The New Hampton School Theatre Program is thrilled to announce the upcoming performances of their winter musical: Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach. Performances will take place in McEvoy Theater at New Hampton School on Friday, February 17, at 7:00 pm and Saturday, February 18, at 2:00 pm. Both performances are free and open to the public.
This heart-warming musical, based on the classic children’s book by Roald Dahl, is brought to life on stage through a wickedly tuneful score by the Tony Award-nominated team of Pasek and Paul (Dogfight, A Christmas Story the Musical, and Dear Evan Hansen) and a curiously quirky book by Timothy Allen McDonald (Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley).
About the production
When James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree, he discovers a magic potion that results in a tremendous peach… and launches a journey of enormous proportions. Suddenly, James finds himself in the center of the gigantic peach, among human-sized insects with equally oversized personalities, but after it falls from the tree and rolls into the ocean, the group faces hunger, sharks and plenty of disagreements. Thanks to James’ quick wit and creative thinking, the residents learn to live and work together as a family. The dangerous voyage is a success, but the adventure takes a whole new twist once they land on the Empire State Building.
The show is directed by Amanda Jennison, a faculty member at the School, whose work was previously seen in last year’s hugely successful production of Little Shop of Horrors. Christine Chiasson who has worked on productions throughout the state, is serving as the show’s Music Director. Jennison is excited to be back at the helm for a second show and believes this show has something to entertain the whole family. “We’re thrilled to be presenting this show as a community effort, involving not only New Hampton students but also faculty members and faculty children in the cast,” Jennison says. She was particularly interested in making sure as much of the school community as possible had the opportunity to participate in the musical in some way. “There was a long tradition of this kind of involvement in the theater department here pre-pandemic,” she says, “so it feels like a return to something special. We’re also partnering with the Robotics club for some of our special effects, so be on the lookout for the results of that collaboration!”
The show features a cast of nearly 30 members of the campus community and includes many day students from surrounding towns.
Among the cast and crew are the following students:
Gus Kusch – Sandwich, NH
Emily Hansen – Gilford, NH
Alex Rangelov – Gilford, NH
Ashley Holland – Meredith, NH
Miles Sargent – Meredith, NH
Teaya Lambe – Meredith, NH
Elise Arvidson – Tilton, NH
Alden Truesdale* – Loudon, NH
Asa Gilman – New Hampton, NH
Ryan LeBrun* – New Hampton, NH
Moriah Smith – New Hampton, NH
Ben Smith – New Hampton, NH
*Member of the class of 2023
Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach will be performed, by special arrangement with Music Theatre International, on February 17 (7:00 pm) and 18 (2:00 pm) in McEvoy Theater located on New Hampton School’s campus at 34 Dr. Childs Road, New Hampton. The performances are free and open to the public. For more information, please call the box office at 603-677-3522 or email Theatre Director Matt Cahoon at mcahoon@newhampton.org.
Founded in 1821, New Hampton School is an independent, co-educational, college preparatory school of 350 students who come from over 28 states and 30 countries. An International Baccalaureate school, New Hampton School cultivates lifelong learners who will serve as active global citizens. Students benefit from an average class size of 11 and a student-faculty ratio of five to one. For more information, please visit www.newhampton.org.
