Red Mountain Theatre Company will culminate its 2018-19 season with the charming Matilda The Musical at the Dorothy Jemison Day Theater on the campus of the Alabama School of Fine Arts. RMTC recently celebrated their 40th anniversary and it has been a joy to bring back faces from the past and bring forward new faces to the RMTC stage. RMTC welcomes an alum who grew up in the days of the Summerfest (former title of Red Mountain Theatre Company) workshops, the extremely talented Elise Mayfield. Mayfield will be shimmying all over the stage as Mrs. Wormwood in Matilda The Musical.

Mayfield is not only a veteran of the Birmingham stage having performed for numerous theatre companies, but she also pounded the pavement as an actor in Chicago. During her time there, she furthered her chops by studying improv and sketch comedy for the famed Improv Olympic and Second City. She is finally making her RMTC return and continuing her story with the organization, “The last production I performed in was Footloose (one of Executive Director Keith Cromwell’s first productions) and I remember closing the show, my parents picking me up at the stage, and they drove straight to my dorm room at Ole Miss where I started college the next day,” reminisces Mayfield.

She is counting the days to grace her presence on the stage as this has been a production she has been anticipating for quite some time. “It’s one of my favorite books and I still love the movie that came out in the 90s. I had the pleasure of witnessing this musical on Broadway and it reminded me how much I love the story. The music is incredible, the characters are fascinating, and the staging is engaging. What more could you want,” exclaims Mayfield.

As fun as it to play the character of Mrs. Wormwood, it is the heart of the story that she hopes resonates with the audience. “Matilda is about the small triumphing over the big. It’s not just little as in physically little like the small children in the story, but also emotionally as the character of Miss Honey triumphs after being made small time after time by Miss Trunchbull. It’s a story about the underdog,” explains Mayfield. “I hope the community is inspired by our amazing cast of kids, and remember that even the little can overcome incredible obstacles.”

Matilda The Musical
July 12-August 4
Dorothy Jemison Day Theater
Click here for tickets and information.

If you have a child in competitive cheer, you understand the importance of great coaching and a great place to train, well, Jay and Jennifer Taylor are providing that and more at their new gym Alpha Extreme Cheer in Pelham.

Jay has 20+ years in the competitive cheerleading industry from junior high through college and then coaching; while Jennifer was a competitive gymnast for 13 years and moved into cheerleading later in life. Having opened their doors in early May, the Taylor’s hope to use their experience in the industry to emphasize and teach the importance of safety, discipline, tumbling, cheerleading, hard work, dedication and loyalty within their students. Their goal is to help them become amazing athletes, but even better leaders on and off the mat.

Alpha Extreme offers a variety of classes for all ages starting with their Tiny Tots class geared towards ages 3-5 and advances based on skill level.

Competitive team evaluations will be held August 2nd and 3rd – for more information on those, any of their classes or to try a free class, visit their website

Alpha Extreme Cheer is located at:
147 Corporate Way in Pelham
(205) 725-0215
Email: alphaextremecheer@gmail.com
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Birthday Parties are a blast at Spare Time Entertainment! If you’re looking to host a party in the Trussville area, let Spare Time handle everything for you! Your party host will assist throughout your party, so you can kick back and relax… Yes (!!!) That can be a thing when hosting a kids Birthday party. Pizza, soda, game zone cards, and more are included in each epic party package.

Spare Time Trussville has options! They can help you build a birthday package any child will love! Choose from bowling, laser tag Blast, a Game Zone party, or combine them all with a Bash package! Definitely something that will suit all age groups and interests.

When booking your party online you can see all of the birthday party offerings, and customize with menu add-on’s and more!

In addition to some great party packages, Spare Time will also hook you up with some cute downloadable invitations, making it a one stop shop for all your party needs, just add kids!

