Aspire's 'Amélie' opens Feb. 7

While times may be hard for dreamers, dreaming is all Amélie Poulain does.

After surviving a tragic and isolated childhood, Amélie heads out on her own, joyfully finding her way through Paris and making friends from all walks of life: Suzanne, a trapeze artist-turned-cafe owner; Georgette, a hypochondriac tobacconist; Julian Dufayel, an artist with brittle bone disease; and many more.

Through a chance discovery, Amélie finds a child’s box of treasures in the floor of her apartment and sets out to return it. After her success, and the joy it brings to Bretodeau, the owner, Amélie resolves to anonymously do good for those around her. Most importantly, Amélie finds love in the form of Nino, a mysterious young man, and his photo album. Living in her imaginary world of make-believe and whimsy has been safe, but Amélie knows it is time to step out of her dreams and find joy for herself. With a romantic score, colorful characters and a world of fantastical fun, Amélie is a beautiful tale for the dreamers in everyone.

Aspire's production of "Amélie" opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7, at the Midge and Pepper Smock Family Theatre at the Kroc.

"Amélie" will feature a cast of all local Inland Northwest performers, including Amee Peltekian in the role of Amélie.

"Besides instantly loving the incredible score, I loved the quirky characters and the subtle but brilliant humor in their stories," Peltekian said in a Jan. 23 news release. "I fell in love with the character of Amélie and was entranced by the story of her wanting so badly to be a better version of herself and using the huge imagination she already had to make it happen."

The show, which is close to the famous 2001 film of the same name, has been turned into a musical with music and lyrics by Daniel Messê and Nathan Tysen and a book by Craig Lucas. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Screenplay. The musical premiered on Broadway in 2017 after successful runs at the Berkley Repertory Theatre and in Los Angeles. It won the Drama Desk Award in 2017 and again enjoyed recognition when it moved to the West End in London.

Amélie is Aspire's second offering in its eighth season. Under the direction of Aspire's Artistic Director Trigger Weddle and Resident Music Director Presley DuPuis, the show marks a premiere in the Inland Northwest.

Tickets range from $15-$28.

Info: aspirecda.com, tickets@aspirecda.com or 208-696-4228