‘Strega Nona, The Musical’ Comes to Ford Center Oct. 16

OXFORD, Miss. – A show that brings fun for all ages, “Strega Nona, The Musical” is slated to come to the University of Mississippi’s Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 16. strega

“‘Strega Nona’ is a musical based on a children’s story by Tomie dePaola,” said Norm Easterbrook, Ford Center director. “It is a fun family show about a friendly witch who lives in a tiny Italian town.”

With an energetic score by composer Aron Accurso, “Strega Nona” tells the story of a witch whose mission is to cure the everyday ills of the tiny Italian town of Calabria. When a local lug, Big Anthony, sneaks a peek at Strega Nona’s magic book, he fools with a magic pasta pot and can’t turn it off.

“What the boy doesn’t realize is that he has to say a magic word to make the pot stop making pasta,” Easterbrook said. “So the whole town will be engulfed in pasta unless Strega Nona can say the magic word and save the day.”

The show is set for 3 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children under 18. Tickets are available by calling 662-915-7411, by visiting the UM Box Office in the Student Union from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays or the Ford Center Box Office at 10 a.m. on the day of the show, or by going to www.fordcenter.org.

Easterbrook believes that parents as well as children will enjoy the show.

“One of the nice things about the author’s books is that they really are enjoyable for kids and parents alike,” he said. “I read his stories to my kids and thought they were fun, whimsical stories that were great literature to share with children.”

For a video clip of “Strega Nona” and a complete list of Ford Center events, visit www.fordcenter.org. For assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7411.