Families looking for an alternative to the standard theatre holiday fare should check out A Spider’s Tale, the first-ever collaboration between the Dalhousie Theater School and Symphony Nova Scotia. While not strictly Christmasy, it does have the element of magic (think talking insects, rodents and arachnids) that lights up little ones’ imaginations. The Dalhousie Costume Department works its own particular brand of magic, and the fourth-year acting students prove themselves consummate professionals. Small children in the audience will be captivated by the sounds of the symphony and will appreciate all of the broad physical humour. Though perhaps too precious for the over-ten crowd, there is enough humour aimed at adults (particularly the amusing “What Are They Thinking?” song, set to the music of Bizet’s Carmen) to make it a great family outing for young and old.
The production runs daily from November 27th until December 1st at 7:30 pm each night plus a matinee showing at 2 pm on December 1st.
Tickets: $20 – Regular$10 – Students/Seniors
Available at the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office, by phone at (902) 494-3820, or online at http://artscentre.dal.ca.
This article appears in Nov 22-28, 2007.