THE RAILWAY CHILDREN Comes to Northern Stage This Month

Northern Stage's joyous holiday tradition returns with the world premiere production of The Railway Children, a new American adaptation of Edith Nesbit's beloved British classic children's novel with new music and lyrics by Jane Shaw and Mark Hartman (A Christmas Carol at the Guthrie; The Wanderers at Roundabout), November 22, 2022 - January 1, 2023, in the Byrne Theater at the Barrette Center for the Arts in White River Junction, Vermont.

Producing Artistic Director Carol Dunne and former Director of Education Eric Love have lovingly adapted this family adventure for Northern Stage's New England community by setting the story in White River Junction, Vermont, during the Great Depression. A sudden crisis forces a young family to leave their comfortable city lives and reinvent themselves in small-town America. Bobbie, Peter, and Phyllis are transformed by their lives in the country as they make thrilling discoveries exploring the railroad and befriending the people in their new town. The Railway Children is a musical adventure that celebrates resilience, kindness, and the power of community.

"We can't think of a more joyous way to celebrate the holidays than this musical adventure," says Dunne. "The themes of home, family and what it is to be a community are particularly resonant in this time."

The cast includes Stephen Lee Anderson (Broadway's Bright Star and Northern Stage's A Doll's House, Part 2) as Old Gentleman; Tommy Crawford (Only Yesterday at Northern Stage and Off-Broadway) as Perks and Associate Music Director; Billy Finn (The Butcher Boy at Irish Rep.) as Father; Joy Lynn Jacobs (Broadway's Marie Christine and The Music Man revival) as Station Agent; Jayne McLendon (Northern Stage debut) as Mother; Rachel Mulcahy (Northern Stage's Once) as Mrs. Perks; and Alexis Sims (Broadway's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf) as Dr. Mullen. The split cast of children will be portrayed by Callum Heinsch and Yuvraj Sathe as Peter; Margaret Hourdequin and Reya Sharma as Phyllis; Alex Hoyt and Noah Schutzuis as James; and Bebhinn Knudsen (Matilda in Matilda at Northern Stage) and Monet Nowlan as Bobbie.

Joining Dunne and Love on the creative team are Jane Shaw (Co-Composer/Sound Designer), Mark Hartman (Co-Composer/Music Supervisor), Kevin David Thomas (Music Director), Alexander Woodward (Scenic Designer), Hunter Kaczorowski (Costume Designer), Carolina Ortiz Herrera (Lighting Designer), Carolyn Fast (Production Stage Manager), Cordelia Durand (Assistant to the Directors), and Kerrigan Quenemoen (Dramaturg).

Performance times are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m., Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Ticket prices range from $19 to $69 - $19 for students of all ages, $20 for those under the age of 25, and $34 for preview performances (November 22, 23, and 25). Access for All tickets (for EBT card holders) are $5 and are available for any performance while ticket supplies last. The Byrne Theater at the Barrette Center for the Arts is located at 74 Gates Street, White River Junction, VT. For tickets and information, call (802) 296-7000 or visit www.northernstage.org. COVID-19 PROTOCOLS: Northern Stage will NOT be requesting vaccination status OR proof of a negative COVID-19 test. Masks are not required but are encouraged inside the Barrette Center for the Arts.