QCT to present ‘Little House on the Prairie, The Musical’ in December; 33 people make up cast

October 26, 2022 | By Muddy River News

The cast of "Little House on the Prairie, The Musical": Top row from left, Devin Boccardi, Cecilia Bruening, Josh Carlson, Jayden Dreyer, Alec Eaton, Mason Ellison and Evelyn Ginos; second row, Julie Ginos, Sarah Goodapple, Zoey Griffin, Patrick Hedges, Christina Helm and Olivia Jones; third row, Jeremy Kurfman, Clara Louthan, Samantha Lowenberg, Quinton Miller, Sarah Predmore, Chris Seals and Aaron Speckhart; fourth row, Blake Stone, Doug Tenhouse, Abby Twaddle, Justin Twaddle, Lily Twaddle, Vicky Vail and Addison Wetzel. Bottom row, Barrett Whitfield, Gretchen Wolfmeyer, Aly Young, Addison Zanger and Dominic Zanger. | Photo courtesy of Quincy Community Theatre

QUINCY — “Little House on the Prairie, The Musical,” the stage adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s popular “Little House” books, makes its debut at Quincy Community Theatre this December.

The musical follows Ingalls as she and her family journey west in the 1880s to settle in De Smet, S.D. However, life on the prairie brings with it unexpected hardships and tragedies – from raging prairie fires to devastating blizzards. Through it all, Ingalls perseveres and grows from a free-spirited child to a young pioneer woman preparing for adulthood while remaining true to herself and her family.

“Little House on the Prairie, The Musical” features a cast of 33 performers. They are:

The cast includes:

Jayden Dreyer as Laura Ingalls
Julie Ginos as Caroline “Ma” Ingalls
Aaron Speckhart as Charles “Pa” Ingalls
Clara Louthan as Mary Ingalls
Abby Twaddle as Carrie Ingalls
Jeremy Kurfman as Almanzo Wilder
Josh Carlson as Robert Boast
Lily Twaddle as Nellie Oleson
Vicky Vail as Eliza Jane Wilder
Patrick Hedges as Owen
Chris Seals as Mr. Oleson
Sarah Goodapple as Mrs. Oleson
Doug Tenhouse as the town’s doctor
Devin Boccardi as Mr. Brewster
Zoey Griffin as Mrs. Brewster
Alec Eaton as Cap Garland
Dominic Zanger as Willie Oleson
Aly Young as Ida
Addison Wetzel as Minnie
Blake Stone as Clarence Brewster
Quinton Miller as Tommy
Sarah Predmore as Ruby
Cecilia Bruening as Martha and
Addison Zanger as Blanche

Completing the cast are ensemble members Richard Hessling, Justin Twaddle, Mason Ellison, Barrett Whitfield, Olivia Jones, Christina Helm, Gretchen Wolfmeyer, Samantha Lowenberg and Evelyn Ginos.

In a press release, director Brandon Thomsen said, “We have assembled an absolutely stunning cast to bring to life not only Laura’s stories but also a story of community. This musical speaks to the American spirit of family and hard work and how our unique selves, when brought together, can lift one another. As these pioneers did, so too will our cast and production team come together with their individual gifts to create something truly special.”

“Little House on the Prairie, The Musical” is under the direction of Thomsen, with vocal direction by Elizabeth Mannhardt, choreography by Alison Shafer, scenic design by Sabrina Brookshire, lighting design by Elizabeth Schweitzer, costume design by Blaine Shepherd and stage management by Rowan Cafun. Props will be handled by Drew Quintero and Lindsey Stroot.

Ticket prices start at $24 and go on sale Monday, Nov. 14. Performance dates are Dec. 9-11 and Dec. 15-18. Thursday-Saturday performances will begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday performances at 2 p.m. Seating is reserved. The performance on Sunday, Dec. 18, will be signed by Jessica Lewis for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

QCT will host Discovery Night at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 28. This free event invites the audience backstage to take a look at the process of bringing this story to life. See the costumes, set pieces, hear from the director and designers and watch a portion of the rehearsal.

Audiences are invited to continue the conversation and meet the cast with a question-and-answer session following the performance on Friday, Dec. 16.

For more information, visit 1qct.org or call the QCT box oOffice, located in the Oakley-Lindsay Center, at 217-222-3209.

“Little House on the Prairie, The Musical” is sponsored by Quincy Medical Group, Quincy Town Center and WGEM. QCT’s 2022 season is sponsored by Gardner Denver.