By Town Crier Staff Report

Peninsula Youth Theater celebrates the 50th anniversary of “Charlotte’s Web” with a musical version of E.B. White’s beloved story about the special friendship between a clever spider and a friendly pig.

The production opens Friday and runs through July 19 at Cubberley Community Center Theater, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto.

The cast features several residents of Los Altos and Mountain View.

The idea for “Charlotte’s Web” originated on the author’s farm, where, feeling sorry for a pig, he observed a big spider and was impressed with her clever weaving. He used these observations to tell the story of how Wilbur the pig was saved by a girl, Fern, and by a spider, Charlotte.

Performances are scheduled for 1 and 7:30 p.m., Friday and July 19; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; 4 p.m., Sunday; and 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18.

Tickets are $13-$15 weekends and evenings and $6 Friday matinees.

For tickets and more information, call 988-8798 or logon to www.pytnet.org.