Children's Theatre Festival Family Fun Days

12th Annual National Children's Theatre Festival Family Fun Days at Actors' Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre

Actors' Playhouse 12th Annual National Children's Theatre Festival Family Fun Days is back at the Miracle Theatre from April 26th – April 29th. The weekend features cultural events and hands on activities geared toward children and their families. The festival will kick off with student performances and a Q&A with the authors, cast, and director at the Miracle Theatre April 26th and 27th at 10am. On Thursday evening, April 26th, the authors and director, Earl Maulding, will meet and greet families at the Coral Gables Library located at 3443 Segovia Street to learn about writing and creating a new children's musical based on a novel. The show's actors will perform scenes from the new musical Understood Betsy.

The festival will showcase Understood Betsy, the winner of Actors' Playhouse's national call to competition for new children's works. Performed by Actors' Playhouse professional actors, Understood Betsy will also be presented as one of the five musical theatre season offerings through May 26, 2007. Authors Stacey Luftig and Mary Feinsinger will be on hand during the festival weekend to meet and greet theatre patrons and answer questions about the new musical, following the performances. The festival weekend will also feature the musical Seussical Jr. performed by Actors' Playhouse famed performing youth troupe, the Musical Miracles.
 
On Saturday April 28th the festival will begin with a complimentary character pancake breakfast courtesy of Bird Road IHOP at 10am. The events for the rest of the day include story time with Books and Books, a magic show, interactive arts and crafts, face painting, balloon art, acting and makeup theatre workshops, as well as special appearances by OBIE, Sebastian the Ibis, the Jr. Orange Bowl Royal Court, the characters Madeline and Miss Clavel from Madeline's Christmas, and from Charlotte's Web: Charlotte, Templeton, and Wilbur. In addition to the performance of Understood Betsy and Seussical Jr. will be the Musical Miracles performing Rock Musicals Through the Ages, the musical sensation group the GEMZ, and HIP HOP KIDZ.
 
Sunday, the festival opens with a courtesy IHOP pancake character brunch, story time and face painting at 1pm followed by the Musical Miracles performing Rock Musicals Through the Ages, Understood Betsy, and Seussical Jr.
 
All activities and performances during each day of the festival are included with the purchase of an Understood Betsy ticket for $15.

Understood Betsy is the story of a timid, overprotected young girl who is thrust on a difficult journey that challenges her to learn to think and act for herself. This marvelous, musical journey is a classic account of a young girl learning to embrace independence and responsibility and is a warm story that will touch the hearts of children and adults. Understood Betsy will be performed on the festival weekend Saturday April 28th at 11am and Sunday April 29th at 2pm. It will continue to run through May 26th on Saturdays at 2pm and weekdays at 10am for pre-arranged cultural field trips.
 
Based on the classic novel by Dorothy Canfield Fisher, this musical version of Understood Betsy is written by Stacey Luftig, a playwright, lyricist, and librettist whose work was featured in That's Life, a revue nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for best Off-Broadway musical.  Music is by Mary Feinsinger, a composer, arranger, music director, lyricist, vocal coach, and performer. Her accomplishments include composing the score for the feature film The Apology, as well as producing, arranging, and music directing several CD's.  Robert Elhai, a Tony and Drama Desk nominee for his orchestrations and arrangements for the Broadway production of The Lion King, added to the music.
 
Performed by the Musical Miracles, a performance group of young artists who represent Actors' Playhouse throughout South Florida, Seussical Jr., a revised version of the Broadway musical, will also be featured at the festival. Authors Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Once On This Island, and Ragtime) have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie and all of the Whos of Whoville!  These classic, colorful tales are seamlessly brought together by Jojo, a young boy and "thinker of strange and wonderful thinks"! As each story unfolds you will marvel at how relevant and profound Seuss's subtle themes are, making this musical one that appeals to all ages. Seussical Jr. will be performed on Saturday April 28th at 2pm and Sunday April 29th at 4pm. Additional performances will be May 5th at 7 pm and May 6th at 3:30 pm.  
 
All tickets are available through the box office at 305-444-9293 or on line at <http://www.actorsplayhouse.org> .
 
Actors' Playhouse is Florida's premiere Musical Theatre for Young Audiences awarded "Best In Miami" by South Florida Parenting Magazine readers with the KIDS CROWN AWARD. Over 50,000 children attend children's performance each year for its annual five-show season. The final show of the season is The Fabulous Fable Factory, which will be presented June 19 – July 28, 2007.

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