Westport Country Playhouse Presents HOW I BECAME A PIRATE

Westport Country Playhouse will present the musical, "How I Became a Pirate," as part of its Family Festivities Series for two performances on Sunday, April 15, at 1 p.m., and 4 p.m. Based on the bestselling book written by Melinda Long and illustrated by David Shannon, the one-hour production is produced by Dallas Children's Theater and appropriate for ages five and up. Tickets are $20.

The rollicking musical adventure is about young Jeremy Jacob who joins Captain Braid Beard's band of comical pirates and searches for the perfect spot to bury their treasure. But Jeremy soon learns that home and family are treasures not found on any map. Songs include "A Good One to Boot," "Green Teeth," "I'm Really Just a Sensitive Guy," "Talk Like a Pirate," "Soccer by the Rules," and "Pirates Don't Arrgh."

Dallas Children's Theater, founded in 1984, is the largest professional family theater in the southwest. Recognized by Time Magazine as one of the top five children's theater companies in the U.S., it is the only one of that group to tour nationally.

On Saturday, April 7, at 2:30 p.m., one week before the Playhouse presentation of "How I Became a Pirate," The Westport Library will offer a free-of-charge "Story Explorers" program, a collaboration between the Library and Playhouse, featuring an interactive book reading of "How I Became a Pirate" and activities surrounding the book's theme led by teaching artists from Broadway Method Academy, the Playhouse's resident conservatory. The hour-long program promotes childhood literacy while also enhancing children's experiences of attending the Playhouse's Family Festivities shows. Presenting partners for "Story Explorers" are Westport Country Playhouse, The Westport Library, and Westport Young Woman's League. "Story Explorers" Corporate Sponsor is KPMG.

The Playhouse's six-show Family Festivities Series is presented on selected Sundays from December through May, featuring musical productions based on classic and contemporary children's stories. The final Family Festivities musical of the 2017-2018 Season will be "Harry and the Dirty Dog," on Sunday May 6. ArtsPower's charming musical is about a dog named Harry, who hates taking baths, based on the book by Gene Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham, appropriate for grades K through 2.

In conjunction with the Family Festivities Series, the Playhouse will once again host a book collection for Read to Grow, Inc., a statewide nonprofit organization that provides free children's books to families with limited access and to community resources that serve them. At each Family Festivities performance, bins will be located in the Playhouse lobby for donations of gently used and new children's books which will be given to families and programs in the greater Fairfield County area through Read to Grow. During last season's Family Festivities series, the Playhouse collected nearly 300 books.

Family Festivities Series Corporate Sponsor is Pitney Bowes. The Family Festivities Series is also supported by the Westport Young Woman's League.

Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. For more information or tickets, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Tickets are available online 24/7 at www.westportplayhouse.org. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), or view Playhouse videos on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).

ABOUT Westport Country Playhouse
The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The not-for-profit Playhouse provides this experience in multiple ways by offering: Live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos; educational and community engagement events to further explore the work on stage; programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings to deepen relationships with audiences and artists; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; youth performance training and performance opportunities through Broadway Method Academy, WCP's resident conservatory; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round.

Photo Attached: Westport Country Playhouse presents the musical, "How I Became a Piarate," on April 15. Photo courtesy of Dallas Children's Theater

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