It’s a timeless tale, one of beauty, beasts, lessons and love, and Tomorrow River Acting Club (TRAC) is putting a new twist on it.

TRAC members – Amherst Elementary and Middle School students – will perform “Beauty Is The Beast” in a dinner theater production beginning at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 10, in the Tomorrow River Schools cafeteria.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 4 to 12; children 3 and younger are free. Tickets are available in the elementary school office. For more information, call 715-824-5521.

“It is very well-written for humor, and they found it right away,” said Nina Cass, club director. “It’s a wonderful age group to work with. They’re absolutely effervescent with talent … They’re very, very excited.”

The nearly 50 students involved are in fourth through sixth grade. They have been rehearsing twice a week for several weeks and are excited about bringing the fractured fairy tale to life.

Cass modified the original play, dropping the time from an hour and 20 minutes to a 40-minute production. Though she would have liked to have shown more of the main character’s journey, the limited time still paints a picture that audiences and children can embrace.

While it follows a typical fairy tale-type storyline, “Beauty Is The Beast” incorporates a lot of humor. The Fairy Godfather adds his own touches and the dramatic expression of the actors – in some cases perhaps over exaggerated – conveys the light and lively atmosphere for the story.

In this fractured tale, Beauty, as one can imagine, has a beautiful outward appearance but is a mean, selfish princess. Her sister, Honor, while not the most outwardly engaging, has a kind and compassionate, caring demeanor. A ball is held, a prince attends and chooses Honor – the less physically attractive princess – as his bride. Offended, Beauty storms off, falls under a spell and awakens to a different world.

Here, the journey begins.

“It’s fun,” said Malek Dambroski, two-year TRAC member and stage manager for the show. “I hope people like the show. It sends a good message.”

Students take on the typical roles of any theater production including stage crew, leads, supporting characters and designing the set. The backdrop remains the same throughout the show; students work hard figuring out how to best display the scene, paint it and then work with the actors and actresses, who must memorize lines, stay in character no matter what, and adjust to the ebb and flow – good or bad – of the show.

And they love every minute of it.

“I like it because it’s fun to pretend to be someone else for a little while,” said Aleda Schultz, who is in her second year with the club. She plays Meg, a peasant girl. “Most of my friends are in it and that makes it way more fun, and I knew it would be even better this year because I learned from last year.

“And I think we get a good message out of it,” she said. “I feel like it’s more about looks aren’t everything. Be kind; kindness counts.”

The students in TRAC have “auditions,” but Cass allows any who are interested to be part of the production. She started the club in the 1980s, but after her retirement, it fell by the wayside. “Beauty Is The Beast” is the second show the resurrected club has held in the past two years. Shows always take place around the beginning of March, with an eye on other activities in which students may be interested.

Student director is Cole Oleson and assistant student director is Landon Prescher.

Cast and crew are:

Cast: Aaron Fletcher, Fairy Godfather; Siri Anderson and Aires Klish, assorted peasants; Jasmine Bertleson, peasant Sarah; Lia Peterson, peasant Mary; Neviah Stacy, Princess; Jen Omernik, tutor; Aleah Breed, scribe; Gabriel Helbach and Julian Peterson, guards; Brylea Eschenbauch, Honor (princess 2); Sydney Hoffman, peasant Sue; Elsa Reichenbach, peasant Jill; Alex Martin, peasant child; Lily Haas, peasant Janie;

Aleda Schultz, peasant Meg; Landen Prescher, peasant Tim; Ben Kisting, peasant Joe; Metta Cibaric, Prince Andre; Brad Jorgenson, king; Cole Oleson, handsome peasant Nick; Amara Beaudoin, peasant child Cindy; Otto Schultz, peasant child Jimmy;

Ilyana Grawvunder, Jason Martin, Evelyn Stokes, Evan Voss, Mckenna Jakubek, Austin Kosobucki, Miah Stormeon, Maddie Lusic and Idaya Cabral, assorted townspeople.

Crew: Malek Dambroski, stage manager; Mike Dziedzic, graphic designer; and Dahlaihuu Anderson, Trekk Tubbs, Mara Raddatz, Nicholas Baewer, Saige Peterson, Jacob Spoelstra, Asha Smith, Lelu Tobler, Luis Segura and Isaak Musson, stage crew.