BC/EFA Presents 'Johnny & The Sprites Live' Feb.3

On Sunday February 3, 2008 Tony Award nominee John Tartaglia along with his friends the Sprites from Disney Channel's hit Playhouse Disney kids' television series "Johnny and the Sprites" will take the stage of Town Hall (123 West 43rd Street, NYC) for a very special live musical celebration for the whole family.  Johnny and the Sprites Live - A Spofulous Broadway Concert a one day only event will play one performance at 5:00 PM only, with all proceeds benefiting Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS. 

Johnny and the Sprites Live - A Spofulous Broadway Concert takes the place of Johnny and the Sprites Live - A Magical Holiday originally scheduled to be performed in December of 2007.

Join John and the Sprites for an evening of songs and stories featuring faces familiar to fans of the popular TV show.  Johnny and the Sprites Live - A Spofulous Broadway Concert will feature "sprites" (puppets) Ginger, Basil, Lily and Root who will all be on hand to sing, dance, and celebrate in a most "spofulous" way.  For those unfamiliar with the word, "Spoffle" comes from the tops of trees found in the Sprites' home, Grotto Grove.  Spoffle brings plants, flowers, and the earth to life.  "Spofulous" is a term used mostly by Ginger Sprite.  It is a sprite adjective that means pretty much the same as "Fabulous!", "Fantastic!", and "Awesome!" in human terms.  To make the event extra spofulous, after the show there will be a meet and greet where Johnny and his Sprite friends will be on hand to sign autographs, take pictures and wish his little (and big) fans a happy hello. 

Johnny and the Sprites Live - A Spofulous Broadway Concert is the first time Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS has presented a large scale event for young audiences.  Kids, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends alike will all be welcome to come in from the cold winter air and enjoy the warmth, laughter and fun with Johnny and his magical friends.    

"Johnny and the Sprites" combines the musical talent of Broadway's best with vibrant, endearing puppet characters in a whimsical setting to create a one-of-a-kind program for preschool viewers and their families. Tartaglia stars as Johnny, a singer/songwriter who moves out to the country after inheriting a family home.  He soon discovers a portal in his backyard leading to the enchanted world of the Sprites: Ginger, Basil, Lily, Root and Sage. Together, Johnny and the Sprites share valuable lessons about mutual understanding, tolerance and respect for the world around them. Each half-hour episode consists of two 11-minute stories featuring music from some of the theater world's most celebrated songwriters.

"Johnny and the Sprites" premiered in fall of 2005 as a series of five minute shorts.  It quickly became popular with fans and was expanded to a full 30 minute program in January 2007.  The series features at least two original Broadway style songs in each episode written by some of the best composers working on Broadway today including Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker (Altar Boyz), Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), Mark Hollmann (Urinetown) and Lawrence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde). 

The series also occasionally features guest stars from Broadway including the cast of Altar Boyz and Tony Award winner Sutton Foster. 

Johnny and the Sprites Live - A Spofulous Broadway Concert is directed and choreographed by Donna Drake (director of BC/EFA yearly "Nothing Like A Dame"). 

Tickets to Johnny and the Sprites Live - A Spofulous Broadway Concert are: $100 for loge seats; $65 for orchestra seats; $40 for balcony seats. Can be bought online by visiting www.broadwaycares.org. Groups of 20 or more can receive 15% off of orchestra seats by calling 212.840.0770

Playhouse Disney, seen in a daily programming block on Disney Channel U.S. and on ten Playhouse Disney channels around the world, encourages preschoolers to imagine and learn through original series, short-form and acquired programming that includes song, movement and entertainment.  Guided by an established curriculum, Playhouse Disney supports multiple areas of child development:  physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills as well as moral and ethical development through carefully constructed themes, storylines and endearing characters.

Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grants making organization.  By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States.  Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses. 

BC/EFA is the major supporter of six programs at The Actors' Fund  - including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative, 2 supportive housing residences and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic at The Aurora in NYC   - and awards grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations yearly.

For more information about BC/EFA programs and events, visit www.broadwaycares.org

Photo: John Tartaglia with The Sprites