in february i was going to write a blog post for you called “a tale of two theatres.” (because obviously, it’d be more fun than reading dickens.)

well, it’s already the merry month of may somehow… and now, HaPPILy and with much glee, i can report that i have been to (many) MORE than two. or three. or four theatres.

because long live live performances! :D

so here’s where i’ve been so far this year… and then you can help me scheme (er, plan) for how to get to THE PLACE I WANT TO GO TO THERE…

theatre no. 1: the movie symphony

*at the peace center:* harry potter & the prisoner of azkaban— in concert!

first up in 2025 was the greenville symphony orchestra playing john williams’ academy award-winning score to harry potter and the prisoner of azkaban!

WOW.

i mean, the music sounds good in the background when you’re re-watching the dvd. or playing the cd in your studio while you’re painting. but to have THAT many musicians playing the music LIVE— as you re-watch the film on the BIG screen with an audience of more than 2,000 people????

incredible.

i know his music is recognizable. but aren’t artists’ paintings recognizable, too? like, we know that’s a monet or a degas or a lichtenstein. he might use some similar chords or runs or whatever (i honestly know nothing about music except what makes me happy), but he’s also written 80+ film scores. so i’m just gonna call it his STYLEL when you think it’s superman or indy jones or harry potter or star wars… ;)

also love this LIVE music/film experience because they put the captions on the film, so you catch a LOT more of the (often funny) dialogue than you catch just watching it on repeat at home. :)

ah, how LIVE performances heighten different senses and experiences!!

theatre no. 2: all aboard the pirate ships for pixie dust

*at centre stage:* peter & the starcatcher!

theatre experience number TWO of the year: as his belated birthday present, i took my dad to centre stage’s production of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER.

i get my PETER PAN (in any form) obsession from my dad, and the first theatre production i ever remember seeing outside of a school play i’m pretty sure was a community theatre production of peter pan on a 6th or 7th grade field trip. (of course at that age, the more important thing was which cute boy might sit at your table when you went to the italian restaurant as a class afterwards; but alas: the theatre was indeed much better than the wet noodles on the grey plastic plates.)

i digress.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER was originally a series of middle grade books i read (as a grown*up, of course) by dave barry and ridley pearson. (dad doesn’t remember reading them, but i totally leant them to him years and years ago!)

then it was an off-broadway musical starring christian borle as BLACK ‘STACHE. (i never got to see it in nyc, but i did buy the mug online; my husband now uses it for his razors on his bathroom sink counter.)

theatre no. 3: my fave local theatre for uncomfortable shakespeare-adjacent content

i went to this play because shakespeare was in it.

not a time-travel one, or one back from the dead, but one of the four characters in the show was a version of shakespeare. an arrogant, womanizing writer— who happens to be trying to write a new play during The Plague. (as in the cultural relevancy of being creative during lockdown.)

there were some Very funny moments. but, for my taste, way too many over-the-top, um… non-kid-audience-friendly things happening. (there weren’t any kids at the show, but it’s my sensibility. so overall & often awkward for my taste is all i’m saying.)

the acting was great, even if i wish i could have edited the script. but i guess that’s not one of my many jobs.

the set at warehouse (a blackbox theatre) was great as ever. and they made good use of the central window. (“bring out yer dead!”) but i could have done without the “graffiti” on stage right and all the suggestive content. (we get it. move on, please.)

theatre no. 4: a new musical of a favourite classic

the view of the ALICE set from my favourite seat at the south carolina children’s theatre: box right front. (it makes me feel like i’m more a part of the show/crew—or a theatre reporter/critic—when in this perch. :)

my young friend CH was the only child actor in this play— and she held her own as ALICE in this original musical adaptation of lewis carroll’s beloved classic. (one of three children’s classics of which i own more than a dozen different editions.)

granted, my favourite seat wasn’t the most ideal for this show— i couldn’t see the whole set, and the on-stage musicians (who also played multiple roles) couldn’t be seen— but the scenic designer again nailed it this with this one at scct.

revolving doors the actors swiveled and moved through. hidden doors in the scenery. clocks and time. all very evocative of wonderland the portals we discover and travel through when in a great book or faerie tale.

at one point, gloved hands came out of those frames and handed alice a teacup, if i remember correctly. or maybe it was a paintbrush for the rose bushes… either way it was giving me jean cocteau *la belle et la bête* vibes, and i was here for it.

original songs and physicality of the actors were great. on-stage musicians excellent. a few spots in the script dragged. (kid in the chair next to me during the tea party scene: “What IS haPPenING?!” bahahaha.)

