A
musical version of the very popular Alice Low children’s book,
The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches, will be presented
at The Hudson Valley Writers' Center on Sunday, October 16, at 4:30 pm.
Low,
formerly of Briarcliff Manor and now a resident of Sleepy Hollow, will
read from her book. Local young singer/actors Caitlin Kearney, Kyla
Moscovich, Zal Shroff and Katy Wood will act out several scenes
and perform songs with lyrics by Low and music by composer Jacob Stern,
a former Ossining resident now living in Tucson, Arizona.
Christopher Fasulo of New York City is the musical director for this scaled-down "concert" version of the musical. The full-length musical of The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches was performed twice at the Emelin Theatre in Mamaroneck and once in Tribeca. Costumes and props for this performance are being managed by Cathy Sears of Irvington.
The Witch Who Was Afraid of Witches was originally published by Pantheon in 1978. There have been several editions of the book, some in English and two in French. The most recent edition is the I Can Read chapter book published by HarperCollins, which appeared on the NY Times Children's Best Seller list. In addition to the musical, it was also adapted into a short animated film, shown at school libraries and also on the Nickelodeon channel.
Alice Low has published almost 30 books for children of all ages, from picture books to short stories as well as poems and lyrics for a children's record. Her first lyrics were for musicals in high school and at Smith College, and her first musical was performed by her class when she was teaching first grade. Her early children's books were in verse and she continues to write in both prose and verse. The Macmillan Book of Greek Gods and Heroes (now published by Simon & Schuster) won the Washington Irving Children's Book Choice Award. Her latest books are Blueberry Mouse (Mondo) and Aunt Lucy Went to Buy a Hat (HarperCollins). Reservations are recommended at 914-332-5953.
Admission:
$5 ($3 for HVWC members and those under age 18)
$10 per family
Reservations: 914-332-5953
The readings at the HVWC are made possible in part by a grant from the Bydale Foundation; the David G. Taft Foundation; the Orchard Foundation; and the Thendara Foundation; with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; and by Westchester Arts Council with funds from Westchester County Government, corporations and individuals.