Check out ‘James and the Giant Peach Jr.’ this weekend

Spring seems to finally be asserting itself a little, just in time for its official arrival this weekend.

That means our area young thespians can now refer to their spring musicals without irony!

With many schools either on spring break or about to be, one of the few area young thespians vying for audience attention is out east where The Ashtabula Arts Center’s Youth Theatre Production Class is finishing their run of Roald Dahl’s “James and the Giant Peach, Jr.” this weekend.

Performances remain March 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m., and March 20 at 2 p.m.

Advance sale tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for seniors, students, and military, and $9 for children 2-12. For tickets at the door, add $2. Pay What You Can pricing is also available. To order, call 440-964-3396 or go to ashtabulaartscenter.org.

This production features words and music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, book by Timothy Allen McDonald, and is based on the book “James and the Giant Peach” by Roald Dahl. Kimberly Godfrey Warren directs with music direction by Debra Fleming.

This classic children’s story begins when James is sent by his conniving aunts to chop down their old fruit tree only to discover a magic potion that results in a massive peach that launches a journey of enormous proportions.

“‘James and the Giant Peach Jr’ is our first Youth Production Class since we had to close ‘Frozen Jr’ a weekend early in March of 2020,” director Warren says. “Walking through the theater halls during the shutdown of the pandemic was like walking through a sad and dismal ghost town of children’s costumes and props just waiting to be used.

“Here we are two years later, filled with gratitude that we are at a point where we can have kids singing, laughing, and taking over our hallways with their joyful energy.”

With the sadly canceled 2020 production — one of many that spring — Ashtabula Arts Center hasn’t staged a completed youth production in this slot since 2019. That means a lot of turnover.

“Our class is filled with a majority of actors that are being introduced to the theater or having their first chance at getting their feet wet in a larger role,” Warren says. “This production has many challenging songs and scenes that our team has put in extra hours with in hopes of creating the best learning experience that we can for our youth.

“I’d like to recognize all of the hard work and extra time that these kids have put in to this production, as well as their parents who have worked tirelessly on costumes and props to ensure a lovely outcome.”

The best outcome of this production is that it made it to showtime. Catch their triumphant return this weekend.