Riverside Theatre Presents POLKADOTS: THE COOL KIDS MUSICAL

Riverside Theatre for Kids presents a colorful new musical, Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical on October 3-5, 2019 on the Stark Stage.

Written by Marvin Tunstall III, Douglas Lyon and Greg Borowsky, Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical follows 8-year-old Lily Polkadot who just moved to the "Squares Only" small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot in Square school, Lily faces an almost impossible task of gaining acceptance from her peers. From daily taunts and isolation, Lily's quest seems hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polkadot complexion blooms into an unexpected friendship. Inspired by events of The Little Rock Nine, Polkadots; The Cool Kids Musical serves as a colorful history lesson for children, reminding them that our individual differences make us awesome!

"I have been wanting to do this show for a long time," says Kevin Quillinan, Director of Riverside Theatre Education and Director / Music Director of this production, "and I'm glad we finally have the chance.

"It's a new show, but one with a timeless message of tolerance and hope. Using the powerful history of the Little Rock Nine as inspiration, Polkadots tells the story of a circle covered girl who is entering a new school populated only by students covered with squares. She eventually teaches the others that, although what is on the surface may be different, they are all the same deep down.

"This is such a powerful lesson, but what is wonderful about this show is that even though it contains an important message, it is all couched in bright and bubbly music, which is enormously fun from top to bottom."

Performed by Riverside Theatre's four professional Performance Apprentices, this is the perfect show to bring young audience members to help foster the love of live theatre.

"The four performers in this show are our Performance Apprentices for this season," says Quillinan. "These are early career theatre artists who are recent college graduates. In addition to being amazing actors, singers, and dancers, they are also teachers, directors, and choreographers and will participate in our student shows and classes. It can be tricky to find such multi-faceted artists each year, but we once again have a truly incredible group."

The cast includes: Samantha Young (Lily), Parker Reeves (Sky), Cassandra Brooks (Penelope), and Mac Ogle (Mama Square/Ms. Square).

Along with Director Quillinan, the creative team includes: Adam Schnell (Choreographer), Emily Luongo (Scenic Design), Anna Hillbery (Costume Design), Ashley Green (Lighting Design), Andrew Stroud (Sound Design), Anna Cable (Props Design) and Kylee Risdon (Stage Manager).

Tickets are $10 and can purchased by calling the Riverside Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at www.riversidetheatre.com.

Riverside Theatre is located at 3250 Riverside Park Drive, Vero Beach, FL 32963. Riverside Theatre programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Riverside Theatre is a member of the Cultural Council of Indian River County, the Indian River Chamber of Commerce, the Oceanside Business Association, and the Sebastian River Area Chamber of Commerce.

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