60-plus area children to present ‘Beauty Lou
and the Country Beast’ on Friday and Saturday

More than 60 local children will get their chance to shine in the spotlight this week when the Watauga County Arts Council presents the Missoula Children's Theatre’s (MCT) original musical adaptation of “Beauty Lou and the Country Beast.”

The two performances will be held on Friday, June 26, at 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 27, at 3 p.m.
Both performances will be held at the Watauga High School auditorium. Tickets will be available at the door, $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 12 and under.

The Arts Council is no stranger to the Missoula productions — in years past, area children have starred in productions of “Treasure Island,” “Sleeping Beauty,“ “Robin Hood,” “Hansel and Gretel,” “The Jungle Book” and more.

MCT is the nation’s largest touring children’s theater, has been touring extensively for more than 30 years from Montana to Japan, and they will visit more than 1,300 communities this year with 47 teams of tour actor/directors.

A tour actor/director team arrived in Watauga County on Monday with the set, lights, costumes, props and makeup.

During five days of intensive rehearsal, participating children have learned their lines, staging, songs and dances.

The production has been designed with suitable parts for various age, skill and experience levels.

A few students have been cast as assistant directors, and have focused on technically oriented tasks, such as mounting the set, working lights and sound equipment, and assisting with teaching the show to the cast.

One of the two actor/directors from Missoula will play a supporting role in the production.

Audiences of all ages will get a fresh look at an old favorite this weekend when the MCT and the 60-plus local students present “Beauty Low and the Country Beast.”

Featured as Beauty Lou will be Kya Cranor and Cami Hastings.

The “Younger Daughters” and “Older Daughters” will be played by Courtney Cramblit, Maggie Hooks, Olivia Michael Dominique Rousseau, Celeste Winebarger, Sylvia Wood Taylor Blanton, Megan Gottfried, Grace Bowling, Kate Kearse, Lexi Cranor, and Priscilla Hoke.

“Imaginary Friend” will be played by Sidney Ginn.

The “Beast” will be played by Wriston Hoke.

“Dusty and Slim the helpful farmhands” will be played by Marion Hearn and Ruby Boisclair.

“Faithful friend Fleabite Clyde, the dog,” will be played by Noah DuVarney.

“Buck” will be played by MCT tour actor/director Arianne DeCerb.

Hoping to win enough money to save the family farm, Buck sets off for the rodeo and is joined by the rest of the “Country Folk,” Griffin Arquette, Brooke Ashcraft, Aidan Berounsky, Claire Bowling, Emma Carder, Ashlyn Church, Kinden Cranor, Mercer Fischer, Will Garrett, Elizabeth Gottfried, Allison Gregory, Brooks Hastings, Beckham Jacquot, Mairin Jacquot, Katie Mac Knight, Sarah Pisaris, Ben Pisaris, Sarah Pisaris Bianca Smart, Anneka Suddreth, Ella Thompson, Mackenzie Thompson, Abby Turner, Lief VanSliedrecht, Lucas Wiley and “Barnyard Critters” played by Rebecca Anderson, Marley Berounsky, Amelia Darnell, Rhett Garrett, Drew Hooks, Jacob Hooks, Caroline Hoover, Grace Horine, Alice Knight, Caroline Krause, Alexandra Krusiewig, Quincy Peacock, Genny Richardson, Kelsey Watts, Emma Tzotschew, Ivan Tzotschew, Andie Waugh and Bailey Whitehead-Price.

Nate Fischer, Marie Hearn, Matthew Johnson and Kauner Michael have served as assistant directors throughout the week.
This production is part of Missoula Children’s Theatre’s international touring project and is presented locally by the Watauga County Arts Council.

The Watauga County Arts Council (WCAC) is a nonprofit local arts agency founded in 1981 whose continuing mission is “to sponsor and encourage the cultural arts in Watauga County.”

There are a variety of ongoing programs, services, and collaborations in place to help achieve that goal and to foster the pursuit, production, and promotion of art indigenous to the community, as well.

Among these are the annual Summer Concert on the Lawn series, the Arts Placement Service, galleries located in the Jones House Community Center, special events, grants to area artists, and educational programming including performances, workshops, residencies, and scholarships.

As a designated county partner of the North Carolina Arts Council, the WCAC subgrants state monies for local arts-related projects and organizations.

For information regarding the programs and services of the WCAC, or if you are interested in contributing to WCAC, call (828) 264-1789, or e-mail wcac@watauga-arts.org