Cinderella: Atlanta’s First Holiday Panto

CRITIC’S PICK: What is a Panto, you ask? Well, it’s short for Pantomime, a theatrical form first developed in England eons ago that mixes songs, gags, slapstick comedy, dancing, and other hijinks, performed by cross-dressing thespians with the participation of the audience. And no, it has nothing to do with traditional mime. The Aris Theatre’s Cinderella was written by Karl Palmer and Jon Ammerman directs the new production. “This is a rare opportunity for Atlanta to experience the kind of theater that a Panto brings,” Ammerman wrote in an email. “It has a rich combination of musical comedy, vaudeville, outrageous characters, audience sing-a-longs, dancing, and plenty of laughter under a fairy tale plot that everyone is familiar with.” Established local actors Spencer Stevens, Jordan Mitchell, Kaley Pharr, Demmarie Boreland, and Brant Adams are among the cast. — Kevin C. Madigan