Photo Flash: NW Children's Theater's Anime-Inspired SNOW WHITE Begins Tonight

Who's afraid of a poison apple? When a jealous queen's rule is threatened by the "fairest of them all", the seven spirits must be united to liberate a kingdom. NW Children's Theater presents SNOW WHITE, a fast-paced, award-winning original that reimagines the classic fairytale as an epic, anime-inspired adventure featuring thrilling martial arts sequences and live Taiko-inspired drumming. The show runs tonight, April 23, 2016 - May 20, 2016. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the stars in costume!

Everyone in the kingdom agrees that the queen (Deirdre Atkinson) is fairest in the land. For years, the kingdom has enjoyed prosperity and peace under her rule, with her two step-daughters Snow White (Sophie Mackay) and Rose Red (Kaylee Bair) at her side. This peace is shattered when the queen's faithful Mirror (Kevin-Michael Moore) names Snow White as fairest in the land. Desperate to protect the status and power that beauty has granted her, the Queen resorts to deception, treachery, and dark magic, turning sister and against sister and forcing Snow White to flee the kingdom. Her journey leads her to the land of spirits where she discovers the truth of the Queen's beauty, her own family, and the foundation of the kingdom itself.

The award-winning creative team of Milo Mowery and Rody Ortega have collaborated to write and compose five NWCT original productions, including the award-winning steampunk Pinocchio (2010), El Zorrito (2012),Peter Pan (2013), and last season's high-flying aerial and clowning spectacular, The Little Mermaid. In adapting Snow White they were interested in moving away from a love story in which Snow White is a passive protagonist in her own story. To that end, this re-telling casts Snow White as a warrior and adventurer forced to confront the power that beauty has bestowed upon her and the responsibility that comes with that power.

In order to reset the audience's relationship to this very familiar story the creative team sought a frame that would match the epic nature of the adaptation. This production draws heavily on the visual styles present in anime and manga, with bold, dramatic use of color and design choices intended to make the characters and settings appear more "animated." Actors transform themselves onstage through the fantastically imaginative costume designs of Mary Rochon (five-time Drammy Award Winner).

For tickets and more information, call 503-222-4480 or go online at www.nwcts.org.

Photo Credit: David Kinder