*after having “alice” sign my ticket (golly, i miss paper programs!!!!!) at the stage door exit after her final matinee performance.*

but i love alice. and i love attempts at transforming a classic. (they included the mock turtle, who was, honestly, the hightlight of the entire production.)

theatre no. 5: my happiest place on earth, even if gaston is a tool

and the only OUT OF TOWN theatre i’ve been to so far this year: theatre of the stars at disney hollywood studios in orlando, fl.

i mean, the whole disney parks experience is immersive theatre, if you ask me. you’re walking through SO MANY REALMS and dimensions in any given day that any given tuesday can feel like you’ve lived a lifetime. (but that’s a different blog post!) ;)

as i mentioned in my insta stories during this WDW solo trip (THE BEST; 1000000% recommend, btw), gaston was a total “ugh/flirt.” which he’s supposed to be, but i still swear he winked at me and directed his performance at me for the whole thing.

it was also a master class in how to truncate a 90-minute animated feature for a wiggly, outdoor, daylight-lights-on production into a 25 minute broadway musical while people eat their frozen lemonades and mickey hot pretzels and toddlers cry and bang on the the metal bleachers because it was their nap time three hours ago.

(hint: use the line “due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, belle found herself in an enchanted castle.” bwahaha. and sing all the songs. and bring out the glittering costumes—the bigger the ballgown the better. and no, they haven’t changed the clothes in the 30+ years since the show has run there!)

theatre no. 6: back into a book with a fellow bookworm (er, wormwood)

**back to the south carolina children’s theatre: this time for *matilda*!**

and the most recent live show i’ve seen so far in 2025: matilda!

it was back to the south carolina children’s theatre for the full musical (from the pen of roald dahl to the printed page to the royal shakespeare company’s london stage to the broadway stage to the traveling broadway show and now ancillary rights to local theatres to produce the whole thing!)

**a detail of my faerie tale feet painting “what a dahl: bluestocking matlida.”** **more about the piece and process HERE.**

i’ve listened to the original cast recording a LOT. (although, as with all musicals, it all finally makes sense only once you’ve SEEN the show. ha! which i got to do many years ago at the peace center in greenville when the traveling company came to town.)

and of COURSE, it was a childhood favourite book. (i was born in the ‘80’s. anyone who read grew up on and loved roald dahl. and matlida was the thickest of his books - aside from the short story collection the wonderful story of henry sugar and six more — so i felt like a scholar when i read matilda over and over. plus, it was about a bookworm whose family totally misunderstood her and the bullies lose, and what’s NOT to love?)

there are two children currently sharing performance nights in the titular role because of the vocal demand for the role and the gal i saw do it was absolute perfection. every note. every song. every solo and her bulgarian was mightily impressive.

so. much. fun.

((and the child audience i was surrounded by added to the levels of distractions, but yeah— it’s ChildREn’s theatre. for The Children…? and heck, shakespeare’s The Globe was an outdoor, daylight-ridden, heckling, snacking, drinking nightmare of a live theatre audience, so i can (sorta) handle kids crunching their candy wrappers and bouncing up and down in their seats… sorta.))

again: this scct set design was brilliant. the moving staircase. the moving walls. the oversized book sculpture the librarian rolled in on… i just LOVE how set designers transform the space to let our imagination move with the story. aside from a group song & dance number (esp. “when i grow up” or “revolting”), set design is my favorite thing of theatre.

and now…… theatre no. 7: Lord, i don’t want to say no to this!!

**reopening this summer: the delacorte theatre. shakespeare in the park. CenTRAL park, that is. and the opening show? *TWELFTH NIGHT.* also: that cast, right?! gracious!!!!!**

I WANT TO GO TO THERE!!

i’m trying to remember to exhale (and inhale again) even as i type this.

i’ve walked past the delacorte theatre multiple times. i’ve taken pictures of the shakepseare sculptures outside. i’ve cried imagining myself being there. in the audience. free shakesepeare. outside. in central park. in new york city.

and the first show they’re putting on after the theatre’s renovation?! TWELFTH NIGHT. if you know anything about my author-illustrator writing and publishing journey, you may know that the book i’ve been working on for 4 (ish) years is a theatre middle grade novel. which revolves around shakespeare’s twelfth night!!!!

(my book is currently out on submission to editors with my agent; so waiting for good new any day now!)

so, this feels almost as serendipitious as the typewriter charm i added to my bracelet when i got home from my agent sister retreat this march:

to celebrate my books going out on submission, i went to a local jewelry store and ordered a typewriter charm for my bracelet.

and WHAT hook did it go on? the one where shakespeare’s bust and the statue of liberty were already hanging out together.

(my aforementioned 12N book takes place in NYC!!!)

so doubly-quadrouple meant-to-be, right?!

my husband says i’m reading into this, but i’m choosing to believe it’s a Very. Good. Sign.

and when i heard shakesepare in the park was coming back and opening with twelfth night? i think it’s another outrageously clear sign it’s time to finally go!

so how do i get there?

a theatre ghost gofundme? a faerie tale feet print blow-out? begging for cash while in line at my local indie bookstore? start walking and find the back of the line? :)

i’m open to (any) better ideas.

fer sure-tainly, it’s meant to be, right?

and i’ll keep holding my breath that if (when?) i get there, it’ll be another celebration of a theatre and story-lovin’ trip.

have you seen any live theatre this year? have you ever participated in a show? do you love a play? a musical? a drama? comedy? outdoor theatre? tell me!

here’s to art and creatives and inviting each other into marvelous stories.

xo,

*hallie :)

*no shade to my niece E, but i attended her ballet recital, too. alas, i took no pictures.

a tale of ... a lot of theatres.