Fantasy Playhouse kicks off new season tonight with “The Jungle Book”

Get ready for a season filled with excitement and adventure on the stage. Fantasy Playhouse Children’s Theater & Academy (FPCTA) announced its 63rd season recently. Beginning tonight, the new season will be filled with original adaptations and plays written by Alabama authors.

The Jungle Book
FPCTA kicks off the all-new season with Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” adapted by Josh Mitchell. This is an original adaptation of the most famous short stories in a collection published by Rudyard Kipling in the 1890s–the Mowgli Adventures. This script is faithful to three of the short stories, so it includes elements that will be new to those only familiar with the Disney versions. Still, it has all the usual characters–Mowgli; Baloo, the bear; Bagheera, the panther; Kaa, the python; and of course, Mowgli’s nemesis, Shere Khan, the Bengal tiger.

Deep in the mysterious Jungle lives Mowgli, a curious young boy raised by wolves. When the mighty roar of a fearsome tiger forces Mowgli to leave the only home he’s ever known, the young boy sets off on a journey where he meets an array of jungle creatures. Mowgli must rely on the guidance of his new friends, a pragmatic panther, and a big brother bear as he learns valuable life lessons through self-discovery, brave adventures, and the rules of the jungle.

“The Jungle Book” will be presented October 20-22 and 27-29 at the Von Braun Center Playhouse in Downtown Huntsville.

Other productions include:
A Christmas Carol
December 1-3 and 7-10
Following this wild adventure, FPCTA presents a new adaptation of the Huntsville holiday staple, Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” — adapted and directed by Cherie Evans. Huntsville’s most beloved family holiday tradition returns to the Fantasy Playhouse stage for the 33rd year this December. Take a trip in time through the past, present, and future with the miserly Mr. Scrooge, three Christmas Spirits, and all the whimsical characters of London town. With more theater magic than ever before, this Charles Dickens classic will delight all ages as an inspiration to keep Christmas in our hearts all year long.

Rapunzel and the Beanstalk
February 22-25, 2024
In February, Fantasy Playhouse travels back to Nysland Wood for the next fairytale installment by Stephen Tyler Davis, “Rapunzel and the Beanstalk”. Davis serves as the artistic director for FPCTA.

Rapunzel and Jack have always lived on the same cobblestone street but never knew it! Between them sits the run-down cottage of the worst witch in Nysland- Willy Nilly Walliwort. She trips over her broomstick and always leaves her hat behind. Her spells come out wrong and her potions are just plain pitiful.

When Willy Nilly tries to make new friends, she invites her neighbors over for her delicious magic beans! But if she fumbles the recipe, she might end up with a beanstalk she didn’t bargain for…and are those beautiful locks of vines growing from Rapunzel’s head? Climb on up for this adventure to giant places about friendship, trying your best, second chances, and the power of positivity.

Space Monkeys! The Adventures of Baker & Able
May 16-19, 2024
Rounding out their season, FPCTA launches a new play about the two infamous primates of Alabama history that led the space race in 1959. “Space Monkeys! The Adventures of Baker & Able” will have its world premiere in partnership with the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in May 2024.

3…2…1…Blastoff! It’s 1959 in Huntsville, Alabama and the space race is on! Scientists around the world were depending on all sorts of creatures to discover the great beyond. But in America, two brave monkeys led the charge for space exploration- Baker and Able! Buckle up and hold on tight as these two courageous creatures take us on an adventure through their imagination, deciphering data and preparing their human astronauts for a discovery of galactic magnitude.

A story of friendship, sacrifice, and dreaming big, this world premiere play will inspire all ages through a special Alabama story set at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center.

For more information, visit www.FantasyPlayhouse.org.