By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — A beloved children’s book series will make its way to Three Rivers in the form of a musical production put on by the youth of the community.
From Aug. 9-11 and 16-18, the Three Rivers Community Players will put on their production of “Junie B. Jones the Musical Jr.,” its lone junior production of the season to wrap up the playhouse’s 51st season at the Three Rivers Community Players Theatre on 15526 Millard Rd., just in front of Walmart.
Based on the book series by Barbara Park, the musical follows the adventures of the almost-six-year-old Junie as she navigates first grade, as well as the ups and downs that come with it. The plotlines in the story follow some of the storylines of the first few books in the series.
The lead role of Junie B. Jones will be played by Annabell Bent, while Sam Karle plays Herb, Kyle Brandys plays Sheldon, and Megan Phillips plays Mr. Scary. Junie’s mother is played by Katie Jacobs, Junie’s dad is played by Dominik Thibos and Link plays the role of Tickle, their family’s dog. Other roles in the production are played by Aiden, Gabriella Frank, Cailyn Brown, Maizie Caseman, Lydia Caseman, Isola Horrocks, Penelope Warner, Jordan West, Miles Hassinger, Evalie Arnold, and Peyton Proxmire.
The show is directed by Disco Metheany in their directorial debut at TRCP. Metheany said it’s been an exciting show to work on so far based on a property they enjoyed reading growing up.
“I think as a young girl with undiagnosed ADHD, I really related to Junie. She was so outspoken and weird and very much herself, and I really liked that about her. I read all the books as a kid,” Metheany said. “When I heard Three Rivers was doing this, I was like, that’s it, that’s going to be the first show I direct. When I first read through it, it definitely felt like the Junie B. I remembered.”
Metheany said the cast so far has had a good time rehearsing, and there have been some times where the case has been impressive.
“A lot of times with kids and learning about theater, you have to tell them exactly what to do. They still haven’t quite learned how to get into the body and mind of a character to make choices on their own, but a lot of them really have exceeded my expectations within that and make choices that are so brilliant, so funny, and so sweet and cute, and make the characters feel more real and more like the kids we have in the show, and I love that,” Metheany said.
Metheany said Bent, in the lead role of Junie B., has been doing a great job so far.
“She is very focused in rehearsal, which is great because a lot of the kids can be a bit crazy. She does a great job with the role, she is spunky and cute and just everything I could’ve asked for in a Junie,” Metheany said.
However, Metheany said there are plenty of lead roles in the musical to give each of the characters a chance to shine.
“It makes sense, and it’s perfect because we have a talented cast, and there’s so many kids where, even in their small moments, they’re a star,” Metheany said.
The musical numbers are a mix of many things, Metheany said – anything from 70s rock to Motown to vaudeville and more.
“There’s also one that’s meant to be kind of spooky, because Junie B. gets glasses, and it’s like scary to her and nightmare-esque. It’s so cute,” Metheany said. “All of the music fits in so well, and it’s so sweet and funny.”
Overall, Metheany said people who come and see the show can expect to have a good time.
“They can expect to laugh. It’s a really funny show. They can expect to get songs stuck in their head, and if they loved Junie B. growing up, re-live some of those childhood experiences of reading the books,” Metheany said. “They can also expect to see kids really shine and be wonderful on stage. And there’s some heart-touching moments as well, just being reminded of what it’s like to be a kid.”
Friday performances start at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday shows start at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $13 for students, and can be bought at https://tickets.trcommunityplayers.org.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
