Get ready to see the hilarity that ensues when opposites attract as Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts’ Theatre Matthews presents “The Odd Couple (Female Version).”

Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts’ Theatre Matthews presents “The Odd Couple (Female Version).” Performances are scheduled for June 21 to 23 and June 28 to 30. Tickets can be purchased online at www.matthewsplayhouse.com.

Performances are scheduled for June 21 and 22 at 8 p.m., June 23 at 2 p.m., June 28 and 29 at 8 p.m. and June 30 at 2 p.m. at Fullwood Theater, 100 E. McDowell St. in Matthews. Tickets range from $12 to $15 and are available online at www.matthewsplayhouse.com.

“The Odd Couple (Female Version),” written by Neil Simon and directed by Jill Bloede, follows a storyline similar to the classic film and television show, “The Odd Couple.” The main difference, though, is the two leads are female.

Florence Unger and Olive Madison – two recently divorced friends – try sharing an apartment in New York, but their two vastly different philosophies on housekeeping generate hilarious conflict.

“It’s funny and suitable for our audiences,” June Bayless, artistic director for Matthews Playhouse, said. “… We haven’t done a comedy in a long time that’s not a musical. It’s a well written script, it’s all character driven, it’s hysterical … It’s going to be a great evening of entertainment.”

Local actresses Mara Rosenberg and Rebecca Costas will play the roles of Olive and Florence, respectively. These female characters carry many of the same character traits as their male counterparts, the actresses said.

“She’s a bit of a slob,” Rosenberg said about her character, Olive. “She has a connection still to her ex that’s probably not really healthy, and she has a temper.”
Costas’ character, Florence, is the complete opposite.

“She’s completely neurotic, Type A, tightly wound, a hypochondriac,” Costas said. “She gets hysterical at the drop of a dime. It’s fun to play her because she can be completely dramatic.”

The two actresses say, in many ways, their characters are quite different from their own personalities. But Rosenberg and Costas said they’ve pulled inspiration from watching the classic film and TV show, as well as observing people they know who exhibit these personality traits.

“(I’ve) been around people who are very passionate about stuff, blow up quick but mellow out quickly. I have some experience watching that,” Rosenberg said. Plus, she said, “I know what it feels like when someone gets on your nerves … It’s kind of fun because (in the play) I get to explode all over the place.”

The play is one of two productions Theatre Matthews presents each year. After a much more extravagant winter production, “White Christmas,” Bayless said she wanted to keep Theatre Matthews’ summer play simple. The production features a cast of eight (six women and two men) and includes a unit set – a single set that remains on stage throughout the entire performance.

The story takes place in a small, two-bedroom New York apartment and is set in the 1980s. Bayless said the costumes and hairstyles are true to the time period, creating an authentic 1980s feel.

“We have a dynamite costume designer,” she said. “… It will take you back to the 80s, and if you didn’t live in the 80s, you can learn about it.”

Costas said rehearsals have gone  smoothly.

“We’re laughing constantly in rehearsals at each other and the script,” she said. “Working (with) comedy – and a really funny comedy – makes it so much more enjoyable. It’s a funny performance. (The audience) can expect to laugh and have fun and just be entertained for the night.”

Get ready for the rebirth of Matthews history and heritage as the new Matthews Heritage Museum opens its doors to the public for the first time.

The Matthews Heritage Museum opens Saturday, June 8, offering free admission from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The museum features exhibits highlighting early commerce in Matthews, lifestyles of Matthews residents before electricity and places that were important to the Matthews community throughout the 1900s. (Above) The museum’s “Matthews Early Commerce” exhibit features a teller cage from the Bank of Matthews, as well as various artifacts and a mannequin teller.

The grand opening of the museum at 232 N. Trade St., will take place Saturday, June 8, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free for visitors on opening day and on the first Saturday of each month. Regular admission is $4 for adults, $2 for visitors ages 11 to 17 and free for children 10 and younger.

The museum – a joint effort between the nonprofit Matthews Historical Foundation and the Town of Matthews – is housed in the circa-1880 Massey-Clark House in the center of downtown Matthews and features three distinct exhibits in three separate rooms. Matthews provided about $200,000 in tourism funds to support the project.

