Orange peaches, green crocodile tongues and red sparkly vests made up the rainbow of colors that adorned the stage of “James and the Giant Peach”.

The freshman play, “James and The Giant Peach,” kicked off its performance run on Wednesday, Oct. 15 and finished on Oct. 19 in the 22 Tappan Theater. Based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name, the play centered around a young boy named James, played by freshman Hannah Friedland, whose parents passed away before he was sent to live with his two cruel aunts. James accidentally grows a huge peach in his aunts’ backyard which sets off a series of events involving flashy cameras, talking insects and so much more.

The musical opened with the bright and energetic Ladhalord trio made up of freshmen Sarah Najjar, Lucas Kirbus and Charlotte Lee. I found the three to be highly entertaining with strong acting, singing and dancing skills, transporting the audience into the world of the show with their peppy musical numbers.

The most amusing musical number of the show and by far my favorite part was the “Crocodile Tongue” song and dance. James made a potion with the Lahadlords to create magical crocodile tongues that caused the peach to grow. The following dance and song was a hilarious spectacle that featured a number of talented crocodile dancers: freshmen Francesca Ahn, Aina Satake, Maryam Keshk, Sophie Isla Farago and Max Carillo. The dancers performed electric choreography while wearing green full-body morph suits and green tutus. I loved this part so much because of the fun energy and flashy dance moves.

Another one of my favorite moments was when the Hollywood directors, played by freshmen Phoebe Sacks and Vivvy Simpson-Gunner, came to see the giant peach. The Hollywood Duos’ appearance, while brief, was funny and charming and made me laugh multiple times while they were onstage.

However not only were the actors bringing their A-game, but the set team was as well. Consisting of a grass-covered staircase and two menacing trees, the backdrop set the scene for the real star of the show: the peach itself. Standing taller than all of the actors, the peach shone a brilliant orange under the lights and provided a fun and interactive set piece for the actors to incorporate into each scene.

The entire show was incredibly well choreographed and directed by drama teacher Elena Maimonis. From the numerous dances to the actor’s embodiment of the peach rolling down the hill to flying seagulls above New York City, I thought the actors executed each move with a perfect blend of precision and humor.

Some of the funniest lines in the play came from James’ two evil aunts: Spiker and Sponge played by freshmen Calista Garms and Sophie Thompson, respectively. The dynamic duo filled the room with their captivating stage presence and maniacal laughter.

In my opinion, the main reason why “James and the Giant Peach” was such a success is that it was clear that not only the audience was having fun, but so were the actors. In the final scene of the show, James stands with the Insects he met in the peach and sings about how he has now found his family. The show was a beautiful piece on the importance of love, loss and the family you find along the way.