10 | NOVEMBER.30.2012 | FRIDAY WEEKENDER: GOING OUT LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER | LEXGO.COM Once you’re in Narnia, you’ll wish you could spend more time By Candace Chaney THEATER REVIEW Contributing Culture Writer ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Lexington Children’s Wardrobe’ Theatre’s annual holiday-timed What: Lexington Children’s show is usually filled with Theatre’s production of Don extra magic and spectacle, like Quinn’s dramatization of the the flying-carpet adventure of book by C.S. Lewis. Recom- last year’s Madeline’s Christ- mended for all ages. mas. When: 2 and 7 p.m. Dec. 1; 2 Taking advantage of the p.m. Dec. 2 short trek across the street to Where: Lexington Opera the larger venue of the Lexing- House, 401 W. Short St. ton Opera House, the troupe Tickets: $17 adults, $14 chil- enjoys a bigger playground for dren. Available by calling (859) the theatrical imagination. 254-4546 or at Lctonstage.org. Director Vivian Snipes has no shortage of imagina- tion in this year’s production, rain after Aslan’s ritual murder The Lion, the Witch and the is stirringly staged, but since Wardrobe, an adaptation of they only just met him a few C.S. Lewis’ allegorical novel minutes before, their grief feels that has enchanted readers for oddly out of balance. decades. Including the highlights of This visually sumptuous the book are an important part show invites young audiences of any adaptation, but staying PHOTOS COURTESY OF LEXINGTON CHILDREN’S THEATRE to escape through the ward- connected to the characters’ In this scene, the four Pevensie children have returned from their adventures in Narnia. Alexandra robe into the magical land of motivations is equally impor- Simpson, left, is Lucy Pevensie; John Gensheimer is Professor Digory Kirke; Sloan Gilbert plays Susan Narnia, where four children are tant. destined to save its magical Robinette’s script may not Pevensie; Brandon Cross is Edmund Pevensie and Austin Newsted is Peter Pevensie. creatures from the chilling rule give performers the time and lion costume for Aslan. I was of an evil queen. The show is space they need to cultivate waiting for a larger-than-life technically well wrought and compelling relationships, but lion to make a grand entrance solidly performed, but there is that doesn’t mean that the per- onto the Opera House stage something about the skewed forming elements of the show and was disappointed by the sense of scale in the material are lacking. admittedly creative, Roman that does not easily translate to Austin Newsted, Sloan helmet-inspired gold and red the stage. Gilbert, Brandon Cross and ensemble. Since the show is so Compressing the events of Alexandra Simpson deliver full of action and characters, an epic novel into an hourlong spirited, engaging portrayals the audience needs obvious show is certainly a daunting of Peter, Susan, Edmund and cues about who is who to avoid task, and Joseph Robinette’s Lucy — the Pevensie siblings confusion. adaptation takes necessary who are fated to save Narnia. Perhaps the most enjoy- shortcuts that make narra- Bonus points for consistently able aspect of the production tive sense but they some- delivered British accents. is Jerome Wills’ fluid scenic times come at the expense of Deidre Cochran and Antony design, which connects with relationships that need time Russell blast onto the stage in Clare Lopez’s choreography to brew for a bigger dramatic powerful renditions of evil and of the supporting ensemble’s payoff later. good as the White Witch and statuesque dance numbers, Take for instance, Susan and Aslan. making Narnia come alive with Lucy’s relationship to Aslan, Eric Abele’s costume for the magic. the powerful lion who can White Witch chillingly captures defeat Queen Jadis, the White the queen’s wintry power, but The White Witch calls forth her ghoulish army to capture Edmund. Witch. The scene where the I wish he would have ren- Candace Chaney is a Lexington- Melissa Evans, left, plays the ghoul; Deidre Cochran is Queen Jadis, girls comfort each other in the dered a slightly more literal based writer. the White Witch; and Joshua Curry is the dwarf..