Yvette Nicole Brown, Rachel Dratch, and More to Star in DON'T LET THE PIGEON DO STORYTIME!

Greg Silverman's Stampede today announced the cast of their upcoming premium family comedy special "DON'T LET THE PIGEON DO STORYTIME!" with an all-star line-up of comedic and creative talent bringing bestselling author Mo Willems' original vision to life.

Joining Mo Willems onstage will be actor/ comedians Anthony Anderson ("Black-ish"), Yvette Nicole Brown ("Community"), Rachel Dratch ("Saturday Night Live"), Cameron Esposito ("Take My Wife"), Tony Hale ("Veep"), Greta Lee ("Russian Doll"), Tom Lennon ("The Odd Couple"), Natalie Morales ("Abby's"), Oscar Nunez ("The Office"), puppeteer Joey Mazzarino ("Sesame Street") and foley and sound effects artist Fred Newman ("A Prairie Home Companion"). This special, which marks the start of Willems' two-year residency as the the John F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts' first ever Education Artist-In-Residence, will feature the actors, comedians and celebrity guests performing live readings of Willems' work and musical numbers inspired by his world. The performances will invite audiences of all ages to laugh, sing, and draw along.

The special, which is being overseen by Stampede's Jay Judah and produced by Danny Harris, is an expanded version of the sold-out performances of Willems' work at the annual San Francisco Sketchfest and will be filmed July 13th at the Kennedy Center for future broadcast by director Bobcat Goldthwait ("Jimmy Kimmel Live!," "World's Greatest Dad," "Chappelle's Show"). Willems is the author and illustrator of over 60 books for children, with millions of copies in print worldwide.

This special was cast by Presser/Well Casting.

Said Willems, "This cast is an outstanding array of hilarious performers, a mix of pals from my early comedy days, from Sesame Street, previous iterations of this show at the San Francisco Sketchfest, and new friends. I can't wait to get on stage with them, share some laughs, and inspire grown-ups reading to their kids to up their game."

Mo Willems' work in children's books, animation, television, and theater has garnered him three Caldecott Honors, two Theodor Seuss Geisel Medals and five Geisel Honors, six Emmy Awards, numerous #1 New York Times best sellers, and millions of fans the world over.

Known for his beloved characters Knuffle Bunny, The Pigeon, and Elephant and Piggie, Mo also has an extensive background in television as a writer and animator for PBS's Sesame Street, head writer of Cartoon Network's Codename: Kids Next Door, and creator of Cartoon Network's Sheep in the Big City and Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats. Willems' theatrical experience includes writing four musical productions based on his books that are performed regularly in the United States and internationally.

Mo was named the inaugural Education Artist in Residence at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, in 2019. He has had solo exhibitions of his work at the High Museum of Atlanta, the New-York Historical Society, and other museums throughout North America and South Korea. Mo's papers and early work reside at the Beinecke Library at Yale University.

For more information about this special and other Mo Willems' engagements at the Kennedy Center, visit www.kennedy-center.org/mowillems.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski

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