Fairy

The National Marionette Theatre presents the Brothers Grimm's classic fairy tale at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. today at Howard Community College's Smith Theatre, 10901 Little Patuxent Parkway. Tickets are $10. Call 410-997-2324 or go to candlelightconcerts.org.

PARTICIPANTS AT the Fairy's Tea Party at Piney Run Park and Nature Center took great pleasure in escaping to a world of make-believe Friday afternoon. About 15 children, ranging in age from 4 to 8, and their parents were entertained with fairy stories, read by Karen Boger and Elaine Sweitzer. After each child received a sprinkle of fairy dust, the group proceeded into a meeting room at the nature center, which had been set up for the tea party. Six tables were set with china teacups and handmade centerpieces consisting of fairy figurines and homes.

`Cinderella' opening at the Kennedy Center If you missed the hip, multicultural production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Mechanic Theatre last year - or if you want to see the show again - you can catch it at Washington's Kennedy Center, where it opens tonight. Eartha Kitt continues in the role of the Fairy Godmother, with Paolo Montalban as Prince Charming and Everett Quinton as the Wicked Stepmother. Jessica Rush, however, has replaced Deborah Gibson in the title role.

Before Disney put "Beauty and the Beast" on the musical theater stage, the prolific British playwright Alan Ayckbourn had a go at it in an odd little musical called "Dreams From a Summer House," which is receiving its area premiere at Columbia's Rep Stage.Ayckbourn's approach, with serviceable music by John Pattison, is part British sitcom, part fairy tale, part romantic comedy and part musical. Because it tries to be so many things at once, it's probably not surprising that it doesn't excel at any of them.

Today, Shrek The Third, another in a series of popular animation films, opens in theaters. What's your favorite fairy-tale movie and why? Please send your thoughts in a brief note with your name, city and daytime phone number (and Such a Critic in the memo field) to arts@baltsun.com. We will publish the best answers we receive.

Do you know? How did the Komodo dragon get its name? Answer: Although it doesn't breathe fire, the Komodo dragon does have sharp claws, and thick, scaly skin...just like fairy tale dragons. Learn more! Look for the new Komodo dragon at The Baltimore Zoo. Read "Komodo!" by Peter Sis. 1. The Komodo dragon was discovered in 1912. 2. Adult Komodo dragons can grow longer than a small car!

Tinkering with fairy tales Cockpit in Court travels "Into the Woods" (and into Dundalk) with its final production of the season, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's fairy-tale musical. "Into the Woods" intermingles such classic fairy-tales as Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella and Jack and the Beanstalk with a newly created tale about a baker and his wife. In the first act, the characters' wishes are granted. In the second, they discover the consequences of those wishes. Cockpit's production is directed by Tom Wyatt and features a cast headed by John Amato, Vivian Fenstermaker, Lanor Long, Lisa McChesney, Ricky Oliver, Holly Pascuillo and Cindy Rinaldi.

Ballet Theatre of Annapolis (BTA) ended an extraordinary season last weekend with a nod to the future in a program that focused on youth in its fairy-tale subject matter and by showcasing young dancers. Forty-six dance students from Anne Arundel County and the Eastern Shore performed with the troupe's professional dancers. The children's joy and pride were contagious, adding enjoyment to the program. Newly choreographed works by the theater's prolific artistic director, Edward Stewart, spotlighted the strengths of his 26-member company and the youngsters who joined them.