Spare Time Entertainment is located at 3600 Roosevelt Blvd, Trussville | 205.655.4500

Asthma can be a scary diagnosis for a child and their parents. It’s a disease that makes it hard to breathe. This happens because airways in the lungs get swollen, smaller and filled with mucus. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 13 people have asthma. Molly Bolton is the Asthma Program Nurse Practitioner at Children’s of Alabama. She says the common symptoms of asthma include coughing, especially at night time, as well as chest pain or chest tightness, and difficulty breathing or a wheezing, whistling sound when breathing.

Asthma Symptoms:

Cough
Chest pain
Wheezing

There’s no cure for asthma, but it can be managed to prevent flare-ups. Bolton says, “Our goal is that children with asthma can run and play and do the things any other child can do.” There are multiple treatment measures that can be used in the management of asthma. These include quick relief medicines that help relieve asthma symptoms within minutes and controller medicines that manage asthma by preventing flare-ups. Controller medicine is taken every day, even when a child feels well.

Treatment of Asthma:

Quick relief medicine
Controller medicine

If you’re concerned your child might have asthma, make a note of the symptoms and any “triggers” that are causing the symptoms and share with your child’s pediatrician. Notice if flare-ups occur inside or outside, or are they exercise-induced? Bolton advises, “Talk to your pediatrician about the symptoms that are concerning to you. Try to let them know what makes the symptoms worse or better.” It may help to keep a journal initially to record these observations.

Bolton says if your child is diagnosed with asthma, a pediatrician will probably recommend seeing your child every three to six months. “Asthma is chronic, long-term and may change over time,” she says. By partnering with your child’s pediatrician and following their recommendations for management of asthma and avoiding triggers, your child should be able to stay healthy and breathe well.

ABOUT CHILDREN’S OF ALABAMA

Since 1911, Children’s of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children, offering inpatient and outpatient services throughout central Alabama. Ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama, 45 other states and six foreign countries last year, representing more than 677,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 2 million square feet, Children’s is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. More information is available at childrensal.org.

The Park at OWA is officially welcoming its newest attraction for 2019. After months of anticipation, Foley’s newest entertainment destination welcomes an interactive “dark ride” like nothing the area has seen before. “Mystic Mansion” will open to the public Friday, June 14 at 11am inside The Park at OWA. Mystic Mansion, manufactured by Sally Corporation, began its journey on March 12, 2019. In just a few short months, the Park’s most unique attraction is ready for riders!

“Mystic Mansion is truly one-of-a-kind for The Park,” said Kristin Hellmich, OWA’s Director of Marketing/PR. “We searched long and hard for what would be the next addition to our amusement park, and this particular attraction checked every box. We wanted something new, different and unheard of in this area. It is the perfect family-friendly addition to our growing Park.”

The week before opening, fans had the chance to enter a contest and become the first riders on the new attraction. In the spirit of contest, the day will kick off with the 4 winners hopping into their “Doom Buggy” and taking off! The celebration will also feature a themed cake while supplies last, glow-in-the-dark temporary tattoos for those in line, as well as commemorative lanyards to remember this exciting occasion.

Sally Corporation, the ride’s manufacturer, has developed quite the storyline for this mysterious attraction. Each four-person ride car (Doom Buggy) features interactive game-play and frightfully fun characters to “blast” with a ghost-blaster as riders compete for the highest score.

Before hopping inside the Doom Buggy, guests are greeted by Professor Phearstruck in the queue line, where he will explain the history of Mystic Mansion, its curse and who haunts it now. Pay close attention because there are 15 different scenes in which the Mansion’s ghost could appear! Riders will heed the warning of the Professor, then hop in a Doom Buggy at their own risk to weave their way around this haunting yet family-friendly attraction, complete with neon colors, black lights, and a spooky storyline featuring the main ghost: Boocifer.

The Park at OWA opens at 11am on Friday, June 14. All festivities and commemorative souvenirs will be available while supplies last. For more information on Opening Day, the attraction, or The Park at OWA, go to VisitOWA.com.