The Coterie Theatre to Stage PETE THE CAT

This spring, The Coterie returns to indoor performances with the charming family musical, Pete the Cat, based on the best-selling book series by Kimberly and James Dean. Transforming the fabulous blue feline from the book to the stage, Pete the Cat brings the ever-adventurous but always mellow, Pete, to life on stage with toe-tapping, pop-inspired tunes featuring book & lyrics by Sarah Hammond and music by Will Aronson. Directed by Heidi Van with musical direction by Anthony T. Edwards and choreography by Marc Wayne, Pete the Cat will be performed live on The Coterie's mainstage located in Crown Center, April 1-May 22, 2022.

ABOUT THE MUSICAL
With its Beach Boys vibe and '60s feel, Pete the Cat will have everyone in the family strumming and strutting when the grooviest, guitar-slinging cat in town meets the Biddles family and rocks their world. Pete, who normally lives in his VW bus, has been sent to the Biddle's to learn some manners, much to the annoyance of Jimmy, the world's most organized grade schooler. But it doesn't take long before Pete turns his house arrest into a crusade to help Jimmy pass second grade and take him on the inspirational road trip of a lifetime."

The musical Pete the Cat is based on the beloved series of books by Kimberly and James Dean that has monopolized story time for families since first published in 2008. Since then, the stories of lovable Pete have regularly been featured on The New York Times Children's Picture Book bestseller list and have been adapted into a hit, animated series by Amazon Prime. Thanks to Pete's amiable personality and uncanny ability to always find the silver lining in any cloud, the Pete the Cat books have sold millions of copies worldwide. The Pete the Cat stage musical, created by TheatreworksUSA, toured the United States in 2016 and ran Off-Broadway at The Lucille Lortel Theatere in New York in 2017. During its Off-Broadway run, The New York Times called Pete the Cat, "...a high-energy, irrepressibly cheerful whirl... 'Believe in yourself' is a common message in family theater, but this cat and his magic VW bus make delightfully unorthodox vehicles for it. The show also gets plenty of punch from Will Aronson's pop-rock score..."

The Coterie's production of Pete the Cat will run approximately 55 minutes with no intermission and will be best appreciated by families with ages three and older. This is a masked event with all-vaccinated performers. Masks are to be worn by all audience members, regardless of age. The Coterie is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts, Missouri Arts Council, ArtsKC Fund, and Theater League.

Pete the Cat is directed by Heidi Van with musical direction by Anthony T. Edwards and choreography by Marc Wayne. The cast features Noah Lindquist (as Pete the Cat), Lucas Lowry (as Jimmy Biddle), Amari Lewis (as Olive Biddle/Cat-catcher/Eliose/Astronaut), Bri Woods (as Mom/Grumpy Toad/Ms. Creech/The Mona Lisa), and T. Eric Morris (as Dad/Gus the Platypus/Barnaby/A Shark), with Bridget Casad and Jack Kapple as covers. The artistic and production company includes Mackenzie Goodwin Tran (production stage manager), Scott Hobart (technical director/properties/set dressing/paint charge/production assistant), Carlos Aceves (scenic designer), David Kiehl (sound designer), Jarrett Bertoncin (lighting designer), and Georgianna Londré Buchanan and Arwen White (costume designers).

The Coterie, now in its 43rd Season and named "One of the Five Best Theaters for Young Audiences in the U.S." by TIME magazine, will open Pete the Cat on April 1 and run through May 22, 2022, in The Coterie Theatre, located on level one of the Crown Center Shops in Kansas City, MO. Press Night will be held on Friday, April 1, at 7:00 p.m. The performance runs approximately 55 minutes with no intermission and will be appreciated by families with ages 3 and older. All tickets are on sale now by calling The Coterie's box office at 816.474.6552 or visiting www.thecoterie.org.

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