Premiere Stages Announces Play Factory Performances for Kids

Premiere Stages at Kean University will partner with two renowned touring theatres for young audiences for its 2013 Play Factory Series, an annual performance series designed specifically for children. This year, Premiere Stages will present Yates Musical Theatre's The Wizard of Oz on Wednesday, July 17 at 10:00 a.m. and Pushcart Players' captivating take on Cinderella, Happily Ever After, on Wednesday, July 24 at 10:00 a.m. in Kean University's spacious Wilkins Theatre.

Every summer, Premiere Stages collaborates with other professional theatres to offer dynamic theatre programming exclusively for children. The Play Factory Series provides an enjoyable and accessible summer arts experience for children and their families, with performances open to the public as well as school and camp groups. Pre-performance study guides are available upon request, and post-show discussions with the artists further deepen the experience. Through sponsorships, Premiere is proud to offer free and deeply-discounted tickets to underserved youth and students with special needs.

Yates Musical Theatre's The Wizard of Oz (Wednesday, July 17th at 10:00 a.m.) is a vibrant adaptation of L. Frank Baum's treasured classic, in which Dorothy travels over the rainbow and follows the fabled yellow-brick road. Children will join the fun and experience the perils beside Dorothy and her friends in this jubilant, song-filled journey, and learn the meaning of friendship and the value of teamwork along the way.

Based on the beloved fairy tale Cinderella, Pushcart Players' Happily Ever After (Wednesday, July 24th at 10:00 a.m.) takes kids on a "once-upon-a-time" journey. Young audiences will be transformed by this familiar story that helps children to think about who they are, what they value, how they behave, and how they treat themselves and other people. Featuring hip original music, zany contemporary humor, and sparkling visual surprises, this legendary tale speaks to everyone in search of their own "happily ever after."

Founded by Producing Artistic Director Bill Yates, a graduate of the Philadelphia Conservatory of Music and the Julliard School, and his wife Peggy, the company's Managing Director, Yates Musical Theatre has over 50 years of experience touring to theatres and schools throughout the Northeast. Yates Musical Theatre's goal is to engage audiences with the magic of live theatre, with each production featuring music, dance, comedy, action, and adventure, and encouraging audience participation.

An award-winning professional theatre and arts-in-education company geared specifically for young audiences, Pushcart Players has toured throughout the United States, former Soviet Union, and Czech Republic, as well as appeared twice at the White House. Pushcart's educational programming amplifies the theatre experience for young people, and advocates the arts as a means to gain literacy, offering students the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills, problem solving, and self-discipline.

Standard tickets for both performances are $15, with special group rates available. In addition to our standard group discount, groups of 20 or more that reserve by April 1st will receive an additional $50 off the total price of their purchase; groups of 10-20 reserving by April 1st will receive $25 off. Wilkins Theatre is located on the Kean University campus at 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, N.J. 07083. For further information, visit www.kean.edu/premierestages or call (908) 737-4092. For those interested in arranging a group, please contact Heather Kelley, Premiere Stages' Audience Services Coordinator, at (908) 737-4077 or hkelley@kean.edu.

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