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Missoula's 'Snow White' a pure delight
By Margo Oxendine • Staff Writer
 | | Above: A delightful "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was presented at matinee and evening performances last Saturday at Valley Elementary. The Missoula Children's Theater production was sponsored by the Bath County Arts Association. Thirty-five children participated, and thrilled the audiences with their comic and theatrical abilities. The show took just five days to put together. (Recorder photo by Margo Oxendine) |
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ASHWOOD - Absolutely delightful. Sparkling. And so well done!
The Missoula Children's Theater production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" premiered, reprised and closed Saturday at Valley Elementary School. To those who missed it, well, those of us who saw it can only shake our heads in pity for you.
This was truly the single best hour in recent memory. And, I'm not even a parent or grandparent!
The show was fast-paced, laugh-out-loud funny, and just so darn cute as to verge on precious.
Take any given group of characters. The seven dwarfs, for instance. What a consummate bunch of young actors they were. The Grouch (Chase Halterman) was grouchy. Whiner (Austin Tuning) did nothing but whine, "Wahhhh," throughout his scenes. Dr. Specs (Ryan Woodzell) delivered an appropriately intelligent performance. Hump and Dump, the twins (Kendal Woodzell and Sophie Heinshon), finished each other's sentences, as twins sometimes do, and did it in rhyme, no less. Tiny "Tambourine" (Isabella Dufour), stole the crowd's hearts with just a single line - "Oh yeah!" - repeated throughout the show.
 | | Three leads in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" were, from left, Graham Kershner as "King Backwards," Rachel Camacho as "Queen Bella," and Missoula Children's Theater director, Joshua Kimball, as "Witless the Woodsman." (Photo courtesy Janie Camacho) |
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And then, there was Bob (Tyler Ryder). A dwarf named Bob? "Hey, I'm a dwarf in a fairy tale; what more do you want?" announced the leader of the diminutive pack.
The Bats. Oh, the bats were far beyond adorable. Lindsay Dufour, Brandon Ryder, Matthew Witschey, Paige Mandy, Jillian Brown, Grace Yarrow, Caitlyn Tierney and Gabrielle Reed stole everyone's hearts.
 | | Three of the dwarfs in last Saturday's "Snow White" show were ably played by, from left, Kendall Woodzell and Sophie Heinsohn as "Hump and Dump," twins; and Isabella Dufour as "Tambourine," the tiniest of the little people. (Photo courtesy Janie Camacho) |
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Ditto for the Forest Animals. These kids - Maddie Martin, Andrew Vinson, Rebecca Ferguson, Brittany Tyree, Dawson Colaw and Caroline Witschey - really channeled their furry, funny, cuddly characters.
The animals were ably assisted by their more mature, and wiser, counterparts, Phineas the Finch (Leah Petrosky, Fernando the Frog (Miguel Petrosky) and the incomparable Foxy (Hannah Petrosky).
Every talented child in the Petrosky family was represented. Micah played one of the Queen's two Henchmen, the Abbott, shall we say, to Parke Kershner's Costello. Suffice to say, two less threatening, lazier bumblers might never be found.
What can be said about the Black Forest Creatures (Randi Martin, Gracie Neutelings, Abby Dufour)? Only this: trees have never seemed so graceful, yet so menacing.
Snow White (Asheby Leach) was sweet and young and lovely, as perfect as she could be. And Graham Kershner, as The King - or "King Backwards" as his subjects knew and loved him - played his part with the requisite perplexity of one who always says exactly what he does not mean.
But oh, the show stealer: Rachel Camacho as Queen Bella. What a delight she was to watch, swanning about the stage, issuing pronouncements, causing creatures to quake in fear. At times, her character seemed based on an old, crotchety Bette Davis; at others, Rosalind Russell at her haughty best. Queen Bella hates children, animals, parties and dancing. She does, however, love the mirror.
Yes, Amanda Ferguson played a pivotal role as The Magic Mirror - as forthright and honest as an inanimate object can be.
Professional actor Joshua Kimball, who co-directed the show for Missoula with his tour partner, Erica Harte, was perfection as Witless the Woodsman. Director Harte hustled about backstage, ably assisted by Melissa Ferguson, Zach Woodzell, and Gentry Kershner.
There were songs. There were dances. There was drama. There was comedy. Thankfully, tragedy did not rear its ugly head, despite the designs of the evil queen, her "Comb of Eternal Sleep," and the proverbial poisoned apple.
Then again, there was a tragedy. Some folks missed this utterly delightful show. Please try not to let that happen again.
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