PETER AND THE STARCATCHER & More Among The Growing Stage's 35th Season

The Growing Stage - The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong, New Jersey is proud to present its 2016 - 2017 Main Stage Season:

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER

October 7-23, 2016

Tony-winning PETER AND THE STARCATCHER upends the century-old story of how a miserable orphan comes to be The Boy Who Would Not Grow Up (the legendary Peter Pan). A wildly theatrical adaptation of Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's best-selling novels, the play was conceived for the stage by directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and written by Rick Elice with music by Wayne Barker. From marauding pirates and jungle tyrants to unwilling comrades and unlikely heroes, Peter and the Starcatcher playfully explores the depths of greed and despair and the bonds of friendship, duty, and love.

In the story, a young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They know nothing of the mysterious trunk in the captain's cabin, containing a precious, otherworldly cargo. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training, who realizes that the trunk's precious cargo is star stuff, a celestial substance so powerful it must never fall into the wrong hands. When the ship is taken over by pirates - led by the fearsome Black Stache, a villain determined to claim the trunk and its treasure for his own - the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure. Featuring a dozen actors portraying more than 100 unforgettable characters, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER uses ingenious stagecraft and the limitless possibilities of imagination to bring the story to life.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL - The Musical

November 18 - December 18, 2016

Last season's big holiday hit is back at The Growing Stage! Broadway heavy hitters Alan Menken (Disney's Beauty & the Beast, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors) and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical, Once On This Island) breathe fantastic new life into the classic tale of A Christmas Carol.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a prosperous curmudgeon who believes personal wealth is far more valuable than the happiness and comfort of others. With an infuriated "Bah! Humbug!" Scrooge summates his feelings of Christmas tidings and charitable giving, but he's forced to face his selfish ways when three ghosts on Christmas Eve lead him through his Past, Present, & Future. Thanks to their guidance, Scrooge recognizes his faults and greets Christmas morning with a cheerful "Happy Christmas" before spending the day reconnecting and sharing love with those that mean the most to him. A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a spectacular adaptation of Charles Dickens's most well-known story and the perfect holiday show for the entire family.

THE BOX OF STORIES - 2016 Laurie Award Winner (New Play-Reading Festival)

February 10 - 19, 2017

Storytelling is the native language of all human beings. But what would the world have become without stories? THE BOX OF STORIES presents a world that might have been. When the trickster gods Coyote, Loki, and Anansi steal the art of storytelling from mankind, sealing away stories into a magical box, it is a young girl without a name that rises to become a hero. Upon finding the box, she uses the stories inside to reintroduce mankind to civilization. Spanning the realms of Native American, Norse, African, Greek, Indian, Vietnamese, Celtic, and Middle Eastern mythology, THE BOX OF STORIES demonstrates the power of the spoken word and the ability of mankind to grow, learn, and survive.

THE NEVERENDING STORY (ATREYU AND THE GREAT QUEST)

March 10 - April 2, 2017

Adapted by David S. Craig and based upon the novel by Michael Ende, this story is told with all the thrills of a classic adventure. The story begins with Bastian, a lonely boy, who stumbles into a curious bookshop where he discovers a curious book-THE NEVERENDING STORY. Bastian hides in the attic of his school and begins to read, and a huge adventure surges into life. Fantastica, a land of stories, is being destroyed by the Nothing. The Childlike Empress has chosen Atreyu, a young hunter, to be the Hero of the Great Quest. Atreyu, an orphan, is an unlikely choice, but he accepts and, with his horse and companion, Artax, rides to face the menace. First, he experiences the Nothing and discovers its thoughtless destruction. Then he is guided by a dream to the Swamps of Sadness where he meets Morla, the Ancient One, who reveals another solution. He must find the Childlike Empress a new name. With this new direction, Atreyu faces Ygramul the Many, befriends Falkor the Luck Dragon, and solves the riddles of the three magic gates to meet Uyulala. From her he learns that only a human child

can give the Empress a new name. In despair he faces his final test-the werewolf Gmork-and returns to the Childlike Empress without a new name. However, his quest has attracted a human child. It is Bastian himself who calls out a new name for the Empress, and the story rushes to its triumphant and moving conclusion. Commissioned by Seattle Children's Theatre and Imagination Stage.

Dr. Seuss's THE CAT IN THE HAT

May 5 - 21

The National Theatre's adaptation of Dr. Seuss's THE CAT IN THE HAT is a lively, engaging "play with sound effects" for young children. Not a word has been touched or added to Dr. Seuss's classic, ensuring anyone who's read the story will find themselves transported into the world they've always imagined.

From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that THE CAT IN THE HAT is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he is certainly fun to play with. And he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. But what will mum find when she gets home...?

Ticket Information:

The Growing Stage continues FUN-tastic Fridays with all tickets $15! Saturday and Sunday tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for children. 2016 - 2017 Season Ticket Packages go on sale May 1st. To place your reservation or order a ticket package, please visit www.growingstage.com or contact the Growing Stage Box Office at (973) 347-4946 or e-mail at boxoffice@growingstage.com. Group rates and Birthday Party packages are available for each show.

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