The Massey-Clark House was restored in 2010 to make it a suitable home for a historical museum. Once the restoration was complete, community members and members of the Matthews Historical Foundation got to work and spent about 18 months readying the museum for opening, according to Paula Lester, president of the foundation.

“This is something I’ve really been working on, the history (of Matthews) since I moved here (from Pennsylvania) in 1994,” Lester said. “The history that we do have here is important to the area and important to the citizens. It’s very gratifying.”

The foundation encouraged long-time Matthews residents to donate artifacts and photographs relevant to Matthews history that could be displayed in museum exhibits and on informational wall
panels. Once enough items were collected, the museum task force began organizing them into the three different galleries.

Gallery One, “Matthews Early Commerce,” features a ‘King Cotton’ display detailing the importance of cotton to Matthews. The gallery also features a switchboard and crank telephone, a Bank of Matthews area complete with a teller cage that was part of the original bank, informational panels focusing on transportation and some early merchants in Matthews and other commerce-related materials.

The second gallery, “Lifestyles,” focuses on life in the early 1900s before electricity came to Matthews. Features include a recreated front porch, living room area and kitchen, as well as a display case with vintage toys and games and more. Visitors also can view a short film about life in Matthews during the early 20th century.

Gallery Three, “Community,” centers on four distinct businesses that are historically unique to Matthews – “Doc” Yandle and the Matthews Drug Store, the Dr. Reid and Dr. McManus clinic, Sustar’s Swimming Pool and Outen Pottery. Displays feature antique prescription bottles, an old exam table, photographs of the swimming pool and a case filled with Outen pottery. The room also features World War I and World War II-era information, population growth information and a short film about Outen Pottery.

Lester and other foundation members also worked with the town to fund a part-time position for a museum director, and recently hired former High Point Museum director Barbara Taylor. A long-time historical museum guru, Taylor has worked for several other historical organizations, including Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City, the Museum of Mobile in Mobile, Ala. and Rosedale Plantation in Charlotte. She’ll help take care of the day-to-day tasks at the Matthews Heritage Museum, including community outreach and overseeing volunteers and exhibits.

Taylor said one of her goals for the museum is to feature changing exhibit cases that will be switched out four times each year in hopes of attracting repeat visitors. She also plans to work with the Matthews Library and area schools to host displays and educational programs outside of the museum.

“We don’t want to become a static museum,” Taylor said. “History doesn’t have to happen in just one place.”

Although the museum is pretty full, Taylor said she’ll welcome any contributions from community members, especially antique pharmaceutical items, period pieces and photographs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries that are relevant to Matthews.

Want to go?

The Matthews Heritage Museum will be open every Thursday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The museum will offer free admission to all visitors on the first Saturday of each month. The grand opening Saturday, June 8, also is free to the public.

Regular admission is $4 for adults, $2 for visitors ages 11 to 17 and free for children age 10 and younger.

For more information, call 704-708-4996 or go to www.matthewsheritagemuseum.org.

The colors of summer and American pride will soon fill the McDowell Arts Center gallery in Matthews as an art class for individuals with disabilities teams up with two art studios to host the center’s June exhibit.

The McDowell Arts Center gallery in Matthews will host “Sun and Stripes,” beginning June 1 at the center, 123 McDowell St. E. in Matthews. Much of the artwork in the show was created by local residents with disabilities. (Above) McDowell Arts Center students (from left) Erin Keeter and Nora Martini work on artwork to be displayed at the show.

The exhibit, “Sun and Stripes,” will debut on June 1 at the center, 123 McDowell St. E. in Matthews. A free opening reception is scheduled for June 7, a Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., and families are encouraged to attend, according to Eileen Schwartz, who teaches classes at the center for people with disabilities. The exhibit runs through the end of June and is free and open to the public.

The students from Schwartz’s classes are teaming up with artists from Mosaic – A Lifespan Studio and The ARTS NC for the exhibit, which will feature 15 artists and more than 70 pieces of artwork. The artwork, most of which is created for wall hanging, consists of a variety of mediums focused on honoring veterans and ushering in the summer.

Schwartz said the majority of the artwork is created by students with disabilities, though Mosaic – an inclusion studio – is lending work from some artists without disabilities.

“We try to get away from using labels; all people are the same,” Schwartz said. “This is an opportunity for an exhibit to show the creative piece of an individual, regardless of a disability or no disability … I think it’s really important for any student or artist to exhibit their artwork.”

