Mary Henkel Judson is editor and copublisher of the South Jetty. Contact her at southjetty@centurytel.net, (361) 749-5131 or P.O. Box 1117, Port Aransas. TX 78373. Delightful.

That one word sums up Friday night’s performance of “Alice in Wonderland” by the Express Children’s Theater of Houston.

What a joy to see the kids in the audience (ranging in age from an average of 4 to 13 or 14 and some older “kids” -- present company included) respond to the music, the humor and the performers.

Kudos to the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce Tourist Bureau for applying for, and winning, grants from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts to bring the production to the Port Aransas Community Theater.

“Alice” is the first of two productions by the Express Children’s Theater to be presented here. The second will be “Rudolph,” scheduled for a one-night only performance on Dec. 4.

It’s a good bet that everyone who saw “Alice,” which played to a full house, will be in line for tickets to see “Rudolph,” so the competition for tickets is going to be stiff. My advice is to buy your tickets the minute they go on sale.

According to its Web site, Express Children’s Theater is “Houston’s oldest and largest performing and arts education organization dedicated specifically to children and families.”

This is its 19th season “of creating and presenting professional, culturally diverse performing arts designed to entertain and educate,” according to the Web site.

Express Children’s Theatre was founded in 1991 by Y.A. Bagersh, a young Ethiopian actor and director. Its first production reached about 3,700 children. In the next season, five plays increased bookings by more than 400 percent, reaching more than 13,500 children. Last season, Express presented 268 performances seen by about 70,000 children.

Port Aransas is fortunate to be able to offer such a high quality performance that is not only entertaining, but inspiring.

Such performances make good use of the beautiful new PACT playhouse when the “house is dark,” that, is, when local productions are not using the facility.

And speaking of PACT, we will have another opportunity to support our community theater on Saturday at the annual Fall Back Festival.

Delightful also describes this annual event, set in the “la playa” area of Pelican’s Landing. Celebrating the end of Daylight Saving Time (thus the name), the event is a wine/beer and food tasting, and also features the Ain’t Nothin’ But the Blues concert.

While eating, sipping and dancing, check out the scenery – it’s a hoot since a costume contest is also part of the fun that doubles this year since the festival falls on Halloween.

So mark your calendars for Saturday, Oct. 31, for the Fall Back Festival, and Friday, Dec. 4, for the Express Children’s Theater production of “Rudolph.”

Prepare to be delighted.