By Sophia Lucente, A&E Editor

On Tuesday night Triad Stage debuted a reimagined “Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen, pleasing Pyrle Theatre patrons of all ages with lush storytelling and good holiday cheer. The show is one of three seasonal productions presented by the company this December.

The downtown force for thespian innovations has once again proven itself creative and capable, having combined a number of awe-inspiring talents in an adaptation of an 18^th-century fairy tale. “Queen” is the latest in a series of projects produced by director Preston Lane and singer-songwriter Laurelyn Dossett that pay tribute to history and traditions of greater Appalachia. The product in question is set apart from its original telling by its music, an addition consisting of seven original folk- and bluegrass-inspired tunes by its music, an addition consisting of seven original folk- and bluegrass-inspired tunes by Dossett.

The story is simple but woven as intricately and as vibrantly in its artistic effects as a classic Disney movie. It opens on seasoned young actors Autumn Routt and Dylan Lowe as Gertie and Cade, two children in red plaid garb and boots planted eagerly at the feet of a widowed storyteller (Patti Perkins). She recounts legend of the vengeful Ice Queen, who vied for chilly dominance over Earth but was met with opposition by the other three elements. As she speaks, a reenactment plays out at the stage’s forefront featuring players in gorgeously designed robes, accessorized with colorful, metallic headdresses and staffs.

The queen was defeated, but remained bitter and searches to this day for a young boy to kidnap and make her prince. So the story goes, the widow says; more than once there have been disappearances, like her own son – children lost to a snowstorm, never to be found again.

Gertie and Cade don’t buy it, unsurprisingly, and set off into the woods for a last bout of playtime before disaster strikes. From there the story unfolds into a journey of childlike wonder, built on faith and imagination and told in the vein of a shared storybook before bedtime. Among the production’s characters is a narrator, played by Gayton Scott, who appears almost fairylike herself in a top hat and flowing robes of blue, chesnut, grey and gold. Throughout the performance she provides colorful descriptions of setting and time and even “he saids” and “she saids” after other players’ lines.

The role of the Queen is filled by Emily Gardner Hall, whose role this winter is her first with Triad Stage. The NYU MFA graduate is beautiful, haughty and commanding in her performance, managing to steal the show in its first ten minutes with a disdainful musical number that showcases her powerful alto range. Her character’s evilness is frequently amplified with a demonic, vocal manipulation that is reminiscent of a victim possessed by spirits in your standard Hollywood horror.

From each musical interlude to heartwarming line, “Queen” reminds viewers of its fairytale origins. One element in particular brings a fantastical quality to the journey: the use of puppetry designed by Bill Brewer. Animals play essential roles in the show, representing qualities like hope and love that assist Gertie in finding and saving her beloved friend. The figures are life-sized and meticulously crafted in EPS foam and folded Wonderflex that makes them appear crafted from origami paper. Jamison Stern appears multiple times as the puppeteer and voice of these animals, bringing vibrancy and humor to their conversations with Gertie.

“Queen” is artistic, inspiring and sure to bring joy to audience members of all ages – though one scene’s puppets depicting the remnants of nightmares are not for the faint of heart. The determination of one little girl is not only adorable but applicable to challenges the rest of us face in our daily routines. In one scene towards the end, the narrator appears as an old weaver woman deep in the woods, who advises a self-doubting Gertie: “You are a thread in this here story, child…tie up the loose ends.” And Gertie does – and it will make you smile.

Tickets are on sale now at www.triadstage.org/calendar for performances running nightly until Dec. 21. Information is also available regarding the other two shows, Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol”, also adapted by Lane, and David Sedaris’s “The Santaland Diaries”, adapted by Joe Mantello.