Roald Dahl's beloved children's tale, "James and the Giant Peach" will take center stage at Eastern York High School when the Broadway Knights presents its spring musical.

"James and the Giant Peach" tells the story of the title character and his adventures. After his parents are killed by a runaway rhino, James is sent to live with his conniving aunts. Through a series of events, James discovers a giant peach, full of human-sized insects with oversized personalities. As the peach breaks free from its tree, the group embarks on an adventure of epic proportions.

"This is a very creative show," said Kayli Hose, a senior who portrays the ladybug. "It's whimsical, weird and quirky. It's definitely entertaining."

Cassidy Lanius, a senior who plays the centipede, said the show is visually stunning, complete with the oversized fruit. "There is a giant peach on stage, and we get to crawl around in it and go into hidden pockets in it," she stated. "It's on wheels, and the stage crew gets to turn it around a lot."

The role of James is double cast between two sixth-grade students, Maya Shaker and Nate Blome. Although neither had read the book before assuming the role, both said they're having a great time in the show.

"I love the characters' personalities, and I love the music," Nate remarked. Maya noted that although it may seem like a children's show, there's really something for everyone. "It's for children, but adults will find it humorous, too," she said.

Seniors MJ Music and Ethan Young portray the spider and grasshopper, respectively, but both said their characters are more than bugs. "We're playing bugs, but the costumes and the characters are human-like," Ethan stated. Added MJ, "We have antennas and extra legs, but we have a lot of creative freedom in how we play the part and what our costume looks like."

Although the show is based on a children's book and it includes whimsical characters, it has a deeper message, said junior Jesse Richardson, who plays the earthworm. "James' aunts are his family, but they don't treat him like family," she stated. "By the end of the story, James has found a family, and he finds out who he is. It's a show about love and hope and understanding that the idea of family transcends the biological."

Additional cast members of "James and the Giant Peach" are Lillian Cichocki, Alivia Hough, Olivia Cichocki, Skylar Sanders, Macy McNatt, Alivia Keely, Blake Atkins, Blu Leiphart, Brodie Thompson, Bryn Smeltzer, Caris Rolph, Eva Heistand, Evan Tanner, Haley Marshlick, Hope Dougherty, Jordan Gipe, Lexie Rosenau, Maddie Haugh, Makenzi Reed, Michael Hammel, Miranda Stimpson, Mya McCombs, Nathan Strausbaugh, Olivia Shuster, Riley Laing, Rowan Miller, Tijahne Truvillion and Zoie Tanner.

"James and the Giant Peach" will be performed at Eastern York High School, 720 Cool Creek Road, Wrightsville, at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 24, through Saturday, March 26, with an additional performance at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/yc83hhc8.