FSPA Offers Free Events for Franklin Harvest Festival, 10/2

The Franklin School for the Performing Arts (FSPA) will present a short live performance of Disney's Beauty and the Beast in front of its 38 Main Street location. FSPA will also offer puppet shows, free temporary tattoos, and raffles for show tickets, all in celebration of the Franklin Harvest Festival on Sunday, October 2.

An abbreviated version of Beauty and the Beast, FSPA's 2011 SummerStage production, will be performed with costumes and with live music on stage in front of The School at 38 Main Street during the Festival. Show times are 11:30 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Families throughout the community are invited to come and enjoy this free event!

Following the performances, families are invited to follow "the red carpet" inside The School for a meet-and-greet and autograph session with the characters. FSPA will also present two free puppet shows inside The School, at 12:15 and 1:45 p.m. Young children are invited to come enjoy the puppets, and get free balloons and temporary tattoos.

FSPA will award show tickets in free drawings on October 2. These raffles include two tickets for the Franklin Performing Arts Company's (FPAC's) December 17th evening performance of Humbug!, an original musical based on A Christmas Carol. Electric Youth, FSPA's international touring ensemble, will raffle two tickets to its February 12, 2012 season debut at Showcase Live in Foxboro.

Tours of the The School will be offered throughout the day. The community is invited to meet members of the faculty and staff, and learn more about FSPA's programs in Music, Dance and Drama.

The Beauty and the Beast performances will feature musical numbers with narration and short scenes from the popular Disney Broadway show. A professional band made up of FSPA music faculty will accompany leads from the show in full costume. Beauty and the Beast was presented in its entirety by the FSPA SummerStage program in August.

FSPA performers include Melissa Mandia of Franklin as Belle, Michael Egan of Hopkinton as The Beast, Ali Funkhouser of Franklin as Lumiere, Samantha Millette of Norfolk as Mrs. Potts, Giovanna Ferri of Franklin as Cogsworth, Julie Wiles of Medway as Madame de la Grand Bouche, Lucas Melfi of Franklin as Gaston, Jenna McDermott of Wrentham as LeFou, Lindsay Tomas of Wrentham as Babette, and Jocelyn Jones of Franklin as Monsieur d'Arque.

For more information about FSPA's Harvest Day festivities, visit www.FSPAonline.com or call The School at (508) 528-8668.