Pushcart Players Bring 'RED RIDING HOOD' to College of Staten Island Today
By: BroadwayWorld JR Mar. 25, 2015
"Red Riding Hood and Other Stories (Once Upon A Time)" is an enchanting collection of classic tales. 'The Princess and the Pea,' 'The Emperor's New Clothes,' 'All's Well That Ends Well,' and the title piece, 'Little Red Riding Hood' make for a fast-paced production. Infused with lively musical numbers and brimming with humor, the production offers an opportunity to discuss values, ethics and moral considerations in a relevant and accessible platform.
"These time-honored fables provide a perfect introduction to live theater for young viewers," said Ruth Fost, Pushcart's co-founder and playwright / lyricist for the production. "We've dressed the stories with a twinkle, a grin and a contemporary spin!"
The cast includes: Oscar Castillo, Stacie Gogo, Christina Gordon, JD Lynch and Phebe Taylor. Paul Whelihan directs the production. Choreography is by Susie Paplow.
Castillo co-founded The Theatre Project and performs with Peculiar Works Productions throughout Manhattan. Stacie Gogo performs off-Broadway, in national tours, and regionally, including Westchester Broadway Theatre's "Hairspray," Surflight Theatre's "Grease" and Pushcart Players' "Alice in Wonderland." Christina Gordon received her Masters in Fine Arts from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University and toured with the Pushcart Players throughout Northern and Southern California. JD Lynch is a graduate of DeSales University with a degree in theatre/communications, and has performed extensively Off Broadway and throughout the country. Phebe Taylor is a company member of the Heartland Actors' Repertory Theatre and a frequent performer at the Phoenix Theatre in Indianapolis. (Gogo and Taylor share their role, performing alternately.)
Paul Whelihan, Pushcart's artistic director, has directed, stage-managed and performed off-Broadway (47th Street Theater, 59 East 59 Theatres, NY Fringe Festival, 54 Below) and regionally (Royal Poincianna Playhouse, Broward Center for the Arts, Centenary Stage, The Growing Stage, Luna Stage Company, Forum Cultural Arts Center, Quillo Arts Center, Dreamcatcher Rep) in musicals, dramas, original works and works with locally produced television, film and web series projects.
Music is by Sandi Zimmermann. Incidental music and orchestrations are by Larry Hochman, who won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his co-orchestration of "The Book of Mormon." Hochman's orchestrations include Broadway's "Monty Python's Spamalot," "The Addams Family" and "Jane Eyre."
Since it's founding in 1974, Pushcart Players has traveled over 2 million miles nationally and abroad, from the White House to the little red schoolhouse. Nominated for an Emmy©, the organization is the recipient of numerous state and private awards for excellence and innovation. Pushcart addresses social studies, literature, history, the autism spectrum, special educational needs and values clarification. All performances by professional artists (Actors' Equity Association) are supported by study guides and other supplemental materials, and adapt to any location with innovative scenery, lighting and sound systems.
Center for Arts at the College of Staten Island is located at 2800 Victory Boulevard, Building 1P, Staten Island, NY 10314. For tickets, call 718-982-5678 or visit www.theatertrips.org.
PHOTO CREDIT: Gerry Goodstein
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