Born to be on stage
Can Disney villain offspring change their tune?
Find out in ‘Descendants: the Musical’
Story & photos by Gretchen Ammerman
Oregon Coast TODAY
In the Disney universe, it seems that when the main characters from countless blockbusters weren’t busy being brave or bad, they were makin’ babies.
Some of those second-generation characters are the stars of “Descendants, the Musical,” the latest production from the Lincoln City Playhouse, opening on Thursday, June 2.
Written by Joann McGibbon and Sara Parriottr, “Descendants” is a musical fantasy adventure-comedy about the teenage children of Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, Cruella de Vil, and Belle and the Beast.
The original film was a huge hit and has spawned sequels and even an animated spinoff.
The story follows the teenagers adjusting to life outside their island prison, while on a mission to steal the Fairy Godmother's wand and free their parents from captivity.
“We just say that we were ‘inspired’ by the original,” said Karen Bonelli Sanquist, director and founder of Lincoln City Playhouse. “We like to make it our own, especially with the costumes.”
Like many things written for kids these days, there is plenty to entertain adults, too.
“There is so much adult humor in this one,” Bonelli Sanquist said. “I’ve been cracking up so much during rehearsal that the kids sometimes have to pause to wait for me to finish.”
The theme of descendants has a special meaning for Bonelli Sanquist, as her daughter, Tessa, has appeared in many Playhouse productions, including this one.
“My daughter was just voted Miss Oregon Outstanding Teen for Lane County,” she said. “During her interview, which was in front of five judges on Zoom, she did a monologue from ‘Alice in Wonderland,’ which she played the lead role in. Her platform is ‘Dyslexia doesn’t mean disabled.’”
Bonelli Sanquist founded Lincoln City Playhouse in 2019 and encourages kids with challenges of any kind to join the company. She credits the productions with helping her daughter meet her own challenges with dyslexia.
“Getting lead roles in these plays has helped so much with her confidence and her reading skills.” she said.
Miss Oregon Teen is a part of the Miss America program and is focused on scholastic achievement. Tessa is a Lincoln County resident but she was able to go out for the open category, which is why she’s representing Lane County in the competition.
“She won a $100 scholarship so far and the overall winner gets a much bigger scholarship, so that would be nice,” Bonelli Sanquist said. “But the experience has been really great for her so far no matter what happens next.”
“Descendants, the Musical” will take to the stage each evening from Thursday, June 2, through Saturday, June 11, with performances at 6:30 pm on Thursdays, and 7 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The run will conclude with a 2 pm matinée on Sunday, June 12. Admission is by suggested donation of $10 to $15.
Performances take place at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, located at 540 NE Hwy. 101. For more information, go to the Lincoln City Playhouse page on Facebook.