Columbia Children's Theatre presents The Snow Queen

Jerry Stevenson and Dionne Hough at the piano.

Sometimes it takes several villages that are far apart. And that's just what it took for Columbia Children's Theatre to complete its new musical, Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen.

CCT Artistic Director Jerry Stevenson decided last year that he wanted to premier an original musical based on the classic Andersen children's tale, but lining up the right talent seemed an insurmountable problem.

Katie Fox, director of education for the South Carolina Arts Commission came to the rescue telling CCT about a talented composer in Ohio who was interested in the project. Stevenson and the composer, Alex Horton, began talks about the show as recently as August and a virtual cross- country collaboration began.

"Producing four mainstage shows and many touring and student productions each year," says Stevenson "keeps us behind the eight ball a lot. We're often rehearsing one show while another is still running."

While Stevenson worked on the script along with CCT staffer, Sam LaFrage, in Ohio, Alex was banging out the music.

The story of the Snow Queen follows Gerda on her journey to save her best friend Kai who has been pierced by a sliver of the Snow Queen's mirror and stolen away to her Palace of Ice. She enlists the help of The Snow Bear to help her on her journey through the frozen North Country.

Stevenson says technology enabled them to work quickly and efficiently.

But working on all aspects of the show simultaneously (usually the script or book of a musical is done first), has its drawbacks. "As we got near the end of the show," says Stevenson, "we realized that we needed a ballad but were running out of time."

That's when CCT Music Director, Dionne Hough came on board. Dionne, the long time accompanist and musical director for CCT and a graduate of USC's Department of Music with a degree in composition agreed to write the final ballad, a memory song about the rooftop garden Kai and Gerda would tend in the summers. The Snow Queen opens Nov. 28 and runs through December at Columbia Children's Theatre.

Performances take place at the Booker Washington Heights Cultural Arts Center; 2611 Grant St.

For more information about this or other shows contact Jerry Stevenson at 803- 691-4548 or at www.ColumbiaChildrensTheatre.com.