THE FROG & THE WITCH Completes The Family Series 3/14-4/26

VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is pleased to announce the final Family Series production of its 2008/2009 season, "THE FROG AND THE WITCH" book and lyrics by Sammy Buck, music by DANIEL S. ACQUISTO (LIKE YOU LIKE IT), directed by Elizabeth Lucas (THE LAST STARFIGHTER), choreographed by Shea Sullivan and featuring JEFF BARBA, MONIQUE BEASLEY, ANGELA DIRKSEN, CAITLIN MESIANO, GEORGE SALAZAR and REBECCA STAVIS. The production runs March 14th through April 26th, Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm.

Special weekday Spring Break performances run Friday, April 10th at 12 pm and 2 pm and Thursday April 16th at 11 am. All tickets are $20. Green Art post-show Workshops on March 21st and April 15th at 2 pm. Children will use recyclable materials and art supplies ! to create fun frog sculptures. Tickets are additional $20 for participants only. The show is appropriate for ages 2 - 12. For reservations, visit www.vitaltheatre.org or call (212) 579-0528. VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is located at 2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at 76th Street, on the Upper West Side.

In THE FROG AND THE WITCH Pyx, the frog is the best singer in the village of Wishwell, until the unthinkable happens: He croaks! Determined to get his voice back, Pyx follows a plume of thick black smoke to the outskirts of town where a powerful witch brews potions. Pyx might just be able to get his voice back but only if he can get the witch to clean up her act.

Book writer and lyricist Sammy Buck has worked with composer Dan Acquisto on: Like You Like It (New Voices Prize, 2nd Runner-Up NYMF Audience Prize) & The 7-Year B*tch (Outstanding New Musical, Talkin' Broadway Summer Festival Citations). Bookwriter, Common Grounds (composer, Doug Katsaros; NYMF Outstanding New Musical honorable mention). Screenwriter, Red Hook and Fade to White (co-writer). He's also one of the Emmy-winning writers of the TV Land Digital team. sammybuck.com.

Composer DANIEL S. ACQUISTO met Sammy Buck at the BMI--Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop where they developed Like You Like It (Back Stage Critic's Pick, New Voices Prize), and The 7-Year B*tch (Talkin' Broadway's Outstanding New Musical Citation). Composer: Wild About Harry, several children's musicals at Merkin Hall, Dancing in the Dark, three short films, various concert pieces. Dramatists Guild Jonathan Larson Fellow. MM in Composition from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

Director Elizabeth Lucas credits include the New York Musical Theatre Festival premieres of WILD ABOUT HARRY, THE LAST STARFIGHTER, THE VIEW FROM HERE and CAPTAIN GRAVY'S WAVY NAVY. Her Midwest premiere of HELLO AGAIN won two After Dark Awards. Her productions of FOOTLOOSE and JEKYLL & HYDE garnered rave reviews at Trump Plaza in Atlantic City. She is making her feature film directing debut with the rock movie musical, CLEAR BLUE TUESDAY, the teen slasher flick, RED HOOK, and the Sci-fi FADE TO WHITE. Elizabeth has also made three shorts, including the multi-award-winning ISABELLA RICO, which appeared in 33 festivals worldwide and won Best Director and Special Achievement awards. She is one of the founders of the New York Music Theatre Festival, the Door County Opera and the Chicago Directors' Forum.

Choreographer Shea Sullivan'S credits include: Pageant; The Musical, Gypsy of the Year (Spamalot Company), the feature film "The Big Gay Musical", The Road To Ruin (NYMF '08), Wild About Harry (NYMF'08), Broadway Bares 18 (Roseland Ballroom), DanceBreak
08' (New World Stages), Bernice Bobs Her Mullet (NYMF ‘07), I Got Love (Laurie Beechman), Dancing on a Dream (Duke on 42ndStreet Theater), Get Lifted featuring John Legend and the NY Knicks Dancers (Hammerstein Ballroom), Pali Poker III featuring members of the Radio City Rockettes (Capitale). TV: Tap Mania (WB 11), Real Simple Life (PBS), The Peep Show (Pilot). Proud member of SSDC and the Tap & Theater Dance faculty at the Broadway Dance Center, NYC. Shea is the President of, SAS Productions, Inc.

The production team includes music direction by JAD BERNARDO, sets by Adam Koch, lighting by CHRISTINA WATANABE, costumes by CHERIE CUNNINGHAM. KRISTIN ORLANDO is the Stage Manager.

VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is the winner of two Awards for Excellence for its Family Programming by the Off-Off Broadway Review and has received high acclaim from audiences and critics alike for being a "wonderful place for parents to introduce their kids to the glories of live theatre, done well and at modest prices." Now in its tenth year, the company is dedicated to producing entertaining and educational theatre for young audiences.