Wholesome Tale by and in Support of People With Disabilities

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Photo Credit: Jean-Gabriel Fernandez

If you expect great moments of theater when seeing The Emperor's New Tuxedo at Waukesha Civic Theatre, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. If, on the contrary, you expect friendliness, good feelings and a generous serving of wholesomeness, you will leave the room satisfied—only to meet with the large cast ready for effusive discussion and hugs.

This is a show put on by the ACAP Playmakers. ACAP (Adaptive Community Approach Program) is a community program to support people with disabilities. As such, many of the actors have visible disabilities, which doesn't impede them as they do their best to put on a family friendly show.

The play is interspersed with little girls doing small dance numbers. The songs, of which there are quite a few, are composed of new lyrics added to existing musical numbers; attentive ears might recognize "Belle" from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, as well as tunes from Les Misérables and, surprisingly, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.

If any one play could ever be described as "gentle," this is it. There is little conflict or tension, and characters display a great deal of kindness and sensibility in this take on Hans Christian Andersen's famous tale, The Emperor's New Clothes. Here, the imperial couple wants new, beautiful clothes as wars are won through fashion, and their rival, King Midas (Scott Ebbot), has the best tailors in the land. As scammers masquerading as tailors trick the empress (Angel Mullen), Midas is cursed to turn everything he touches purple, and the two stories meet, leading to a sweet, moral teaching.

Through Sunday, Oct. 6, at Waukesha Civic Theatre, 264 W. Main St. For tickets and more information, call 262-547-0708 or visit waukeshacivictheatre.org.

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Photo Credit: Jean-Gabriel Fernandez