Penn Yan drama club presents 'Amélie'

PENN YAN--The Penn Yan Academy Drama Club will present its spring production, Amélie the Musical: Teen Edition, from March 9-12.
Based on the 2001 film of the same name, Amélie is the tale of Amélie Poulain (Freshman Ella Kinsey) and her struggle to find a connection in the busy setting of Paris in the 1990s. Amélie, a young woman in her 20s, is an observer of the world around her with an active imagination - but does not always know how to be a part of what she sees. Glimpses of Amélie's younger self (Junior Addyson Webber) help to explain her struggles as audiences see her upbringing in the care of her cold, distant father (Sophomore Aidan Dallos) and her neurotic, overprotective mother (Senior Vanessa Martinez).
As an adult, Amélie sets off on her own and establishes herself as a waitress at the Two Windmills café, owned by former circus performer Suzanne Sacripant (Junior Gale/Ezra Paddock). Surrounded by her fellow waitresses Gina and Georgette (Senior Emmaleigh Stempien and Sophomore Leah Prather) and an eclectic crew of café regulars (Senior Joseph Droney, Junior Izzy Hinkal, and Freshman Owen Droney), Amélie is generally content with her life on the outside. When news reaches her of Princess Diana's death, however, she decides that she needs to do more to be a part of the world around her. She wants to find connection, even in small ways. Amélie makes it her mission to do more good, and to do small acts of kindness for the people around her. These random acts eventually lead her to cross paths with Nino Quincampoix (Senior John Shaw), a young man who struggles in his own way to connect. Supported by her friends and her mysterious neighbor Monsieur Dufayel (Senior Garrett Hilton), Amélie sets off on an adventure like she has never been on before, in search of real connection.
Amélie's Paris is brought to life through the performances of many other talented actors including Austin Christie, Sophia Smith, Ollie Perez, Cade Hinkal, Logan Miller, Rae Richter, Campbell McCroskey, Abeni Oliva, and Irelynd Densmore.
Amélie the Musical: Teen Edition, with a book by Craig Lucas, music by Daniel Messé, and lyrics by Nathan Tysen and by Daniel Messé, is directed by PYA Choir and Theatre teacher Jessica Kinsey. The production will run from Thursday, March 9 through Sunday, March 12 in the Penn Yan Academy Auditorium and online through a paid live-stream. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday shows will begin at 7 p.m., with a Sunday Matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets for the live performances and the live-stream are available online at www.showtix4u.com/events/amelie at $9 for children 10/under, $13 for students/seniors, $14 for adults, or $16 for the live-stream option. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for a dollar more. The drama club's productions are entirely financed by ticket sales.