September 2000

Original Choreography by:
Alexei Kremnev
Assistant Choreographer:
Anna Reznik

Lighting Design: Susan Terrano
Settings: Harwood Gordon
Costumes: Tammy Ward
      Susan Kavalew
       David Warda
       Dean Walz
       Amethust Tymoch
Make-up: Paula Kelly
      David Warda
Wigs: Kelly Yurko
Stage Manager: Susan Terrano
Photographer: Sandy Underwood

Once upon a time Hans Christian Andersen wrote a fairy tale about a girl, Gerda and a boy, Kai, who lived next door to each other and were very good friends. In the summer they spent their time playing in the garden and in the winter they listened to Gerda's Grandmother tell stories of the Snow Queen. One evening Kai looked out the window and saw a big snowflake that turned into a lady clothed in a million star-like snowflakes. She was very beautiful and dainty but she was of ice — dazzling, gleaming ice all through — and yet she was alive. Her eyes shone like clear stars but there was no rest or quiet in them. Poor Kai was struck with a splinter of ice in his heart. It didn't hurt but his behavior changed. He became mean and rude to Gerda. And he flew away with the Snow Queen.

Everyone believed that Kai was dead except Gerda. She went in search of him. Her journey began with the Flowers, but they were too impressed with their own beauty to have seen Kai. Gerda was then approached by two Cardinals who thought they might have seen Kai at the Fantasy Palace of the Prince. Kai was not there so Gerda continued her search and was captured by Bandits. She was saved, however, by the Little Robber Girl who gave Gerda her reindeer to take Gerda to the Far North to the Snow Queen's Palace. There Gerda found Kai and wept with tears of joy. Gerda's warm tears fell on Kai and melted the ice in his heart.