West Virginia Public Theatre Stages 'Narnia: The Musical' in Morgantown This Winter

West Virginia Public Theatre is bringing one of the most beloved stories in children's literature to the stage this holiday season, with a full production of Narnia: The Musical set to run November 22 through December 20, 2026, at the Canady Creative Arts Center in Morgantown, West Virginia. The production is currently in casting and pre-production, meaning the window to pursue work on this show is open right now. Whether you are a performer hoping to be considered for one of the production's many roles, a theater production professional based in the mid-Atlantic and Appalachian region, or a designer looking for a substantive holiday engagement, this is one to put on your radar immediately.

The production is a stage adaptation of C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the first and most celebrated volume in Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia series. The musical tells the story of four English siblings evacuated from London during World War II who stumble through a wardrobe into the frozen kingdom of Narnia, where the White Witch has cursed the land to eternal winter. The show builds toward a confrontation between the Witch and Aslan, the great lion and rightful ruler of Narnia, with the children caught in the middle of a battle between good and evil. As a piece of theatrical material, it demands a wide range of performance skill sets — period movement and voice work to anchor the World War II framing, physical characterization for the many talking-animal roles, and the kind of ensemble storytelling that requires a tight, well-rehearsed company.

The book is by Jules Tasca, a prolific playwright and adaptor who has written extensively for educational and regional theater. The music is composed by Thomas Tierney, with lyrics by Ted Drachman, making this a fully original musical rather than a jukebox or pop-catalog adaptation. That means the production carries genuine musical theater vocabulary and will likely require performers with strong classical and musical theater training. Joe Olivieri is directing, with Jerry McGonigle serving as Artistic Director of the presenting organization. Casting is being handled by Josey Miller, whose name is the one performers and agents in the region should have on their call list right now.

West Virginia Public Theatre is the producing organization, presenting the show at its home venue, the Canady Creative Arts Center in Morgantown. WVPT has a long-standing reputation as one of the premier professional regional theater companies in West Virginia, regularly producing full-scale musicals and plays for audiences in the greater Morgantown area. Morgantown itself is a college town anchored by West Virginia University, which means the local arts infrastructure is more developed than the city's size might suggest. The Canady Creative Arts Center is a purpose-built performing arts facility that gives the production a proper theatrical home with the technical capabilities a show of this scope requires.

For production professionals, a show like Narnia presents specific and meaningful creative challenges. The source material demands a robust scenic and properties design capable of conjuring both wartime England and a fully realized fantasy kingdom, often within the same production. Costume design will be extensive, given the number of fantastical characters, talking animals, and period-specific human costumes the script requires. Lighting and sound design will carry significant narrative weight in establishing the contrast between the grey, wartime world and the magical landscape of Narnia. Scenic carpenters, stitchers, props artisans, and stage management professionals in the Morgantown and broader West Virginia region should take note. Productions of this nature at regional theaters of WVPT's caliber frequently draw from both local talent and professionals willing to relocate for a defined engagement.

With a production window running from late November through December 20, this is squarely a holiday engagement, which is one of the most competitive and in-demand slots in regional theater. The run length and the source material both suggest a production aimed at families and general audiences, which typically translates to strong box-office pressure and a company that needs to perform at a high level from opening night. Rehearsals almost certainly begin well ahead of the November 22 opening, so performers and crew coming aboard will want to factor in a full pre-production and rehearsal period when planning their availability.

Full production details, including production office contacts, the complete crew list as it develops, and scheduling updates, are available in the ProductionList.com listing for Narnia: The Musical. With casting actively underway and pre-production already in motion, the time to make contact is now. Check the full listing at ProductionList.com to find current contact information for the production and the casting office, and bookmark the page for updates as the crew roster fills out over the coming months.

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