah Murphy from Thousand Oaks) star in the upcoming production of “Peter Pan.”
Do you believe in fairies? Then go see 'Peter Pan'
April 18, 2008
When Pacific Festival Ballet’s spring performance of “Peter Pan” takes the stage on Friday, May 9, at the Civic Arts Plaza Fred Kavli Theatre, audience members of all ages might just start convincing themselves that there really is such a thing as fairy dust. Thanks to the same high-tech device that made Cathy Rigby fly through the air in the original Broadway production of “Peter Pan” in 1974, Pacific Festival Ballet’s Mariah Murphy, a junior at Thousand Oaks High School who stars in the title role, will take flight as if by magic, soaring above the stage as she leads the cast to Neverland.
“It really is something to see,” said Kim Maselli, Pacific Festival Ballet artistic director, of the flying apparatus. “If you didn’t know how the harness is wired, you’d have a hard time convincing yourself that Mariah wasn’t really flying.”
This is the second time the company has staged the ballet.
“The first time we presented ‘Peter Pan’ back in 2002,” said Lori Sorensen, administrative director, “you could hear the audience gasp when Peter Pan took off. It was unforgettable.”
Murphy will be joined by a cast of 135 members of California Dance Theatre, the official training school of Pacific Festival Ballet, as well as guest artists Mark Reyes as Mr. Smee, and Gary Franco in the role of Captain Hook.
Two performances on Friday, May 9, are scheduled. The first, a children’s full-length matinee, will begin at 4 p.m., to be followed by a 7:30 p.m. performance of “Peter Pan” that will also feature a tribute to Scott Joplin, classical ballet variations, and the Olympics.
Now in its 14th year, Pacific Festival Ballet is the resident ballet company of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Countrywide Performing Arts Center. Tickets for “Peter Pan” are now on sale, and can be obtained by calling the Civic Arts Box Office at (805) 449-ARTS, or through Ticketmaster.
For more information, visit the California Dance Theatre Website, at www.californiadancetheatre.com.