Based on the Russian story by Sergei T. Aksakov | Adapted by Julia Sontag | A hopeful Christmas fairy tale | For ages 6 and up
A small wish. A mysterious journey. A friendship that changes everything.
As he does every year, a merchant sets off for distant lands. He promises his three daughters gifts—as always. The two older daughters know exactly what they want: a magnificent dress, a sparkling necklace. As long as it’s beautiful, expensive, and flashy. But the youngest daughter, Aljona, wants something completely different. No jewels or silk. Just a flower. A fiery red flower she’s been dreaming of.
Her father finds this flower deep in the forest, near an enchanted castle where a strange queen and her servant live. But as he picks it, the unthinkable happens: the flower belongs to a monster, and suddenly the fate of the entire family hangs in the balance. To save her father, Aljona makes a courageous decision. She faces the unknown and encounters a creature and a world that needs her help.
An enchanting story about courage, compassion, the search for a way to forgive, and what constitutes “true” beauty. The fairy tale *The Scarlet Flower*, written by Sergei T. Aksakov in the 19th century, became unforgettable to many through the Russian film classic *The Scarlet Flower*.
This year’s Christmas-time family production retells the well-known “Beauty and the Beast” story in a version full of heart, magic, and poetry. It reminds us that it’s worth looking beyond the façade—because so much beauty can lie hidden in what appears to be ugly and unknown.
