Raleigh Little Theatre will present an RLT Teens on Stage production of Pinocchio, A Musical Play, with music by Nicky Rea and Jackie Cassada and books and lyrics by Arnold Wengrow, July 14-16 and 20-23, in its Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre. RLT youth theater and education director Linda O'Day Young will direct the show, and Vicki Olson will create the costumes for Pinocchio.

On its web site, the RLT Volunteers write:

Travel beyond the moon and past the sun with the adventures of a wooden marionette [Bianca Hamp as Pinocchio] yearning to become a real boy. The little puppet begins his quest, only to be waylaid by thieves and tricksters. If he tells a lie, his nose grows; if he is lazy, he sprouts the ears of a donkey. His fortunes are guided by a pesky cricket [Yuen Ho as Antonio Cricket] and the Blue Fairy [Molly Davis], but he faces the final Plunge into the Sea and executes a daring escape from the belly of the Great Sea Monster on his own.

An intensive five-week theater program, Teens on Stage (TOS) culminates in 16 performances of Pinocchio, the opening production for Raleigh Little Theatres 71st season. All TOS students take morning conservatory classes that include acting, movement, voice, and improvisation. In the afternoon, students rehearse Pinocchio with RLT youth theater and education director Linda ODay Young.

Pinocchio is a delightful musical version of Carlo Callodis classic tale about a willful little marionette who runs away from the carpenter, Gepetto [Andrew Heil]. Pinocchio learns some hard life lessons as he encounters a singing and dancing Fox [Aaron Wright] and Cat [Brett Williams], a magical Blue Fairy and her Falcon [Emma Holland and Amelia Lumpkin], Fire Eater [David Caterinicchio], and his troupe of Commedia Puppets, Doctors Owl [Faegan Young] and Crow [Tara Pozo] and a Coachman [Andrew Long] who takes him away to the Land of Ease where lazy boys turn into donkeys. The play is filled with wonderful roles for singing and non-singing actors and dancers as well.

The Pinocchio cast also includes Lauren Hadley (Columbina), Ashley Corsi (Arlecchino), Phoebe Andrews (Pulchinella), Jess Lawrence (Candlestick), and Rachael Jones (Mouse). The ensemble includes Alyssa Brown, Bobby Cassell, Alexander Daly, Laura Levine, Molly Ward, Katy Wilson, John Molloy, Lela Johnston; and teens backstage include Amanda Craig, Edward Hakin, Samantha Lumpkin, Paige Weidhaas, Samantha Weidhaas, and Ellen Zagrobelny.

Raleigh Little Theatre presents Pinocchio, A Musical Play Friday, July 14, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, July 15-16, at 1 and 5 p.m.; Thursday-Friday, July 20-21, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday-Sunday, July 22-23, at 1 and 5 p.m. in the Gaddy-Goodwin Teaching Theatre, 301 Pogue St. , Raleigh, North Carolina. $12 ($7 children). 919/821-3111. Note: All shows are wheelchair accessible, and assistive listening devices are available for all shows. Raleigh Little Theatre: http://www.raleighlittletheatre.org/performances/pinocchio.html.

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