Schwartz said the inspiration for the show’s theme came from a fusion of her students’ talent as well as her own passion. Her classes for students with disabilities focus on creating artwork with bright colors, she said, which inspired the “sun” theme. Schwartz added her own passion is exhibiting a love for her country, which is where the “stripes” portion of the show comes in.

“I wanted to tie together that love of patriotism” with the anticipation of summer, she said. “… It’s been such a significant part of my life to promote patriotism through the arts. I wanted to be able to attract the interest of veterans.”

Schwartz is partnering with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9488, based in Charlotte, which is donating 150 small flags to give away to those who visit the exhibit. There also will be a canvas where visitors can write a message that will be sent to troops in Afghanistan.

The McDowell Arts Center began hosting art classes for students with disabilities earlier this year and Schwartz says the program is beginning to grow. She’s also teamed up with the center to host Art for Veterans, a series of arts classes that are free to all veterans.

During the “Sun and Stripes” show, Schwartz’s students will sell decorated clay pots for $10 to $20 each.

Schwartz said the “Sun and Stripes” exhibit is important because it gives her students a chance to show and sell their artwork to others, which fuels their desire to learn more.

“It’s so exciting for these students to participate in an art show and exhibit their art,” she said. “(For) people to view the art and want to buy the art, it gives (the students) such a great feeling of success and fuels them to create more art.”

For more information about the art classes for students with disabilities or Art for Veterans, go to www.matthewsfun.org and click on “McDowell Arts Center.” Information for Art for Veterans also is available at www.FlagsAcrossTheNation.org.

The McDowell Arts Center is open Monday to Friday 1 to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 1 to 6 p.m.

From the time she was young, Julie Starcher’s main goal in life was to be a mom.

Matthews resident Julie Starcher holds Cedric, a newborn baby she met during a September 2010 mission trip to the Philippines. Shortly after her trip, she was inspired to record an album she’s now selling to benefit local and international nonprofits, such as the orphanage where Cedric lives.

But after a long and painful 10-year journey, the Matthews resident and her husband discovered having their own children would likely never happen.

“Officially, in April 2010, the Lord made it clear he was closing the door for us to have biological children,” she said. The Christian couple also pursued adoption, only to find more closed doors.

But in the midst of her pain and heartache, Starcher found her song and is now using her testimony and the gift of music to minister to children and families around the world through her new album, “Love Songs from the Soul,” which she sells to benefit both local and international nonprofits.

The inspiration came after a trip to the Philippines in September 2010. While overseas, she worked with an orphanage where she met Cedric, a newborn baby born with a hernia, a heart murmur and a lung condition that required treatment.

“His family didn’t have enough money for basic medicine every day,” Starcher said. “He’s a miracle baby.”

Starcher was immediately moved and knew she wanted to do something to help children facing similar hardships.

Around the time Starcher returned to the U.S., one of her friends, Mike McNeely, had just opened a recording studio in his home. Inspired by her trip, she knew it was the right time to record an album – something she’d wanted to do for a long time.

The album was originally intended to be a collection of lullabies sung a capella, as Starcher is strictly a vocalist. But several musicians who performed with her on a worship team at Glenstone Chapel in Marvin heard about the project and were interested in being a part of it. The album evolved into a dynamic, collaborative effort.

“The album is very much a part of me processing my grief,” Starcher said. “At the beginning it was going to be a lullaby album (but it became) a mix of worship, covers of some songs that could be lullaby songs and some originals. It’s kind of my soul expressing myself in songs that have meant something to me.”

The album consists of 10 tracks – nine studio recordings and a live version of the hymn “It is Well.” The entire project took about two years to complete. To make the process more special, Starcher’s husband, Todd, and other family members and friends were present during her sessions at the studio.

“That made it even more special because people were there praying, start to finish,” she said.

But the best part about the project – and the sole reason she did it – is the chance to minister to others. At the time she was inspired to make the album, Starcher said, God told her to donate 80 percent of all album sales to different nonprofits.

When the album was released on Oct. 20, 2012, Starcher had no idea how many sales to expect. A part of her wondered if it would be simply a few friends and family members who’d purchase the album. But another part of her knew God had a bigger plan.

