D'Abruzzo & More Set for Free Theatreworks' Kids' Revue

TheatreworksUSA, the leading not-for-profit professional theatre for family audiences, will launch its 45th anniversary season with the one-hour musical revue If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books, presented as Theatreworks' annual Free Summer Theatre Program for New York City youth.

Preview performances of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books begin on Sunday, July 16, 2006 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street, NYC) and continues through Friday, August 18. Opening night is Thursday, July 20 at 6:30 p.m.

The show is a one-hour musical revue comprised of eight vignettes, based on popular children's books. Featured stories include:

* "Amazing Grace" by Mary Hoffman, adapted by Kirsten Childs (Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, Miracle Brothers)

* "Borreguita and the Coyote" by Verna Aardema, adapted by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Tony Award-winning songwriters of Avenue Q)

* "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Joffe Numeroff, adapted by Jeremy Desmon and Patrick Dwyer

* "Imogene's Antlers" by David Small, adapted by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx

* "Martha Speaks" by Susan Meddaugh, adapted by Arthur Perlman and Jeffrey Lunden (Wings)

* "Master Man" by Aaron Shepard, adapted by Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner (Bomb-itty of Errors) and James-Allen Ford

* "Math Curse" by Jon Scieszka, adapted by Mindi Dickstein (Little Women) and Daniel Messé

* "Owen" by Kevin Henkes, adapted by Faye Greenberg and David Evans

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books stars Farah Alvin, David A. Austin, Nick Blaemire, Tony Award-nominee Stephanie D'Abruzzo, Aurelia Williams and Carla Woods. The understudies are Dominique Elise Porter and Courter Simmons.

Directed and choreographed by Kevin Del Aguila (book writer of Altar Boyz), the show features scenic design by Rob Odoriso with additional elements by Vaughn Patterson, costume design by Martha Bromelmeier, lighting design by Tom Sturge, sound design by Eric Shim, music direction by Jana Zielonka, and orchestrations by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, with additional orchestrations by Dave Hab and James-Allen Ford.

Launched in 1988, the mission of Theatreworks/USA's Free Summer Theatre Program is to provide New York City youth with their own free theatre tradition that not only entertains, but also educates and fosters positive values and an appreciation for theatre. 13,000 FREE tickets will be distributed to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books.

Tickets for the show are Free and available on a first come, first served basis in-person at the Lucille Lortel Theatre Box Office (121 Christopher Street at Bedford) on the day of the performance, one hour prior to curtain time. Individual reservations cannot be made in advance.

The performance schedule is as follows:

Preview Performances – July 16-20:
* Sunday, July 16 at 2:00 p.m.
* Monday, July 17 at 10:30 a.m.
* Tuesday, July 18 at 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
* Wednesday, July 19 at 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
* Thursday, July 20 at 1:00 p.m.

Opening Night:
* Thursday, July 20 at 6:30 p.m.

Regular Performances – July 21 - August 18:
*Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
* Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m.
* Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
* Thursdays at 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.
* Fridaysat 1:00 p.m.

Summer camps, youth programs and social service organizations can make reservations for groups of ten (10) or more by calling 212-627-7373. Each day, a limited number of free tickets will be made available to individuals at the theatre on a first-come, first-served basis. Distribution will begin one hour prior to each performance, with a limit of four (4) tickets per person.

Because TheatreworksUSA accepts reservations from many summer camps, public distribution tickets are extremely limited for the weekday daytime performances. Availability is usually better for evening and weekend performances. Once all public tickets are distributed, any remaining patrons will be admitted at curtain time on a space-available basis.

"Now in its 45th anniversary season, TheatreworksUSA, America's foremost not-for-profit professional theatre for family audiences, is the most prolific continuing producer of professional theater in the country. During the 2005-06 season, it produced 28 different productions of 15 original plays and musicals with full Equity casts, both in New York City and on tour, reaching an audience of over 4 million in 49 states. Since its founding in 1961, TheatreworksUSA's productions have been seen by audiences of nearly 100 million. TheatreworksUSA has become America's largest and most prominent not-for-profit professional theatre for young audiences. and has received myriad honors, including the 1996 Drama Desk Award, the 1996 Lucille Lortel Award, the 1998 Dawson Award for Programmatic Excellence, and the Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Award," state press notes.

Absolutely no babies in arms or children in strollers will be admitted. For more information, call 212-642-9033 or visit www.twusa.org.