“If you were given the chance to stop time and live in one moment of your life for eternity, would you?”

That is the question at the heart of the Amelia Earhart Playhouse version of “Tuck Everlasting.”  With synergy and emotion, this incredible musical performance directed by Jackson Seymore at USAG Wiesbaden is not one to miss. Explore life, family and love through its lens of immortality.

Deep in the woods, Winnie (Lily Goodman) meets the Tuck family and learns of the secret spring that grants them immortality. Goodman’s presence on stage is riveting. We believe in her brattiness, while her pathos leads us through every scene of this coming-of-age drama.

Jesse Tuck (SGT Ethan Hamblin), the family’s teenage-looking son, invites Winnie to drink from the spring and the show embarks on a powerful and poignant journey. The Tucks each have their own opinion on the benefits and downfalls of living forever. We see how Jesse’s mother Mae Tuck (Jenni Goodman) carries all the family emotions and keeps them glued together. We feel the pain that her oldest son Miles (Wyatt Evans) has suffered as a result of the ‘gift’ of immortality.

In one of the strongest scenes of the show, father Angus Tuck (TSgt Payton Burrell) takes Winnie out fishing. With utter honesty, he says, “You don’t need to live forever, you just need to live.” From the actors to the boat and the ripples on the floor, the scene is emotionally moving.

The set and props meld with the actors and crew to such an extent that it’s easy to get lost in the story. The trees blend with the floor and spread into the audience, creating a real feeling of being magically transported to the woods. The use of a ladder throughout helps seamlessly create different levels, while the lighting is creatively used to draw us into the focus and the magic. I love the use of the star backdrop, and the music box is an excellent indicator of the passage of time. 

The ensemble cast is amazing. They add vitality and energy to every scene, bringing the whole performance over the top. A special shout out to the Toad (Amelia Nieman) who worked so well with the prop: they seemed as one.

Winnie will eventually make her choice, and we are all left to ponder what we would choose. Director Seymore has done an incredible job of bringing this Tuck Everlasting to the stage. It is a must-see performance!

Reserve tickets ahead of time ONLINE at Webtrac, or by calling the theater at 0964170-548-9814.

2024 Performance Dates:

April 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20 at 7:30 p.m.

April 7, 14, 21 matinees at 2 p.m.

related stories

• A lively look at civic duty in “12 Angry Jurors”
• Have a dazzlingly good time at Willy Wonka Jr.
• Nostalgia meets comedy at “A Christmas Story”