After staging its first theatrical production last year, members of the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn brought their talents to the City Hall Memorial Auditorium stage Tuesday with a production of “The Enchanted Bookshop.”
More than 40 club members participated in the musical, written by Todd Wallinger and first performed in 2017.
Josenny Duran was the theater director and Jayleane Hearns the assistant director and choreographer. The set was created by cast members.
“This play was a perfect match for our cast, combining humor, adventure and a touch of magic,” Duran said. “Throughout our rehearsals, the kids embraced the chance to bring famous literary characters to life—from classic heroes and heroines to mischievous villains. Watching them step into these roles was a joy.”
The production was supported by more than $10,000 in sponsorships, led by major sponsors M&T Bank, McGrath Enterprises and Old Neighborhood Foods.
“The Enchanted Bookshop” is about A Likely Story, a bookstore by day where the characters in the books come to life at night. Characters portrayed in the performance include Cat in the Hat, Wicked Witch of the West, Robin Hood, Toto, Hopalong Cassidy, Tom Sawyer, Long John Silver, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Doolittle.
“At its heart, this play celebrates the power of books and the importance of imagination,” Duran said. “‘The Enchanted Bookshop’ reminds us of the timeless magic that can happen when we open a book — or, in this case, when a book opens itself!”
Boys & Girls Club Associate Director Grace Duran said the club chose “The Enchanted Bookshop” as this year’s production because it reflects members’ growing love for reading. She said thanks to Education Comes First funding, club members engage in enriching literacy and math activities year-round.
“Their enthusiasm for books made this story a perfect fit, so much so that when brainstorming ideas, our members unanimously chose it themselves,” Grace Duran said.
