CAT KID COMIC CLUB: THE MUSICAL and EL OTRO OZ to Play Kirk Douglas Theatre

Center Theatre Group will present two TheaterWorksUSA's productions at the Kirk Douglas Theatre – Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical from November 22, 2024 to January 5, 2025 and the return of El Otro Oz, a bilingual musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz from March 29 to April 13, 2025. Cat Kid and El Otro Oz were each awarded Critic's Pick by The New York Times reviewers. Tickets and information are available at CenterTheatreGroup.org. Both shows are recommended for everyone ages 6 and up.

These productions are part of CTG: FWD which began with theatrical special events, community gatherings, and legacy projects and now expands to include an eclectic offering of plays and musicals at Center Theatre Group venues. Last season CTG: FWD also presented TheatreworksUSA's productions of Dog Man: The Musical and El Otro Oz to completely sold out houses at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.

Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical is a hilarious musical adaptation of Dav Pilkey's Dog Man spin-off series, Cat Kid Comic Club, written by Kevin Del Aguila and Brad Alexander—the team that created Dog Man: The Musical.

Cat Kid and Molly Pollywog have started an epic club to teach 21 rambunctious baby frogs how to make their own comics! Their fishy father Flippy is overjoyed that his kids will learn to unleash their creativity, but when the frogs' constant bickering and outrageous imaginations send their comics comically off the rails, Flippy flips out! Will the club survive? Will the frogs ever get along? And will creativity finally save the day? All will be answered in this madcap musical.

TheaterWorksUSA's Artistic Director Barbara Pasternack said, "It's gratifying to watch young people and families respond to these two clever, funny musicals the way they respond to Dav Pilkey's remarkable books which celebrate kindness, individuality and fearless creativity."

Laurel Graeber in her New York Times review said, “This family-oriented romp, set in a swamp ‘right this minute,' features obstreperous tadpoles, a bionic butterflyfish and a sweet-natured feline hero — all characters that spring from the imagination of Dav Pilkey, the delightfully subversive author of such best-selling children's graphic-novel series as ‘Captain Underpants' and ‘Dog Man.'”

“The new production begins as the tadpoles, who have been endowed with telekinetic powers, are destroying civilization, but soon morphs into a humorous tale of redemption … ‘Cat Kid' emphasizes the value of learning about diverse points of view and encouraging creativity in young people.”

This musical adaptation of Dav Pilkey's Dog Man spin-off series, Cat Kid Comic Club, features a book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila and music by Brad Alexander; adapted from the Cat Kid Comic Club series of books by Dav Pilkey.

The direction and choreography are by Marlo Hunter. Associate direction and choreography is by Sara Andreas. Tour music direction is by Connor Doran. Set design is by Cameron Anderson, costume design is by Jen Caprio, lighting design is by David Lander, co-sound design is by Scott Stauffer and Jesse Desrosiers, puppet design/ fabrication is by AchesonWalsh Studios, and orchestrations are by Brad Alexander.

El Otro Oz is a bilingual musical by Mando Alvarado, Tommy Newman, and Jaime Lozano, which returns in a reimagined production. Click your heels together tres veces and take a transformative journey with this salsa, merengue, and Mexican folk-infused musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz. As her fifteenth birthday approaches, Dora, a contemporary Latiné teenager, struggles with her family's ideas about tradition and dreads her impending quinceañera! But, when Dora gets swept away to a strange new land, she learns how to celebrate her unique rhythm and embrace her cultural identity.

Musical Director Jaime Lozano said in El Norte, “La historia se centra en Dora (Dorothy en ‘El Mago de Oz'), una joven mexico-americana que al cumplir 15 años se siente perdida en medio de las dos culturas; rechaza sus raíces mexicanas porque sólo quiere ser estadounidense. A través del viaje que hace Dora buscará descubrir su cultura y empieza a amar realmente lo que es ella y entiende los sacrificios que hizo su madre para darle una mejor vida en Estados Unidos."

“The story focuses on Dora (Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz), a young Mexican-American girl who, upon turning 15, feels lost in the middle of two cultures; She rejects her Mexican roots because she just wants to be American. Through the journey that Dora takes she will seek to discover her culture and begins to really love what she is and understands the sacrifices that her mother made to give her a better life in the United States.”

The TheaterWorksUSA's production of El Otro Oz has book by Mando Alvarado and Tommy Newman and music and lyrics by Jaime Lozano and Tommy Newman. The orchestrations and arrangements are by Salomon Lerner and Jaime Lozano; scenic design by Frank J. Oliva; costume design by Christopher Vergara; puppet design by Jessica Scott; original choreography by Andrea Guajardo; and original direction by Elena Araoz.

TheaterWorksUSA has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. At TWUSA, we believe that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital for our youth. Since 1961, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals.

Acclaimed alumni include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Disney's Frozen), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Jerry Zaks (The Music Man), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America), and Chuck Cooper (Tony award winning actor, The Life). Visit TWUSA.org for more information.

Tickets for Cat Kid Comic Cub: The Musical and El Otro Oz are available through CenterTheatreGroup.org, Audience Services at (213) 972-4400, or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Offices (at the Ahmanson Theatre) at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012 or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (open 2 hours prior to curtain) at 9820 Washington Blvd. in Culver City 90232.

Center Theatre Group, one of the nation's preeminent arts and cultural organizations, is Los Angeles' leading not-for-profit theatre company, which, under the leadership of Artistic Director Snehal Desai, Managing Director / CEO Meghan Pressman, and Producing Director Douglas C. Baker, programs the Mark Taper Forum and the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center in Downtown Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Center Theatre Group is one of the country's leading producers of ambitious new works through commissions and world premiere productions and a leader in interactive community engagement and education programs that reach across generations, demographics, and circumstances to serve Los Angeles. Founded in 1967, Center Theatre Group has produced more than 700 productions across its three stages, including such iconic shows as Zoot Suit; Angels in America; The Kentucky Cycle; Biloxi Blues; Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; Children of a Lesser God; Curtains; The Drowsy Chaperone; 9 to 5: The Musical; and Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo. CenterTheatreGroup.org

Bank of America is Center Theatre Group's 2024/25 “One CTG” Season Sponsor. Bank of America believes in the power of the arts to help economies thrive, to educate and enrich societies, and to create greater cultural understanding. For over 20 years, the company has supported Center Theatre Group's innovative Education and Community Partnerships programs and world-class productions.  

American Express is the official credit card for Center Theatre Group. 

To post a comment, you must register and login.