Amelia Bedelia, the most beloved and befuddled maid in children's literature, comes to life in "Amelia Bedelia for Mayor! and Other Stories" on Sunday, Nov. 23, at Fairfield University's Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. Performances of the TheatreWorks/USA Story Salad production will take place at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. As part of the Quick Center's outreach program there will be an ArtsBound Schoolday Series show on Monday, Nov. 24, at 10 a.m. The outreach show is sponsored in part by Regina A. Quick and the Educational Foundation of America.

This fast-paced musical begins with the performers acting as chefs in the opening number and then becoming all the characters in the different stories that follow. Directed by G. Wayne Hoffman, the revue includes seven stories that both delight and inform.

In the title sequence, the literal-minded Amelia Bedelia throws her hat in the ring - with hilarious results. The show also includes "Uncle Nacho's Hat," a sing-along adapted by Harriet Rohmer that retells a favorite Nicaraguan folktale about breaking old habits and accepting change. Eric Kimmel's "Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock" is one of several treasured Anansi the Spider stories from West Africa and the Caribbean. In this installment, the mischievous spider tries to trick the other jungle creatures out of their goodies, but learns a valuable lesson in the end.

"Rowdy Rooster" is based on the classic Aesop fable "The Bird Who Neighed Like a Horse," and "Jackie and the Bean Sprout" gives a little girl's take on the world of science. The final story, "My Dog and Me," is another sing-along, this time about a fun-loving, hip-hop city dog named T-Bone.

The show is geared toward children in grades K through 3.

Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for children. Birthday party packages are available for this show. For tickets, call the Quick Center box office at (203) 254-4010 or toll free at 1-877-ARTS-396. For more information, visit the website, www.quickcenter.com.

Posted On: 10-31-2003 09:10 AM

Volume: 36 Number: 106