Edmonds’ Olympic Ballet Theatre presents its popular annual production of two children’s favorites, “Madeline and the Bad Hat at the Circus” and “Peter and the Wolf” in three performances offered in Everett, Seattle, and Kirkland in February.
“Madeline and the Bad Hat at the Circus” is a high-spirited ballet version of one of Faure’s classic Madeline stories about a little French girl and her adventures. Miss Clavel’s 12 little girls assemble in two straight lines and then tease and test their new neighbor, a boy that Madeline has named “The Bad Hat.” After some misadventures, they end up at the circus and become great friends. Following the performance, a demonstration of theatrical lighting, sets, and ballet techniques provides a glimpse into the world of theatre and an enjoyable learning experience for children.
The curtain then opens on “Peter and the Wolf,” Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s light hearted musical tale for children, choreographed by OBT’s late cofounder, John Wilkins. Prokofiev conceived each character with a special melody and instrument, and these are heard throughout the tale whenever a character appears. Peter is portrayed by violins, and his friends, the duck, the cat, and the bird, are portrayed by the oboe, clarinet, and flute. Peter’s old grandfather is represented by a bassoon; the hunters, by a timpani and bass drum, and the sinister wolf, by French horns. When a wolf comes out of the forest to menace Peter and his friends, Peter’s quick thinking and daring actions lead to the capture the wolf, and all ends happily.
The first public performance takes place at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 1 at the Everett Performing Arts Center, located at 2710 Wetmore Ave., followed the next weekend by a 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8 performance at The Moore Theatre, located at 1932 2nd Ave., Seattle. The final performance is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13 at the Kirkland Performance Center, located at 350 Kirkland Ave. Special matinee performances are also scheduled for school groups.
Tickets for the public performances are $18 for adults, $12 for children 10 and under, available by calling the OBT box office at 425-774-7570.
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