Over the past several months, Starcher has sold 400 copies of the album, through physical and digital sales. The first month brought in $980 through album sales and donations, $790 of which was given to Compassion International to fund a water filtration system and $190 was donated to Cedric’s orphanage in the Philippines for prenatal care and Christian education.

The second month raised $645 for World Vision to fund medical care, vaccines and more. The third and fourth months raised $460, which was split evenly between local nonprofits Jackson Park Ministries and Thompson Child & Family Focus, which has a campus in Matthews.

Starcher said the next round of proceeds will benefit World Vision, which will be the main nonprofit the album will support.

Starcher said the project has been a healing process, but it’s also opened doors for her to minister to and build relationships with children. Not only are the proceeds from the album going to help children both locally and globally, but she’s also getting the chance to sing the songs for children.

“The Lord has helped me get to a point where I can shift my heart toward children who aren’t my own,” said Starcher, who’s been a high school teacher and now works at a preschool. “I’m just as happy singing for kids in classrooms … These kids are the reason to make a CD.”

“Love Songs from the Soul” is available for purchase on iTunes, at www.Amazon.com, www.CDBaby.com and www.JulieStarcher.com. The CD also is for sale at the Arboretum’s Le Peep Restaurant, 8140 Providence Road, in Charlotte.

The CD sells for $15 and digital copies are $10.

American Legion Post 235 in Matthews is gearing up to host its annual As Memorial Day celebration honoring U.S. service members.

Mark your calendar for the annual Memorial Day Ceremony hosted by American Legion Post 235 in Matthews. This year’s ceremony will begin at 11 a.m. Monday, May 27 at Stumptown Park, 120 S. Trade St.

The annual Memorial Day celebration takes place May 27, a Monday, at 11 a.m. at Stumptown Park, 120 S. Trade St., in downtown Matthews. The free event will feature guest speakers and presentations.

“We’re trying to make it a big event this year,” Post Commander Richard Bowers said. “We’re trying to make it a nice event since over the years we’ve been (seeing) more and more people (attend).”

This year’s celebration will feature several guest speakers, including veterans from several wars. The David W. Butler High School Army Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or JROTC, will give a presentation and host their annual picnic following the event. Area Boy Scout Troops also have been invited to come and participate in the event.

The event also will feature some musical presentations, including a vocal soloist’s rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and several patriotic songs, courtesy of singing group The Frontier Girls. The Marine Corps League Charlotte Detachment 750 in Mint Hill is scheduled to do a 21-gun salute and play Taps, Bowers said.

The post also will host a reading of the 35 names on the Stumptown Park Memorial Wall and a section of the program will be dedicated to remembering the prisoners of war and service members missing-in-action.

“It’s very moving,” Bowers said. “We’ve done it a couple times in the past couple of years and we always get great feedback on it.”

Bowers said the Memorial Day celebration is just one of many projects the American Legion Post 235 focuses on each year. He said the post is involved with children and youth within the community and has sponsored a high school oratorical contest, which this year sent an Ardrey Kell High School student to state and national competitions.

Since Bowers joined the post several years ago, the nonprofit organization has grown from about 50 members to more than 170, he said. Guests are welcome.

Bowers hopes the Memorial Day celebration will not only draw attention to the post and encourage community members to get involved, but be a fitting tribute to those who have given their lives for their country.

“The Memorial Day (celebration) is a big event for us, honoring veterans and people who have paid the ultimate price, protecting our freedoms and so forth,” Bowers said. “It’s elaborate and very moving.”

The Matthews Artists Guild’s new exhibit is bringing out the best of the best.

The Matthews Artists Guild will host an opening reception and awards ceremony for its annual members-only, competitive art show Saturday, May 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the McDowell Arts Center, 123 McDowell St. The show will be on display through the end of the month.

MAG is launching its annual members-only, competitive art show and will host an opening reception and awards ceremony Saturday, May 11, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the McDowell Arts Center, 123 McDowell St. Awards will be given at 4 p.m., and the reception is free and open to the public.

Dozens of MAG members have contributed some of their best artwork to the show, which will remain on display in the McDowell Arts Center gallery through the end of the month. Community members can visit the center to view the artwork Monday to Friday, 1 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

The show features a plethora of 2-D artwork, including pastel, oil and watercolor paintings, photography including digital photographs printed on aluminum, mixed medium art and collages. The pieces entered cover a broad spectrum of subjects, including landscapes, life drawings – or drawings of people – wildlife, “amusing” pieces with a “great sense of humor” and a few abstract pieces, MAG President Debbie Yacenda said.

