MY FATHER'S DRAGON Soars to Detroit Next Month at Music Hall

Straight from its premiere performance in Philadelphia, My Father's Dragon comes to Music Hall part of our 2017-18 LEAR FAMILY THEATRE SERIES on Thursday, October 12th at 11:00 AM bringing to life in vibrant color Ruth Stiles Gannett's beloved stories about talking animals, flying dragons and the loveable, clever boy named Elmer Elevator who courageously rescues a captive baby dragon. My Father's Dragon features over 30 puppets that seem to have popped right off the pages of Ruth Chrisman Gannett's beautiful book illustrations.

Based on Ruth Stiles Gannett's award-winning and best-selling Dragon trilogy, Enchantment's My Father's Dragon features talking animals, flying dragons and buried treasure! Elmer sets off on a daring adventure to rescue a baby dragon being held captive by the ferocious animals of Wild Island. With pluck and ingenuity Elmer makes his way to the island, outwits the wild animals and saves Boris, the dragon. But can they find their way back home? Using life-size puppets, expressive masks, magical scenic effects and original music, Enchantment brings to life this remarkable tale that reminds us all that we are never too young to make a difference.

Furthermore, [Theatre], Enchantment and Purdue Convocations are leading a national research study examining the impact of a live performance on a student's literacy skills. This is an important opportunity to gather significant data related to the live performing arts and literacy learning, based on My Father's Dragon. Although research suggests involvement in the arts has positive academic impacts, few studies with experimental designs are exploring the impact of live performances on literacy initiatives. This study seeks to broaden the understanding of the ability of arts integration in supporting literacy in early readers, broaden the types of tools used to assess educational outcomes, and understand the role cultural institutions play in producing educational outcomes. This national study will include nearly 20 communities and an estimated 10,000 children across the country. More information: http://enchantmenttheatre.org/education/purdue-research/.

My Father's Dragon - Honors, Inclusions and Accolades

· Newbery Honor Book

· ALA Notable Book

· 100 Best Children's Books of All Time

· NY Public Library 100 Great Children's Book List

· NEA Teachers' List: Top 100 Books for Children

· Common Core Standards Exemplar Text

· Common Core Standards Recommended Reading List

About Enchantment Theatre Company

For nearly 40 years, Enchantment Theatre Company has been inspiring children to DREAM, EXPLORE, THINK and CONNECT by transforming extraordinary literature into extraordinary theatre. The company breathes life into stories by creating evocative rather than realistic interpretations of stories, using dance/movement/pantomime as the main tools for communication interlaced with stunning masks, puppetry, magic and music. Enchantment blends these traditional art forms with the goal of putting children's imaginations at the center of the storytelling process. A colorful, awesome world explodes off the page like a 3-D popup book: a character is played by a puppet; a piece of blue silk becomes a river; shadows and projections portray an epic journey. Children actively participate in the story by "translating" in their minds what they see onstage. They become captivated co-creators of the action.

Enchantment Theatre Company was founded by Landis Smith, Jennifer Blatchley Smith and Leslie Reidel as a touring company in 1979 with a commitment to giving children a meaningful and often first ever experience of quality theatre, and a philosophy that the best of theatre for children should be judged on the same high standards as the best of adult theatre. Today, Enchantment is a leading professional theatre company for young audiences, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of imagination. Enchantment serves over 120,000 children and their families every year both on and offstage across the United States and Canada. Their work has been seen in theaters around the world and across the country ranging from sophisticated venues like the Lincoln Center and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to community centers in rural towns in North Dakota and Texas. Over 3 million children worldwide have experienced Enchantment's signature style of storytelling since 1979.

TICKETS: $15 Kids $20 Adults - may be purchased though Music Hall Box Office at 313-887-8500
Family Fun Pack- 4 tickets for $50

Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts

350 Madison

Detroit, MI 28226

(313) 887-8500

www.musichall.org

Historic Music Hall

Built in 1928 by Matilda Dodge Wilson, Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts is a cultural gem in Detroit's entertainment crown, and has been presenting 88 years of legendary artists and performances from Flo Ziegfeld and Follies and WC Fields, to Billie Holliday, Duke Ellington, MiLes Davis, DEVO, The Pretenders and Marcel Marceau to name but a few of the diverse performers who have graced our stage. It has been home to both the DSO (The famous radio broadcasts of "The Ford Hour" were performed here) and the Opera Theater as well, not to also mention that we were the first theater fit for Cinerama in Michigan.

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