Stages Theatre Company Announces MATILDA, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, And More For 40th Anniversary Season
There is much to celebrate this season, the audience, the community, and the history are all reasons for celebration.
By: A.A. Cristi Mar. 22, 2023
Stages Theatre Company has announced their 2023-2024 season. According to the Hopkins based theatre for young audiences, it is "A Season to Celebrate" featuring a diverse blend of plays and musicals focusing on growing friendships, new beginnings, and endless ways to celebrate who you are! The 2023-24 Season is sponsored by UnitedHealthcare.
There is much to celebrate this season, the audience, the community, and the history are all reasons for celebration. Stages Theatre Company has grown from serving 6,000 people in 1984 to more than 145,000 today. The circle has grown and continues to get wider, by radically welcoming theatre, and empowering young people to create a positive influence in their world.
The shows selected are a celebration and reflection of all things Stages Theatre Company. Artistic Director, Sandy Boren-Barrett offers a glimpse into creating this anniversary season when she said -
"When I consider the life cycle of a forty-year-old arts organization that serves young people, it is humbling. You learn along the way and not unlike raising a child, you do what you think is right, try to lead by example, invest time and energy into them, all the while trying to balance what is best for them with what is just plain FUN!"
2023-2024 SEASON PRODUCTIONS:
THE DAY YOU BEGIN
Based on the Book by Jacqueline Woodson. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. Adapted to Script by Jacqueline Woodson. Music and lyrics by Toshi Reagon.
In Collaboration with Threads Dance Project.
September 29-October 22, 2023 (All Ages)
It's not easy to take those first steps into a place where nobody really knows you, but somehow you do it. With the start of school and new beginnings looming, National Book Award Winner Jacqueline Woodson's heartwarming musical celebrates the courage it takes to make new friends, hear new stories, and see your own magic in the world.
This play was commissioned by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was first produced at the Kennedy Center during the 2022-23 season.
SPOOKLEY THE SQUARE PUMPKIN
Based on the film Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano and Tom Hughes and the book The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin by Joe Troiano. Stage play by Joe Troiano. Lyrics by Joe Troiano. Music composed and arranged by Jeffrey Zahn.
October 6-29, 2023 (All Ages)
Spookley, who is teased for being the only square pumpkin on Holiday Hill Farm, doesn't believe a square pumpkin could ever win 'Pick of the Patch'. But when a storm hits, he is the only one who can save the day! With the help of his friends, Spookley learns what makes him different is what makes him special.
© Holiday Hill Enterprises, LLC.
DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST JR.
Music by Alan Menken. Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Book by Linda Woolverton. Originally directed by Robert Jess Roth. Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions.
November 17-December 27, 2023 (All Ages)
A wintry evening changes two lives forever. Through love, and with the help of an enchanted collection of characters, they discover that true beauty comes from within. Based on the animated movie, this Tony award winning Broadway musical celebrates the importance of family. Share this timeless tale with the ones you love this holiday season!
Disney's Beauty and the Beast JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
DRAGONS LOVE TACOS: THE MUSICAL
An adaptation of the best-selling book Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and Illustrated by Daniel Salmieri.
January 26-February 25, 2024 (All Ages)
Stages Theatre Company brings you a world premiere new musical adaptation of the wildly popular, laugh out loud funny, Dragons Love Tacos. Join us for the party of the year, because after all, the only thing Dragons love more than parties, or tacos, is TACO PARTIES!!
Script by Cristina Pippa. Music and lyrics by Sharon Kenny.
THE NAME JAR
Based on the book by Yangsook Choi. Adapted for the stage by Susan Pak.
A Co-Production with Theater Mu.
March 22-April 14, 2024 (Ages 5 and up)
World premiere! Unhei has moved from Korea to America with her family and has started a new school. When the kids struggle with her name, she wonders if she should choose a new one to fit in. Her classmates decide to help out by filling a glass jar with names for her to pick from, but will any of them fit? The Name Jar is a celebration of culture, family, and what's in a name.
THE NAME JAR is produced with the permission of the Author.
Roald Dahl'S MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR.
Book by Dennis Kelly. Music and lyrics by Tim Minchin.
April 19-May 19, 2024 (Ages 5 and up)
Rebellion is near in Matilda JR., a gleefully witty ode to the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination! With the help of the students at her new school, Matilda's about to teach some grown-ups that 'even if you're little you can do a lot'. Matilda JR. celebrates the power of young people to change their own stories.
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
DISNEY'S FINDING NEMO JR.
Book, music, and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Book adapted by Lindsay Anderson. Music and orchestrations adapted and arranged by Myrna Conn. Based on the 2003 Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds, and directed by Andrew Stanton.
June 21-August 4, 2024 (All Ages)
Disney's Finding Nemo JR. is a celebration of true friendship, bravery, and the love between father and son! Nemo and Marlin remind us to 'Just Keep Swimming' in the epic adventure through the ocean. This 60-minute musical adaptation features new music by award-winning songwriting team Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen). The treasured 2003 Pixar movie Finding Nemo comes to Stages Theatre Company's mainstage this summer!
Disney's Finding Nemo JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
THE DANDELION SEED
Based on the book by Joseph P. Anthony and Cris Arbo. Written by Jim Hibbeler. Original music by Nate Rowan. New music by Matt Ouren.
August 7-25, 2024 (Ages 0-5)
Theatre for the Very Young began its life at Stages Theatre 10 years ago with The Dandelion Seed and we're celebrating how far we've come by bringing it back! One tiny dandelion seed is happy in its cozy home until a wind carries it away. It worries that it won't be able to find its place in such a big, scary world but the seed finds that everything is more beautiful than it could have imagined. Perhaps change isn't so bad after all.
Theatre for the Very Young is an interactive experience where the audience participates in telling the story. With the use of props, music-making, and multi-sensory activities that have been carefully designed for our youngest audience members, Theatre for the Very Young immerses children in the production. A unique and engaging way to introduce theatre and storytelling to children aged 0-5.
To purchase season tickets and individual tickets, please go online to www.stagestheatre.org or call the Box Office at (952) 979-1111, option 4, Tuesday through Saturday from 12N to 6PM.
· MARCH 21: School Group tickets and Season tickets go on sale at 12 Noon.
· MARCH 24: Individual tickets go on sale at 12 Noon.
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