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Reservations for Laurel Mill Playhouse's annual family play started pouring in before the casting was complete.

That's just one indication of the buzz surrounding "Charlotte's Web," the stage adaptation of the classic children's book, which opens Friday.

The play has conjured memories of childhood bedtime stories in almost everyone taking part in the production, said Maureen Rogers, the theater company's public liaison, who plays Mrs. Homer Zuckerman. Rogers said that sweet nostalgia has helped the theater company amass a cast of talented performers thrilled to take part in the production.

"We had no trouble casting parts for this one," Rogers said. "Everyone just has such fond memories about the story. It's such a classic."

E.B. White's classic book and the play adapted from it tell the story of Charlotte, a well-spoken spider who saves a young pig named Wilbur from slaughter by writing messages in her Web. It also features the Zuckerman family and a barn full of talking animals, played by cast members ranging from a 4-year-old baby spider to a 70-year-old pig.

The Children's Literature Association has dubbed the book "the best American children's book of the past two hundred years," and Rogers said there's good reason for the praise.

"It's just such a sweet story," Rogers said. "It's got funny moments and poignant moments, and everyone loves the animals. It's a great family show."

"Charlotte's Web" is Laurel Mill Playhouse's annual "family play," and that sentiment is reflected in the production. Previous shows have been "Anne of Green Gables," "Little Women," and "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever." The co-directors are husband and wife Stu and Patti Knazik, and Rogers runs her lines with her daughter, Julie Rogers, 14, who will play Wilbur. Jeanette Brown, 16, plays Charlotte.

Stu Knazik said the intimate setup at Laurel Mill Playhouse, which seats about 50 people, only adds to that familial feeling.

"The neatest thing about Laurel Mill Playhouse is that every seat feels like being in the front row," Knazik said. "When you take a show like ‘Charlotte's Web,' which is about friendship, relationships and growing up, you make it even more personal with that setting."

Knazik said the cast's enthusiasm infuses every aspect of the production, and said audience members will undoubtedly sense it on opening night.

"Rehearsals are just a delight," Knazik said. "You have both kids and adults playing farm animals, and they're just having a blast. Everyone's having such a good time with this play."

IF YOU GO

Charlotte's Web

-When: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through Nov. 22. No show on Halloween.

-Where: Laurel Mill Playhouse, 508 Main St., Laurel

-Tickets: $13, $10 for seniors and children younger than 18

-Box office: 301-617-9906, www.laurelmillplayhouse.org