Yacenda said the photography on aluminum and a large charcoal sketch of a man smoking a cigar are some of the more unique pieces in the show.

“I appreciate them, they’re good and they’re not the traditional type,” she said.

Yacenda said the show is important for MAG members because it encourages them to showcase their best artwork. The only restrictions are the artwork entered must have been created within the past two years and can’t have been entered into any previous show or competition.

“(The show) is important because it makes you bring out your best, examine your artwork, your collection, and say, ‘What am I most proud of?’” she said. “It gives you time to reflect on all you’ve
done and see what (you) think is the best.”

Awards will be given for first, second and third place as well as eight honorable mentions. MAG always recruits an outside expert to judge the show, with this year’s guest judge being local painter Brian Neher, who recently spoke at a MAG meeting.

“He’s successful and knows what he’s doing,” Yacenda said.

In addition to Neher’s picks, Matthews Mayor Jim Taylor will choose one piece to receive the Mayor’s Choice Award. Taylor has served as a special guest judge for three years, which gives the guild a chance to connect with Matthews officials, Yacenda said.

“He only picks what he likes,” she said. “His choices are wonderful, too. They’re usually (pieces) that the judges don’t pick. He sees it different, sees it as a layman, so we love that and we love his choices, too.”

Yacenda encourages community members to come to the reception and visit the gallery during the week to view the artwork – most of which is available to purchase.

“Art is for everyone,” She said. “Some people are intimidated because people think you have to know something (about art) or like everything, but just come find that painting that speaks to you.”

For more information, call the McDowell Arts Center at 704-321-7275 or go to www.matthewsartistguild.blogspot.com.

The stage of Matthews’ Fullwood Theater will soon become a world of royalty and enchantment as members of the nonprofit Charlotte City Ballet Company celebrate spring with their upcoming performance, “The Dancing Princesses.”

The Charlotte City Ballet Company will perform their spring show, “The Dancing Princesses,” on May 11 at Matthews’ Fullwood Theater.

Performances are scheduled for May 11, a Saturday, at 3 and 7 p.m. at the theater, 100 E. McDowell St., in Matthews. Tickets are $8 in advance online at www.CarolinaTix.org or www.CharlotteCityBallet.org or $12 at the door.

The ballet company also will host a reception after the 3 p.m. show where audience members can buy cupcakes from Cupcake Delirium for $3 each. Lemonade also will be served and those in attendance will get the chance to talk to the dancers and take a picture with them.

“The Dancing Princesses” tells the story of a group of cousin princesses, court jesters, princess attendants, court children and one gentlemanly gardener who tends the castle grounds. The characters learn of a secret garden that contains the most beautiful flowers imaginable, but tragedy strikes when the princesses refuse to heed the gardener’s warning – there’s a single flower in the garden that, if picked, will turn those who touch it into stone.

For years, the ballet company has performed their spring show in Matthews, and the past three years’ performances have been story ballets, which co-artistic director Melissa Hale Coyle said is appealing especially to younger audience members. Coyle will direct the show along with co-artistic director, Lisa Leone.

“One thing we like about a story ballet is it’s not just about dancing; (company members) get to develop a character, act a little more,” Coyle said. “There’s a lot of acting involved in it.”

Coyle said for the most part the company came up with their own storyline, borrowing a few elements – such as dancing princesses – from other sources.  The cast of 26 features students ages 12 to 18 who are members of the company and take dance classes at the Sullivan Dance Center. Several younger dancers – ages 8 to 12 – also have been recruited from the company’s children’s division for various roles, such as the Meadow Mist – the only thing that can break the spell of the infamous flower.

One of the challenging things about the show, Coyle said, was coming up with music that fit the performance. Because the show is original, the company had to sample a handful of musical compositions to see what would work with each scene.

“There was a whole bunch of different music that we listened to (and asked) ‘Does that fit what we’re trying to do? What’s in the story?’” she said. “So it’s all different pieces of music put together, but with the same kind of style.”

Coyle said the company is borrowing a backdrop for the second act – the secret garden scene – and is pulling scenery saved from previous performances for other parts of the show. They’re also borrowing some of their costumes from other ballet schools and pulling others out of their own closet.

