OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Maine residents and tourists alike are invited to enter the magical world of Narnia during a spell-bounding theatrical performance of “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by David Payne Drama of Nashville, Tenn. at Seaside Pavilion, 6:30 p.m., Saturday, July 18.

C.S. Lewis’s children’s classic will come to life through rich costumes, an amazing set, and an outstanding cast of 12. “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is set in World War II when bombs are dropping on London. For their safety, four children are sent to the country house of an eccentric professor. It is a large house with many rooms, one of which contains a large, mysterious wardrobe —  a portal to a snow-filled world, inhabited by talking animals, mystical creatures, and giants.
Narnia, however, is ruled by the evil White Witch. The four children and the great lion Aslan must defeat the witch.

They eventually succeed, and become kings and queens reigning for 15 years before returning to the “real” world. It is a story that has captivated the hearts and minds of children and adults since originally written in 1950.

This two-hour performance geared toward the whole family doesn’t end with the last line. Instead, the cast comes out to meet the audience after the show, in full costume. The audience can ask questions, take photographs, and get autographs. A facilitated dialogue surrounding the symbolism of the play will also follow the performance.

Tickets for “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” are $10 in advance, $12 on day of show, $8 per group of 10 or  more. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 934-2024 or visit www.seasidepavilion.org. To view a trailer of this outstanding performance and to learn more about David Payne Drama, visit www.davidpaynedrama.com.

The Salvation Army built Seaside Pavilion in 1998 as a place for its camp meetings and as a gift to the community to enrich lives, lift spirits, and build community through the performing arts. Seaside Pavilion offers a state-of-the-art sound system and 1,400 stadium style seats with views of the professional stage and breath-taking natural setting. To learn more or to view a full listing of this summer’s events, please visit www.seasidepavilion.org.