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From Bedtime Story to Bway-style Musical
A couple of extraordinary feats will unfold the week of July 12 in Keene Valley when a group of about 20 children will take on and act out the world of Mirette Gateau.
Mirette on the High Wire is the beloved Caldecott award-winning picture book by Emily Arnold McCully. Thanks to Elizabeth Diggs, Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones (the latter two being the creators of "The Fantasticks") this beautiful picture book has been charmingly transformed into a full-length musical. Under the direction of actor/director Tyler Nye, this challenging musical will be put together in a single business week by 20 children ranging in age from 8 to 15. Most of the kids are from the North Country-Jay, Keene, Wilmington-but there are some summer kids joining in who come from Massachusetts, New York City and Rochester. The culmination of this intense theatre workshop program will be the performance of "Mirette" on Saturday evening at 7 PM in the auditorium of Keene Central School.
Set in 1890s Paris, the story of "Mirette" centers around a young girl who helps her mother run a boarding house for performers. Mirette's life takes an adventurous turn when a mysterious man moves in-a dark and brooding retired tightrope walker, Monsieur Bellini. Mirette becomes obsessed with the art of tightrope walking even though her mother sings her to sleep with the practical advice "Keep Your Feet Upon the Ground."
This delightful musical adds to the endearing characters introduced in McCully's book with all sorts of circus performers. There is something for everyone here, seldom heard but lovely musical selections as well as the fun and thrill of circus arts.
