Festival Theatre Announces Youth Cast

Festival Theatre is proud to announce the youth cast of the upcoming holiday production of Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates. The cast of four adult professional actors and two community guest artists will be joined by twenty-two young actors from the surrounding area, split into two groups of eleven. Youth roles are double-cast to accommodate the large number of shows, running from November 29th through December 28th.

The youth, with an age range of eight to fifteen, consists of Zoe Allen of Frederic, Ella Anderson, Kelsey Cooper, Sidrah Edwards, Megan Hankel, Lucy Herman, Abby Ruona and Claire Scharfenberg of St. Croix Falls, Nicholas Borne of New Richmond, Anneka Cress of Centuria, Britta Dueholm and Josh Stirrat of Luck, Jade Fehlen and Allie Nelson of Osceola, Brita Gallagher, Liam Gallagher and Elliana Naegelen of Dresser, Katie Herrick of Cushing, Andrew Lewis and Christopher Lewis of Grantsburg, and Catelyn Rice and Stephen Rice of Milltown. Their previous stage experience ranges from a few first timers to a couple with five or more years of participation in Festival productions.

Festival’s Artistic Director Jaclyn Johnson says, “We had an amazing amount of talent come out for the youth auditions this year!  Being able to feature local talent is always a joy in the holiday season and we are excited to work with these young artists, and share this heartwarming story with our community.”

Ed Moersfelder is directing this production from the story written by Mary Mapes Dodge and adapted for Festival Theatre by James L. Walker. A beloved Scandinavian holiday classic set in Holland in the early 19th century, the story highlights hope, tenacity and perseverance. A poor-but-industrious and honorable young man named Hans Brinker yearns to participate in December’s great ice-skating race on the Canal. He and his younger sister, Gretel, have little chance of winning on their handmade wooden skates, but with a little hope and hard work, Hans aims to purchase a set of steel skates that will aid him in chasing down the illustrious prize.  But Hans' and Gretel's father has fallen very ill, and Hans must first find a way to have his father seen and helped by the famous surgeon, Dr. Boekman.  

Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates is a story of love, ambition, community and chasing one's dreams while fighting to do what is honorable and noble.  Perfect for the holiday season, this show will warm hearts of all ages, and remind audiences of the most precious gift of all, the love of family and friends.  

School and home school matinees are available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday mornings during the run of the show in December. School group matinee details can be found on the website, and reservations can be made by calling or emailing the Box Office.

Single tickets for this production are $26 for adults and $13.50 for ages five to eighteen. Reservations can be made online HERE, or by contacting the Box Office at boxoffice@festivaltheatre.org, or 715-483-3387. Details on all the exciting events coming up this fall can be found on the website, such as The Miser opening October 2nd, The Orfield Whyte Band performing on October 18th, and Spirits of the St. Croix on October 27th. Festival Theatre is located in downtown St. Croix Falls at 210 North Washington Street, across the river from Taylors Falls, Minnesota.

The Barley Jacks, with renowned fiddler Brian Wicklund, take the stage at Festival Theatre on Saturday, September 20th, beginning at 7:30 pm, bringing their bluegrass, Celtic and rocking R&B sound to downtown St. Croix Falls. Virtuosity, magic and a little danger combine to make every performance unique. Opening the show is fiddler Jake Armerding and the Aeromatics.

“It is always exciting to have the dynamic, highly talented and very personable Brian Wicklund in the house,” says General Manager Pam Fuchs. “The Barley Jacks are a Festival favorite because they connect with their audience in an engaging way. Festival Theatre is proud to welcome them back.”

The Barley Jacks sing original vocals and play jaw–dropping instrumentals in a spirit of excitement and fun. They are masters of the fiddle, guitar, bass and drum who meld their divergent backgrounds of blues and bluegrass, classical and Celtic, R & B and bebop to inspire each other and create something entirely new.

Front-man and fiddler Brian Wicklund is joined by Joe Cruz on guitar, Kevin Rowe on bass, and Joel Arpin on percussion. Their 2010 debut recording “Either Side of Night” and 2011 recording “The Lighthouse” have been met with great praise by reviewers. The group has a long list of past performances at prestigious venues, including the Cedar Cultural Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota; the Targhee Bluegrass Festival in Alta, Wyoming; the Rocky Grass Festival in Lyons, Colorado; and the Shetland Folk Festival over in Lerwick, United Kingdom. Among many stellar reviews, Denise Morris of the Sticks and Stones Festival in Mora, Minnesota, said, “The concert… by the Barley Jacks was just incredible. Everyone there knew we were seeing a world class performance by the quartet headed by Brian Wicklund, who is one of the most talented and versatile violinists I have ever seen."

