McDaniel College Presents Holiday Panto JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, Now thru 12/21

McDaniel College celebrates the holiday season with an original British panto performance of the beloved fairy tale "Jack and the Beanstalk."

Performances are tonight, December 19, and Friday, December 20, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, December 21, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., in WMC Alumni Hall at McDaniel College, 2 College Hill, Westminster, Md.

Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, students, and those with a McDaniel College ID. Please note: tickets are on sale beginning Monday, December 16. For ticket information, call 410-857-2448.

Adapted and directed by Ira Domser, McDaniel theatre arts professor, the panto is a British holiday tradition based on a fairy tale or nursery rhyme combining audience participation with music, topical jokes, and slapstick comedy.

According to Domser, "We are creating a new take on this classic, familiar fairy tale by injecting a bit of Vaudeville sensibility, contemporary references and audience participation. The whole family will love this panto-style performance, which combines the slapstick comedy of Commedia dell'Arte with the clever humor of Benny Hill and Monty Python's 'Flying Circus.'"

The cast includes seniors Paul Davis Griffin of Westminster, Md., Elizabeth Maxman of New York, and Masha Paul of Providence, R.I., juniors Kevin Anderson of Pikesville, Md., and Ashley Manning of Randallstown, Md., sophomores Samantha Arana of Silver Spring, Md., Joshua Harding of Federalsburg, Md., Jennifer Litzinger of West Windsor, N.J., and Juliana Ottomano of Manchester, Md., and freshmen Julia Asbel of Philadelphia, Jennifer Shillingburg of Oakland, Md., and Adam Vaughn of Columbia, Md.

For more information, call 410-857-2448. Visit www.mcdaniel.edu for more information about the college and the theatre arts department.

Times are hard for young Jack and his mother, and, to make matters worse, Jack is tricked into selling his beloved cow Daisy for a few magic beans. But, when those beans grow into a beanstalk, Jack meets an evil Giant and finds himself in a whole new realm of trouble, thrills and adventure.

Will Jack find the courage to battle the Giant? Will he find the strength to rescue the girl of his dreams? The only way to find out is to join us on this fun-filled holiday journey!