The company also hosts a holiday performance in December. Last year’s holiday show featured excerpts from classical ballet pieces like “Bolero” and “The Nutcracker Suite.”

The major difference between the two seasonal performances, Coyle said, is the spring performance tells a full story, which allows the dancers to exercise more creativity.

“The kids are very excited to be there,” she said. “It’s a very simple, sweet story, just pretty costumes and pretty sets, lots of flowers. It’s more of an uplifting performance.”

This year’s Matthews BeachFest runs Friday, April 26 from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. in and around Stumptown Park, 120 S. Trade St. The event includes rides, boardwalk- style food, shagging, the Sandy Feet 5K and Fun Run to benefit Habitat for Humanity of Matthews and more.

The town’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resource Department is “bringing the beach” to Matthews through the fifth annual BeachFest Matthews event. The festival takes place April 26 and 27, Friday and Saturday, in and around Stumptown Park, 120 S. Trade St. Friday’s events run from 6 to 10 p.m. and Saturday’s festivities are set for 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

BeachFest, sponsored by Novant Health, will feature activities one would find during a trip to the beach – sand volleyball, carnival rides, sand sculptures, boardwalk-style food, live beach music and more. Friday offers a $10 all-you-can ride armband.

“(BeachFest) came to be a way to bring the beach to Matthews and it’s seen as a way, too, to usher in spring around here,” said Lee Anne Moore, special events manager for the Town of Matthews. “We see how many elements of the beach and going to the beach we can bring.”

The event kicks off April 26 at 6 p.m. with live music, courtesy of The Fantastic Shakers, followed by an 8 p.m. concert from Ken Knox and The Company. There also will be carnival rides, art vendors and inflatable bounce houses for kids.

On April 27, the town will host the annual Sandy Feet 5K and Fun Run to raise money for Habitat for Humanity of Matthews. The 5K starts at 8 a.m., followed by the fun run at 8:15 a.m. BeachFest resumes at 10 a.m. with the beach volleyball tournament and D.J. Darryl Elkins, who’ll be spinning the beach tunes.

Festivities continue throughout the day with a corn hole tournament set for 3 p.m. and concerts from Band of Gold, The Extraordinaires and The Tams.

“The festival centers around really good beach music, how many good beach bands we can get in here each year,” Moore said.

BeachFest also means shagging. The sand box in front of the stage in Stumptown Park will transform into a dance floor and citizens will get a chance to show off their moves, Moore said.

“I’ve wanted to bring dance to the festival in the past couple of years,” she said. “We want to bring folks to do demos around the stage and really involve dance in the festival. There are so many people from here that remember the shag but there’s also so many not from this area and don’t know how (to shag).”

New for 2013 are classic cruisers that will be on display for all to enjoy. One of the classic images of a beach trip, Moore said, is “cruising the strip,” so it only seemed natural for the festival to incorporate these cruisers.

“It gives folks something else to walk through and see,” she said. “I would love to see that grow into a cruise-in that goes along with BeachFest.”

For more information on BeachFest, or to sign up for the Sandy Feet 5K and Fun Run, the sand volleyball or corn hole tournaments, go to www.beachfestmatthews.com.

Matthews Playhouse of the Performing Arts’ School of Theatre will present “Alice and Wonderland” Friday, April 26 to Sunday, April 28.

Performances are set for Friday, April 26 at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 27 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 28 at 2 p.m. and will take place at the theater, 100 McDowell St. in Matthews. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $9 for students and seniors.

Director June Bayless said the show is a musical retelling of the classic Lewis Carroll story. Unlike the Disney animated film, this stage adaptation features more dialogue, humor and story, Bayless said.

“It’s not the Disney version, which makes it exciting because most of the kids know only that,” she said. “These songs are not songs people will know before they come because it’s a different musical.”

All 65 cast members are students of Matthews Playhouse’s School of Theatre, a yearlong program that teaches young performers the ins and outs of acting, dancing and singing in plays and musicals. Students, ages 6 to 17, begin taking classes in September and present a major stage production each spring.

“Alice in Wonderland” was the first show Matthews Playhouse put on when the nonprofit opened in 1995 and Bayless, also the Playhouse’s founder, admits it had never been one of her favorite shows, although she enjoyed working with the 1995 cast and said the show went well then. So when it resurfaced as a possible show for 2013, she initially dreaded doing it.

