By Diane Chase, author of Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities for Lake Placid, Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake and the High Peaks.

The stage is set for Gandalf and thirteen mighty dwarves to hike through The Shire (or rather Lake Placid) to enlist a reluctant Bilbo Baggins to help on a quest to slay the evil dragon Smaug. For those Tolkien fanatics, this musical version taking place at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts, though authorized by J.R.R. Tolkien, has a bit of a surprise ending. For those unfamiliar with Tolkien's "The Hobbit," this play with over 50 local Adirondack children, will be the perfect introduction. Any age will find this classic tale of personal growth and good versus evil a welcome treat.

"The Hobbit: or There and Back Again" was first published in 1937 by J.R.R. Tolkien and now promoted as a prelude to Tolkien's most popular work "The Lord of the Rings" published seventeen years later in 1954. The book series has never been out of print. The books have been made into movies, cartoons, a radio series, stage production and even a video game.

There will be quite a bit of talent at this year's Lake Placid Center for the Arts' Fall Children's Musical, but I want to give a nod to those behind the scenes. As part of the Lake Placid Center for the Arts Afterschool Workshops, children were given the opportunity to work with Pendragon Theatre's Bonnie Brewer and learn what it takes to create and build a stage set. This group worked afternoons making trees out of wire and paper and rocks from a can of spray foam. While other kids were learning their lines this group was learning how to reuse elements to make realistic looking sets that were easy to move and versatile.

style="font-size: 12px; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; color: #fdba31 !important;">

This play as well as the Afterschool Workshops at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts is made possible through the Joy to the Children benefit held each year at the Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa in Lake Placid through the generosity of Mr. and Mrs. Edwin H. Weibrecht, Jr. For the 25th year, the Joy to the Children Benefit will raise funds to support year-round children's programing in the Adirondacks. This annual benefit raises funds to help support over 100 free children's workshops and approximately 100 individual programs impacting over 35,000 individuals throughout the Lake Placid region. Programs include: the LPCA Fall Children's Musical Theatre, Free Young & Fun Arts Series, the Missoula Children's Theatre, Camp LPCA, Free Afterschool Workshops, Kids Gallery Exhibitions, For Schools Only Series, and Family Programming!

Joy to the Children will take place December 8 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.For tickets and information please contact LPCA at 518-523-2512.

This version of The Hobbit is directed by Jessica Dee and adapted for stage by Ruth Perry. The music is by Allan Jay Friedman with lyrics by David Rogers. The production can be seen this Thursday (11/10) and Friday (11/11) at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday (11/12) at 2:00 p.m. at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. Tickets are $8/adults and $6/students under 18. Tenna' ento lye omenta. (Until next we meet.) I do not know the Elvish language so any errors can be taken up directly with my friend Chris. 

all photos and content © Diane Chase, Adirondack Family Time™. Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Time™ guidebook series and co-owner of the the young adult wilderness adventure program, Adirondack Outdoor Expeditions.