TORRINGTON – King Barnabas and Queen Mildred are at their wits end.
From therapy to arranging marriages to better education, the royal couple has tried everything to roust their adult children – Princess Hairgel, Princess Slacker, Princess Cinnamon and Princess Peppermint – out of the royal castle and into their own lives.
They’ve even consulted a fairy godmother. But it’s all been to no avail.
That’s the premise of the Torrington Middle School Theater production of “Haphazardly Ever After,” set for a 7 p.m. curtain tonight (Friday) and Saturday, March 3-4, at the performing arts center at Torrington High School.
“It’s a fairy tale that goes awry,” Director Linda Cockett said. “But, in the end, they all live happily ever after.”
“Haphazardly Ever After” is a retelling of a few old standard fairy tales, mixed with a hints of the movie “Failure to Launch,” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” by William Shakespeare. The audience may also recognize elements of the stories of “Rapunzel” and “The Frog Princess” creeping in from time to time
The story comes to a head when the princesses drink the wrong potion, with “unexpected results,” Ms. Cockett said.
What results? You’ll have to see the play to find out. It’ll be well worth the price of admission – which is free.
“It’s got some great music and there’s a lot of fun choreography,” she said. “It showcases the student’s talents well.”
For the 15th year, Ms. Cockett is teaming up with high school and middle school music teacher Kris Tolman for the TMS Theater’s annual production. Practicing since the first week of January, this year’s play features 29 students from the middle school, singing, dancing and acting, many for the first time.
“We have a lot of young people who are taking part in their first production,” Ms. Cockett said. They’ve really stepped up, memorized things well and brought a lot of enthusiasm to the play.”