“I waited to pick the script forever,” she said. “I didn’t love it last time, but I’ve really fallen in love with it.”

Part of that she attributes to a solid cast, especially the 11-year-old actress playing Alice. Bayless said all the students in the show are great in their respective roles and have worked well together since rehearsals began in late February.

“It’s going to be a great hour of entertainment from a group of talented people and (audience members) will be so surprised to find out none of (the cast members) are adults. They’re all kids,” she said.

In the past, Bayless would cast shows by age, giving older cast members more prominent roles. But in recent years, she discovered it works better to cast according to talent and ability, as well as who best fits a particular character, which she says helps when working with such a wide range of ages and skills.

“I spread them out based on talent and ability and that’s really worked well,” Bayless said.

For the set, Bayless said Matthews Playhouse is using some of the same scenery from February’s “Diary of a Worm” production, refiguring it to fit “Alice in Wonderland” and using various backdrops to symbolize different places in Wonderland.

One of the more challenging things about this show, she said, was figuring out how to direct the scene where Alice falls down the rabbit hole. Bayless eventually decided to incorporate dynamic choreography and lighting, having dancers function as the rabbit hole. The dancers move around Alice to give the audience a feeling the character is actually falling down the hole.

“It’s really a modern-dance interpretation,” Bayless said. “Falling down the hole is going to be really incredible.”

She added, “I’ve had a great time doing this and it’s going to be a fantastic show, able to stand up to any auditioned show we’ve done. People will want to come back and see the show again.”

Want to go?

Purchase tickets online at www.matthewsplayhouse.com or by calling 704-846-8343. Because there will be some street closings in conjunction with BeachFest Matthews, check the Playhouse’s website for instructions on parking.

St. John Neumann Church, 8451 Idlewild Road, will host the fourth annual “Living Stations of the Cross” at 7 p.m. Friday, March 29. The outdoor event features the church’s pastor, Father Pat Hoare, in the role of Jesus. The multi-lingual event will be told in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Portugese.

On Good Friday, March 29, about 40 church members representing a handful of nationalities will take part in the church’s fourth annual “Living Stations of the Cross” event. The program begins at 7 p.m. and takes place outside of the church, 8451 Idlewild Road in Charlotte, near Matthews and Mint Hill. The event is free and open to the public.

Living Stations of the Cross tells the story of the events leading up to the crucifixion in the same vein as the popular film, “The Passion of the Christ,” event organizer Irene Kilzer said. The entire program takes place outside and features 14 stations telling a different part of the story, beginning with Pontius Pilate’s decision to authorize the death of Jesus and concluding with the crucifixion.

“It’s basically the same story as ‘The Passion,’ and so many people are intrigued by it,” Kilzer said.

Visitors will follow Jesus, played by the church’s pastor Rev. Father Pat Hoare, across the different stations as four traveling narrators provide spoken prose. Church members of all ages will play the roles of Biblical characters like the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, Simon – the man who helped Jesus carry the cross – soldiers, townspeople and more.

But the most unique aspect of the event, Kilzer said, is that the story is told in four different languages – Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese and English. Because the church offers programs and services in these languages, event organizers chose to incorporate them into the event. Each of the four narrators is assigned one of the four languages and take turns telling the story in their language.

“We divide up (the stations) between the different languages,” Kilzer said. “For example, stations five, 10 and 14 might be (told in) Vietnamese.”

Booklets are printed with the entire story written in the four languages and visitors receive a booklet in their native tongue so they can follow along with the story when it’s being told in a foreign language. Hoare is the only cast member with a speaking part, other than the four narrators, and speaks all of his lines in English.

Kilzer said the cast hosts about five rehearsals during the month leading up to the event. Actors of all ages and nationalities are cast in the show, which Kilzer said gives the church an opportunity to involve its entire congregation.

“All the roles are acted out within (the church’s) different communities,” she said. “This is the one time of year that, for sure, all our different nationalities get together” for a major special event.

Since it began in 2010, Living Stations of the Cross has become an increasingly popular event, seeing about 300 visitors attend the first year and about 500 turn out last year, Kilzer said.

“Everybody that has come … says it’s just touching, really touching,” she said. “We take the facts in the Bible (and are) creative in the way it comes together. It gets more and more popular every year.”