Ellee St Pierre as Jesse Tuck and Lucy McBride as Winnie Foster in the Aldersgate Church Community Theater production of “Tuck Everlasting” playing Jan. 12-21. www.acctonline.org
If you could live forever, would you? When 11-year-old Winnie Foster discovers the magical secret of the Tuck family, she embarks on an adventure that will change her life forever in the new musical production of Tuck Everlasting, playing Jan. 12-21 at Aldersgate Church Community Theater.
Based on the children's novel by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting features music by Chris Miller, lyrics by Nathan Tysen and a book by Claudia Shear and Tim Federle. The ACCT production is under the direction of Julia St. Pierre.
“I have always loved the music from Tuck Everlasting and the quintessential question of ‘if you could, would you choose to live forever?’” St. Pierre said. “Through the story of Winnie and the Tucks, I hope the audience will see the power of family, of connection, and what it means to be truly alive.”
The lead characters in the ACCT production were double cast, with a talented troupe of young actors alternating roles over the course of the production.
“Tuck Everlasting is very musically demanding,” said Erin Allen, one of the actors playing Winnie Foster. “The harmonies are a bit complicated and the songs are nearly back to back. And yet, despite its complexities, the music is one of my favorite aspects of the show, which has such a meaningful message: ‘You don’t need to live forever, you just need to live.’”
Added Lucy McBride, who also plays Winnie Foster, “I hope that the audience will take away that it's important to live your life. You only get one, and you have to make sure it's good, and that you enjoy it.”
In Tuck Everlasting, young Winnie yearns for a life of adventure beyond her white picket fence. She gets more than she could have imagined when she stumbles upon the magic behind the Tuck family’s immortality -- an eternal-life-giving spring. As her adventure unfolds, Winnie faces an extraordinary choice: return to her life or continue with the Tucks on their infinite journey.
“Tuck Everlasting asks some thought-provoking questions for young people and adults alike,” said producer Maureen Allen. “What makes a life worth living, what do I have in my life that I truly value? The answer, as it almost always is, is people – the relationships we cultivate and the friendships we cherish.”
Added Ellee St. Pierre, who plays Jesse Tuck, “I think the most important thing audiences can take away from our show is to value life -- the highs, the lows, everything. Living is growing and changing and experiencing new things all around you. Life loses its value if it has no end.”
Tuck Everlasting is playing Jan. 12-21 at Aldersgate Church Community Theater, 1301 Collingwood Road, Alexandria. For tickets or more information, visit www.acctonline.org.