Every rose has it’s thorns. This was the case for the production of “The Legend of Sleeping Beauty” produced by the Young People’s Theater at Saint Charles Community College. The performers, ranging from ages eight to 18, put on a beautiful show that wilted when it came to energy but flourished when it came to overall appearance.

The musical was based on “Briar Rose” by the Brother’s Grim, with music and lyrics by Thomas W. Reiser, Alan W. Gill, and Laura Derocher. The premise of the story is that of young Princess Elise, who is placed under a powerful curse by her evil aunt Malicia (that she will prick her finger on a spinning wheel before her 16th birthday and die) and is sent to live a secret life under the caring of three other aunts.

Although this production was not based on the 1959 Disney film, the Young People’s Theater (YPT) did an incredible job of sprinkling in the iconic references that audience members could connect with, such as pink ball gown worn by Princess Elise and the costume of Malicia, which both looked similar to the movie costumes. It was also nice to see a dash of commitment to the original tale and also a twist of uniqueness provided by the actor’s portrayal of the characters.

The cast overall could have used some more energy and commitment to their roles. Some chorus members seemed to be lost and bored onstage, while others seemed to be too focused on getting the dance steps right to worry about telling the story. This was not the case for all however.

The strongest actors and actresses in the cast came from the woodland creatures which were friends of Briar Rose as she grew up in the forest. Among these were a cardinal, a butterfly, a deer, and a few others. These performers, who were between the ages of 10 and 14, carried the show through their individuality and committed stage presence. Each animal kept the audience giggling throughout the performance with their funny accents and animal-like qualities, such as Theda the Turtle (Stephanie Voteau) who crawled as slow and strong as a turtle wherever she went and had a rich southern accent.

Other strong performances came from the nine Lord and Ladies (among them were FHN students Cassondra Tompkins, Daniel Borrelli, and Zac Cary). Each of them had a distinguished character while walking, singing, or providing realistic stage business. Rain Northrop and Mitchell Stille perfectly portrayed King and Queen, especially during their heart breaking song “Will She Remember?”.

What the cast lacked in acting though, they made up in appearance.

Each dance number was full of colorful costumes and props, such as “Hail to the Princess” in which each visiting kingdom was represented by different colored banners and costumes. The makeup and costumes for each of woodland creatures was also a nice treat, especially Reginald the Rabbit’s which included moving ears, controlled with a remote backstage. Malicia (portrayed by 18 year old Renee Voteau) was wonderfully evil in her chilling blue and purple face makeup and wicked headpiece. Other amazing costumes were worn by the three lovely fairy aunts (Rachel Weidig, Mallory Echelmeyer, and Madeleine Smith).

The set pieces, made by parent volunteers, seemed to jump right out of the storybooks, making the audience “ooh” and “ahh” as the curtains opened. Another great touch was the smoke machine and the flashing lights during Malicia’s appearances. Despite some technical difficulties with microphones, the show went on with each performer projecting throughout the theater. Briar Rose (senior Bailey Blessing) went a whole song with her lapel going on and off and the audience could barely notice the difference.

The show was full of wonderful surprises, such as a tap dancing number with the least expected character. The show also had plenty of laughs to share. I thoroughly enjoyed the simplic direction that director Brisby Andrews and director intern Benjamin Stanley went with for this show. I will be humming the songs for the next fews days thanks to the wonderful one-pianist orchestra of Suzanne Salmo and the talented singing, lead by musical director Sean Andrews.

The cast and crew should be incredibly proud of their performances, as their six weeks of rehearsing three days a week resulted in bringing a fairytale story to life. I would recommend this show to anyone looking  to watch an easy-going, feel-good musical. The show will be performed on October 19 and 20 at 2 p.m. and 7p.m, with tickets selling in advance or at the door for $8. For more information visit https://www.stchas.edu/ypt/.