Theatre Ink’s upcoming musical Amélie, directed by seniors Neria Abbimutt and Zadie Besev, is a comedic and whimsical French love story about a shy, imaginative young woman who navigates life in her own fanciful way. Amélie will run Dec. 11–13 at 7:30 p.m. in the Little Theater. 

Set in Paris in the late 1990s, Amélie combines magical realism, a nostalgic feel, and playful storytelling. According to Besev, to make the musical come alive and feel more realistic, the actors will incorporate some of their own personality traits into their respective characters. 

While the musical is focused on Amélie and her love interest, Nino, the supporting characters add to the Parisian ambiance and broaden the musical beyond romance. In directing, Besev and Abbimutt aimed for a relaxed and joyful tone but also highlighted the complexity of the characters and their relationships in Amélie. 

The musical largely centers on themes like loneliness, self worth, self discovery, and community that are prominent with high schoolers and young adults. 

“I would say the community in the cast mirrors what you see in the show. Amélie at its core is all about the power of kindness and how we are all connected,” said Abbimutt. 

Freshman Molly Champion will be playing the lead role of Amélie, and aims to bring out the complexities of her character.

“⁠⁠It’s fun to bring Amélie to the stage because she’s not only a whimsical and silly character but also one with depth,” said Champion. 

According to Besev, throughout the directing process, she and Abbimutt have been working to fulfill certain goals outlined when they originally applied to direct the musical. 

 “Our big thing from the application process was that we wanted to show the community of Amélie and we want to show everyone how their own story and everyone matters,” said Besev.

According to Champion, the atmosphere is very casual and comfortable when working with her castmates and directors. “Everyone should come see Amélie,” added Champion.