Brian Wicklund has been an integral part of the acoustic music scene for decades. As a teenager, he won dozens of fiddle contests and has toured internationally with Stoney Lonesome, Judith Edelman Band, Kathy Kallick Band, Chris Stuart Band, and with Brother Mule. He is a busy studio musician and producer with dozens of projects to his credit. Brian wrote the best-selling American Fiddle Method published by Mel Bay and is in constant demand as a teacher worldwide.

Guitarist Joe Cruz brings 30 years of eclectic guitar virtuosity to the band. Kevin Rowe is as comfortable in a symphony as he is in a jazz combo or a bluegrass band with his bass. And Joel Arpin adds his virtuosic percussion on cajon and trap set. Together they are synergy.

Tickets for the Barley Jacks concert are $21 in advance and $26 at the door, and this event is Flex Pass eligible. Reservations for this and other upcoming concerts, including Sinatra & Company on September 26th, The Whyte Orfield Band on October 18th, and Alice Peacock on November 1st, can be made by calling the box office at 715-483-3387, emailing boxoffice@festivaltheatre.org, or online HERE. Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and one hour prior to show times.

Festival Theatre’s fall production of “The Miser,” a classic French comedy, is now in rehearsal. Last produced here in 1992, “The Miser” is scheduled to open October 2nd and run through October 26th.

Known as a brilliant blend of satire and farce, “The Miser,” written by Molière (1622-1673) and set in Paris, was first performed in 1668 at the court of the French king, Louis XIV. Molière’s characters are as recognizable today as they were in the 17th century. Using irony and hyperbole, the story winds through numerous conflicts, challenges and surprises, guiding the audience through the laughably exasperating lives of the elderly Harpagon, his son, Cléante, and daughter, Élise. The translation being used in this production, written by David Chambers, features an amazing balance of heightened, almost poetic, language and razor sharp wit.  Although Chambers sets the show in the 19th century, the jokes, the character archetypes and the pursuit of love and identity are as poignant now as they were in the 17th century.

The story centers on Harpagon, a widower who obsesses over the feeling that he never has enough money, wreaking havoc on all around him. This includes his two children, Elise and Cléante, who are passionately in love with a valet and the girl next door, respectively. While Harpagon had arranged for them to be married to absurdly mismatched types, the two smart children plot against their frugal father until all erupts in a climactic dinner, and truths are revealed.

Amery resident Ed Moersfelder has the lead role of Harpagon in this production. Moersfelder is well known to Festival audiences from past roles in “Arsenic & Old Lace,” “Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman,” “Crazy for You,” “The Foreigner,” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” as well as directing credits for the holiday productions of “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “A Christmas Story.” Moersfelder is joined by a cast of eight resident and guest artists. Director Jaclyn Johnson had this to say regarding Moersfelder: "Working with Ed Moersfelder is a true gift for this production.  When pursuing a curmudgeon-ed, selfish, vain and egotistical miser of a central character, you also hope you get an actor who is the opposite.  One who is giving, kind, honest, thoughtful and caring.  Ed is all those things and more.  He is approaching the role with heart, passion, and an endless pursuit of great storytelling.  I'm sure audiences will delight in seeing his Harpagon as much as I am delighting in watching him come to life."

Currently serving as Artistic Director, in 2013 Johnson directed the summer musical “Crazy for You,” and has acted in numerous shows since her debut here in the 2008 production of “Arsenic & Old Lace.” Favorite Festival productions include “Sylvia” in 2009, “Man of La Mancha” in 2012 and the recently closed comedy “The 39 Steps.”

Tickets for “The Miser” are $26 for adults and $13.50 for students. Reservations for this and for the upcoming holiday production of “Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates” can be made online HERE, by calling the box office at 715.483.3387 or emailing boxoffice@festivaltheatre.org. Box office hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and one hour prior to show times. Festival Theatre is located in the historic Civic Auditorium in downtown St. Croix Falls, at 210 North Washington Street.