Reviewed by Margaret Thompson
The name may have changed, but it was business as usual on Friday night at the first performance under the new moniker, CharacterWorks (formerly CYT Richmond, or Christian Youth Theater Richmond). After taking in several plays last season, my family has come to expect great things when we see a show by this ensemble, and Narnia did not disappoint.
As some of you know from my past reviews, I have lived under a children’s literature rock for most of my life (although you’ll be pleased to know that thanks to our theater visits, we now enjoy the adventures of our new friends Frog and Toad, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, and The Ugly Duckling on a regular basis). That being said, I am still ashamed to admit that I had no previous experience with any of C.S. Lewis’ famed stories as I took my seat with my five- and seven-year-old boys. Fortunately, we brought a six-year-old friend along who had seen the movie, so the boys had someone to quiz along the way (What’s that closet for? Is that real blood?! Will the good people win?).
No matter how many times I take in CharacterWorks’ shows, I am always amazed by the caliber of the acting and singing these kids exhibit. Knowing that this was opening night, I was half-expecting a little blip here and there, maybe a forgotten line, a pitchy note, a microphone issue, a misstep onstage. Nope. Not a one. How is that even possible? I had the good fortune of sitting a few seats down from CharacterWorks managing director Donna Amadee, and each time I glanced down to gauge her reaction to the performance, I witnessed the proudest smile one could imagine. It was like watching a proud mama, beholding her flock take off solo for the first time, after weeks of testing their new wings.
Taking scenes from the first and second books of the Chronicles of Narnia, the play begins as Edmund, played by Joshua Pusey, and his siblings arrive at their temporary home, escaping London and the war. Little sister Lucy, played by Charlotte George, soon discovers the wardrobe as they explore the home, and from there, the audience is taken on a journey to the land of Narnia. Not enough can be said about the cast, from the devilishly delightful White Witch, played by Elise Ledon, to the much-anticipated Aslan himself, played by Zac Mantlo. I took special note of the entire cast, seventy-five strong, and as usual at a CharacterWorks production, each and every cast member, no matter how large or small the role, put 110% into their work. The facial expressions alone showed how much these kids love 
their craft and how much pride they have in their performances. If I were a parent of one of these young performers, I’m sure I’d be in tears from start to finish! But as it is, I have the pleasure of taking my family to these wonderful shows and we do a lot more smiling than crying.
And as I’ve come to expect when they really, really enjoy the show, our first stop the following Saturday morning was the library, where the boys hurriedly made their way to CS LEW to find The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I’m getting out from under that rock, with the help of my boys and Richmond theater.
Narnia continues next weekend at Tomahawk Creek Middle School. Tickets are available at Shows, Productions, Tickets | CharacterWorks
