Children's Theatre to Perform Locally-Written Musical

Next month, Pied Piper Children’s Theatre is working to bring the story of Noah's Ark to the stage with its upcoming production, Lullaby for a Lonely Child. The original musical, written and directed by Daniel Main, will be performed on April 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m., with a matinee on April 27 at 2:30 p.m. Charity Main serves as the assistant director.

Promotional graphic for Lullaby for a Lonely Child

Unlike traditional tellings of the Genesis story, Lullaby for a Lonely Child offers a new perspective by focusing on the animals aboard the ark. "It's a fictional take on it told from the perspective of the animals, who are experiencing turmoil among themselves on the ark, trying to figure out just how to survive that time on the ark together," Daniel Main explained.

The musical, originally written between 1999 and 2000, was initially conceived as a means of accommodating the high number of children in the theatre group. "Each character in the show was specifically written for a kid that was in the children's theatre at the time," said Main. "But the cool thing is now, subsequently, you see these new kids come along, and as Charity and I were going through and casting this, we were going, 'Oh my gosh, this kid would be perfect there!'"

One of the young performers bringing the story to life is Brigid Nance, age 10, who plays the main antagonist—a cunning snake. Brigid has been acting since she was six and is excited to take on the challenge of portraying a bad guy. "I have to act like I'm a villain. I'm kind of blending in with everyone else when I'm actually evil," she said.

Director Daniel Main practices an original song from Lullaby with Brigid Nance, playing the Snake antagonist, and the Rat henchmen played by Tobias Ferguson and Khloe Davis.

The production includes ten original songs, all composed by Daniel Main. Adding to the excitement, this will be the first time in over 20 years that a local theatre production will feature live musical accompaniment. Main will play guitar, while two guests flautists and a violist will join him in bringing the score to life.

This marks the fourth or fifth time Pied Piper has performed Lullaby for a Lonely Child since its creation. The musical has also been staged by theatre groups in New Albany, Indiana, and Corinth, Mississippi.

Reflecting on the creative process, Main noted how different this production feels compared to more well-known shows. "When we did The Wizard of Oz last summer, you expect, when you see the Cowardly Lion, for it to be very similar to the Cowardly Lion from the movie. But this is not something that’s widely known, so it’s really neat for them to be able to just create these characters how they see them. Every time I’ve done it, the kids bring something new to it, and I’m excited to see what these guys are going to do with it. They’re going to be awesome."

Other cast members include Scarlett Morgan as an Elephant, Sesley Cole as a Sheep, Anakin Bowman and Olivia Fourman as Raccoons, Dahlia Scifres as a Turtle, Luke Lewandowski as a Wolf, Hunter Pugh and Ava Jetter as Alligators, Sorin Strickland as a Leopard, Aubrey Berg as a Mouse, Sawyer Wykoff as a Tiger, Tobias Ferguson and Khloe Davis as the Snake’s Rat sidekicks, Cort Zinzer and Gracie Morehous as Monkeys, Mya Colon as a Rabbit, Aislynn Compton as the Dove, Grant Waters as a Lion, Phoebe Ferguson as a Mule, Blair Dowling as a Bear, Brynlee Berg as a Skunk, and Macey Lewandowski as a Giraffe. Kiki Snelling, Amelia Camp, and Aria Morris will be filling out the animal ensemble.

Performances will be held at the Gary W. Hartsook Hall behind the Salem Nazarene Church, 405 N Shelby St, April 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. and April 27 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students, with free admission for children aged 4 and under.