CENTERVILLE—Who hasn’t dreamed of drinking from the Fountain of Youth and never growing old? It might not be everything it seems. That wish could become a burden. The question is, would it be better to live forever or have a life well lived? Those are some of the things little Winnie Foster is faced with in CenterPoint Theatre's production of “Tuck Everlasting.”

The musical is an adaptation of the children’s novel of the same name, written by Natalie Babbitt about a girl who stumbles upon the Tucks, a mysterious family who never age.

Winnie longs to see the world and has the simple wish of going to the fair but her protective mother Betsy will have none of it. Having lost her husband and Winnie’s father the year before, she believes they should continue to mourn him, not be seen around town acting frivolous.

It’s too much for Winnie so she opens the gate and sneaks out into the woods. There, she bumps into Jesse Tuck who is full of life and fun. When he takes a sip of water from a hidden spring, Winnie asks about it and wants to taste it herself. He objects but won’t tell her why. 

Jesse’s brother finds them in the woods and takes Winnie to the Tuck home where everyone is acting strangely. As she pushes for answers, they seem to be torn over whether or not to let her in on their secret – they can never age or be injured.

In the meantime, her mother is sick with worry. She calls Constable Joe and his sidekick Hugo to help find the missing girl. As they search for clues, the fair ensemble marches through town led by the Man in the Yellow Suit who has been hoping to find the spring hidden deep in the woods with the thought of cashing in on it.

He finds the family and Winnie then tricks her mother into signing over the deed to the forest in order to get her back. 

The Tucks make plans to leave before their secret gets out but Winnie must make the decision whether to drink from the stream and live forever or return home to her normal life.

Hailey Burnham (TTHS) is wonderful as the spunky Winnie. Her singing is amazing and she anchors the show as the main character seeking adventure. Luke Atkinson (TTHS) plays Jesse Tuck, a sweet 17-year-old who is happy to have a friend and someone to look out for.

Constable Joe (Josh Curtis, TTHS) tells his sidekick Hugo (Mack Boyer, TTHS) stories of solving crimes. Photo courtesy of CenterPoint Theatre  

 Constable Joe (Josh Curtis, TTHS) and Hugo (Mack Boyer) add a comedic element to the show as they search for Winnie. Thad Weiland (TTHS) as the Man in the Yellow Suit is villainous as he tries to force the Tucks into giving up their secret so he can become rich.

With beautiful scenery and backed by a talented cast, “Tuck Everlasting” is a delightful musical that the whole family will enjoy.

The performance is on the Main Stage and runs through June 17, Monday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with Saturday matinees. Ticket prices range from $24 – $41 and are available online at  https://centerpointtheatre.org/ or at the box office, 801-298-1302. CenterPoint is located at 525 N. 400 West, Centerville.