FROZEN Writer Robert Lopez's Reimagined '1001 NIGHTS' to Kick Off Atlantic for Kids 2016-17 Season

Atlantic for Kids' 2016-2017 Season will open Saturday, September 17 with the family musical 1001 Nights: A Love Story AbouT Loving Stories, an adaptation of the "Arabian Nights" fairy tales featuring music and lyrics by Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony Award winner Robert Lopez, a book by Adam Koplan and Robert Lopez, and direction by Koplan.

1001 Nights features an ensemble cast of young actors, many of whom are Atlantic Acting School alumni, including PJ Adzima (Ensemble/King), Caitlin Donohue (Ensemble/Sherry), Lydia Granered (Ensemble/Head Genie), Jamee Hanson (Ensemble/Queen), Donovan Mendelovitz (Ensemble/Orange), Derek Christopher Murphy (Ensemble/Blue), Vanessa Pereda-Felix (Ensemble/Yellow), and Ben Schrager (Ensemble/Vizier).

The newly reimagined production of 1001 Nights features early songs by Oscar, Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award winner Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, and Disney's Frozen). In this celebration of brainy imagination over brawn, a princess uses her wits to save a kingdom from an evil decree as she spins tale after tale for a narrow-minded king. This playful adaptation of the "Arabian Nights" fairy tales is recommended for ages five and up, but welcomes children of all ages.

Robert Lopez wrote the music for 1001 Nights when he was 23. It was his first show after college which debuted at the NYC Fringe Festival in 1998. He has written a brand new song exclusively for this Atlantic For Kids production.

The 1001 Nights creative team features musical direction by Madeline Smith, choreography by MK Lawson, puppet direction by Matt Acheson, scenic design by James Aitken, costume design by Erik Teague, lighting design by Steve O'Shea, sound design by Jeanne Wu, orchestration by Rick Modlin and production stage management by Ben Shipley.

1001 Nights performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30am, beginning September 17 through October 16 at Atlantic Theater Company's The Linda Gross Theater (336 West 20 Street between 8 and 9 Avenues).

1001 Nights was originally produced by The Flying Carpet Theater and The Center for Puppetry Arts, Atlanta, Georgia.

Robert Lopez (Book, Music and Lyrics) is the co-songwriter for Disney's Frozen, earning him an Oscar and a Grammy for the movie's signature song "Let It Go," and a Grammy for the Frozen soundtrack. Lopez is also the co-creator of the smash hit Broadway musicals Avenue Q and Book of Mormon. Lopez's Emmy nominated song "Moving Pictures," sung by Neil Patrick Harris and co-written with Kristen Anderson-Lopez, opened the 2015 Academy Awards. His original musical Up Here, created with Anderson-Lopez and directed by Alex Timbers, was featured in the La Jolla Playhouse's 2015-16 season. Lopez shared two Emmy Award wins for his music for Nickelodeon's "The Wonder Pets" and an Emmy nomination for his work on the musical episode of "Scrubs." His work has also been featured on television shows including "South Park," "The Simpsons" and "Phineas and Ferb." He has won Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle, Drama League, Lucille Lortel, Frederick Loewe and Edward Kleban awards. Lopez is one of only twelve artists to win all four major entertainment industry awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards). Currently Lopez is working on adapting Frozen for the stage. A graduate of Yale, Lopez now resides in Brooklyn with his wife and two daughters.

Adam Koplan (Book, Director) is a New York writer/director and the founding artistic director of The Flying Carpet Theatre Company. Under Adam's leadership, The Flying Carpet Theatre has premiered multiple productions and toured to twelve states and five countries. Their current show, Alpin Hong: Chasing Chopin is on tour, having already played in 8 states to over 4000 people including a local run here in New York at Lincoln Center. His 1001 Nights, co-written with Robert Lopez, premiered at The Center for Puppetry Arts and won multiple Suzi awards for excellence in the Atlanta Theatre. The Mystery of Chung Ling Soo, toured Edinburgh, Dublin, Clonmel and Atlanta. In addition to his work with Flying Carpet, Adam ran the performance programs at The Dreamyard Project for 7 years, training and overseeing a dozen teaching artists in residencies in New York City public schools. Training: M.F.A. in directing from the University of Washington, B.A. from Swarthmore College. Upcoming: A puppet musical filled with illusion magic co-created with Robert Lopez and Geoff Sobelle called The Dancing Handkerchief at Atlanta's Theatrical Outfit.

Single tickets to 1001 Nights: A Love Story AbouT Loving Stories start at $15 for Kids (ages 10 and under) and $20 for Adults. Group tickets are also available. $10 and $15 tickets are available for all Atlantic A-Preferred Passport holders. To purchase, please visit atlantictheater.org or call Ovation Tix at (866) 811-4111. To learn more about Atlantic's A-Passport program, visit atlantictheater.org/passport.

Atlantic for Kids has presented fun, quality children's theater for more than 15 years. In addition to its weekend performances for families, Atlantic for Kids has welcomed thousands of NYC public school children to see weekday performances. These performances include talkbacks with cast members and discussions about the themes of the play.

Atlantic Acting School features the only actor-training program in the world offering in-depth training in David Mamet and William H. Macy's acting technique Practical Aesthetics. Visit www.atlanticactingschool.org for more information.