Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts Presents THE VELVETEEN RABBIT, 11/11

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College (BCBC) opens its 2012-2013 Target Storybook Series with Enchantment Theatre Company's production of The Velveteen Rabbit on Sunday, November 11, 2012 at 2pm. All tickets are $7 and can be purchased by phone at 718-951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm), or online at www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org.

"When a child loves you for a long, long time...then you become Real." So says the Horse to the Velveteen Rabbit in Margery Williams' famous and much-loved literary classic. A stuffed toy rabbit, given as a gift to a young boy, yearns for the day the boy will choose him as his special playmate, so that he can become real. Through love, devotion and a little bit of magic, he not only becomes a truly beloved toy, but is miraculously transformed into a real woodland rabbit. This innovative production combines the theatrical magic and signature style of Enchantment Theatre Company with an original musical score by Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award-winning composer/arranger Don Sebesky, lyrics by Gloria Nissenson, and a book by Leslie Reidel, Jennifer Blatchley Smith, and Landis Smith adapted from Margery Williams classic children's novel. Incorporating extraordinary puppets, masks and magic, Enchantment Theatre Company brings to life this charming tale of love and devotion, creating an unforgettable theatrical experience for the whole family.

The centerpiece of BCBC's 2012-2013 family programming, the new Target Storybook Series features performances based on classic and contemporary children's literature. In addition to The Velveteen Rabbit, this series includes How I Became a Pirate (January 6, 2013 at 2pm), The Little Prince (January 27, 2013 at 2pm), and American Family Theater's Sleeping Beauty (March 10, 2013 at 2pm). The Target Storybook Series aims to encourage the development of strong reading skills at home in children ages four to eight. Each show's Parents' Guide, containing literacy-based activity sheets, reading tips, and discussion topics, gives parents the opportunity to engage their children both before and after seeing each show. Parents' Guides are available for download at www.BrooklynCenterOnline.org/Target_Storybook.asp. All seats for BCBC's 2012-2013 Target Storybook Series are $7.

"We are thrilled to partner with Target to introduce Brooklyn's young audiences to these exciting live adaptations of children's books," said Rick Berubé, Interim Managing Director of BCBC. "Our aim with this new series is to not only entertain and create strong family memories, but also to assist more children in reaching a strong level of reading proficiency by the end of the third grade."

In addition to the Target Storybook Series, BCBC will present other family-friendly shows including the holiday favorite The Colonial Nutcracker, Tales of Anansi, and a sing-along screening of the Julie Andrews classic film The Sound of Music. Tickets to other family programs range from free to $30, with a 50% discount available to children 12 and under for select performances.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts' 2012-2013 Target Storybook Series is sponsored by Target.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College
2/5 trains to Brooklyn College/Flatbush Avenue

Online orders: BrooklynCenterOnline.org
Box Office: (718) 951-4500 (Tues-Sat, 1pm-6pm)
Groups of 15 or more: (718) 951-4600, ext. 3326

About Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts
Founded in 1954, the mission of Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts is to present outstanding performing arts and arts education programs, reflective of Brooklyn's diverse communities, at affordable prices. Brooklyn Center's presentations explore both the classical traditions and the boldest contemporary performances, embracing the world culture that defines Brooklyn. Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts welcomes over 70,000 people to the 2,400-seat Walt Whitman Theatre each season, and boasts one of the largest arts education programs in the borough, serving 46,000 schoolchildren from over 300 schools annually with its SchoolTime series. In recognition of its commitment to quality family programming, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts has been voted Brooklyn's Best Theater or Theater Group for Kids as part of Nickelodeon's 2009 Parents Connect Parents' Picks Awards. This award follows Brooklyn Center's selection as Brooklyn's Best Place for Family Bonding in 2008.

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