Mirror, mirror on the wall…. Oh, forget it. You know the rest.
The Lythgoe Family Panto production of A Snow White Christmas puts a comedic, holiday spin on the classic Snow White story. Snow White finds her true love and makes the kingdom, or as the evil queen says ,“queendom,” a better place for all.
The family fun starts as soon as you walk into the lobby of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, with entertainment for the kids such as creating a snowman, writing letters to Santa, and even taking “virtual” pictures with your favorite princesses. As the show begins, the next couple of hours are filled with familiar characters, slapstick silliness, and popular music.
In this production, Snow White is portrayed by Disney star Olivia Sanabia. Her beautiful voice and talent light up the stage from the start. Sanabia tells her story not only through her words but through her movements and facial expressions. Alongside Snow White is Prince Harry who is portrayed by “Fuller House” star Michael Campion. His charm, looks, and demeanor makes him the perfect fit for this role.
Of course, every fairy tale needs a bad guy. In this show, the evil queen (Snow White’s aunt), is portrayed by Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams, and she is it. Though she may bad, her voice is so good.
As the Queen’s Hunstman, Disney’s “Teen Beach” star Garrett Clayton proves he is comfortable rocking out during any season. Like Williams, Clayton’s quick-on-his-feet-thinking and improv skills are on point.
Finally, there is Muddles, the queen’s court jester, played by Book of Mormon’s Jared Gertner. His character’s “dad jokes” were a highlight of the show and gave everyone in the audience (especially a little girl in the audience named Kaitlyn) a good laugh.
Rounding out the celebrity cast are several young Triangle performers, many who are part of the North Carolina Theatre Conservatory.
Full of local references (Duke, UNC, and NC State to name a few), A Snow White Christmas connects the Raleigh audience to the story in a fun, new, and interesting way. It’s a family-friendly holiday show, perfect for kids (even the grown ones).
A Snow White Christmas runs through December 8th at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information visit https://nctheatre.com/snow-white-christmas or the RDU on Stage Calendar Page.