Pushcart Players to Bring PETER AND THE WOLF to Premiere Stages

Pushcart Players, New Jersey's renowned touring theatre for young audiences will perform their beloved musical production, "Peter and the Wolf" on Wednesday, July 27 at 10:30 am at The Wilkins Theatre at Kean University, Union NJ. The performance is presented by Premiere Stages, the professional theater in residence at Kean.

"Peter and the Wolf" is an enchanting production of a classic tale, set to the resplendent music by composer Sergei Prokofiev. Each character is represented by a different musical motif in this story of a spirited young boy who confronts the dangers of the forest with courage, creativity and leadership. With a professional cast (Actors' Equity Association) who employs various forms of puppetry, singing and choreography, "Peter and the Wolf" is a universal theatrical celebration that has toured nationally and abroad.

"Pushcart puts its' trademark spin on 'Peter and the Wolf,'" said Ruth Fost, playwright and lyricist.. "The themes of this Russian folk tale are what make it a timeless classic. Friendship and caring. Arrogance and prejudice. Youth and maturity. Conflict resolution and beauty in the natural order of life. All worthy of celebration!"

Original additional music and orchestrations to Prokofiev's score are by Drama Desk and Tony Award-winner, Larry Hochman. The cast includes Megan Bussiere (Peter), Oscar Castillo (Grandfather), JD Lynch (Storyteller, Puppeteer) and Paul Whelihan (Wolf).

Megan Bussiere just returned from the Palace Theatre in New Hampshire where she performed in "Billy Elliot" (Dead Mum/Mrs. Wilkinson understudy) and "Singin' in the Rain" (ensemble/Kathy understudy). Other theatre credits include: "True Love" (P!nk workshop in NYC), "White Christmas" (Judy)," My One and Only" (ensemble), "Legally Blonde" (swing), and Tokyo Disneyland (www.meganbussiere.com). Oscar Castillo has been a member of Pushcart Players for twelve years. A graduate of Kean University with a BFA in theatre, he co-founded The Theatre Project and performs frequently throughout NYC with Peculiar Works Productions.

JD Lynch has performed extensively throughout the country and Off Broadway, and has been a regularly featured actor in New Hope, PA (Bucks County Playhouse) and Shawnee Playhouse, PA. He was most recently seen in the role of Samuel in an original play, "Fading Light," at the New York Fringe Festival.

Paul Whelihan is the producing artistic director at Pushcart Players. He directs, stage-manages and performs off-Broadway (47th Street Theater, 59 East 59 Theatres, NY Fringe Festival, 54 Below) and regionally (Royal Poincianna Playhouse, Broward Center for the Arts, Centenary Stage, The Bickford Theatre, The Growing Stage, Luna Stage Company, Forum Theatre Arts Center, Quillo Arts Center, Premier Stages, Dreamcatcher Rep) in musicals, dramas, original works and locally produced television, film and web series projects.

Larry Hochman is the Tony and Drama Desk award-winner for best orchestrations for "The Book of Mormon." He received Tony nominations for "She Loves Me" (2016 revival, for which he won the Drama Desk Award), "The Scottsboro Boys," "Monty Python's Spamalot," (Hochman also received Drama Desk nominations for both), "Fiddler on the Roof" (2004 revival), "A Class Act" and a Tony nomination the Drama Desk Award for 2016's "She Loves Me." Larry composed additional music for Disney's "Little Mermaid," for Stephen Spielberg's "Amazing Stories" and for numerous celebrity concerts. Other awards include the ASCAP Award for Musical Theater ("One Man Band"), 4 Emmy Awards for "The Wonder Pets" television series, and a Bistro Award for composing "One Man Band." He has orchestrated and/or written the scores for the majority of Pushcart's productions.

Pushcart Players is the award-winning professional touring theater company specializing in arts education for children. Twice nominated for an Emmy©, Pushcart is the recipient of numerous state and private awards for excellence and innovation. A social-profit organization founded in 1974, Pushcart brings substantive musical theater, workshops, and residencies to young people and their families in schools and theaters nationwide. The company has traveled more than 2 million miles nationally and abroad, from the nation's White House to the rural red schoolhouse. All performances come with innovative scenery, complete lighting and state of the art sound systems, making them adaptable to any location.

"Peter and the Wolf" will perform in the Premiere Stages' Wilkins Theatre at Kean University, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union NJ. General admission tickets are $15, and can be reserved by calling 908.737.7469 or online by visiting www.keanstage.com/all-events. Group rates are available by calling Premiere Stages at 908.737.4092.

Premiere Stages is committed to serving the cultural needs of northern and central New Jersey through the development and production of high-quality Equity theatre premieres, professional development and educational initiatives for the local and campus communities, and the support and cultivation of emerging playwrights and theatre artists. As a professional theatre company in residence at Kean University, Premiere Stages actively engages and enhances the specialized training programs at Kean, while embracing and serving a culturally diverse audience, underserved local youth, and a broad pool of gifted regionally-based artists.

For further information on "Peter and the Wolf" or any of Pushcart's programs and services, contact Pushcart Players at973.857.1115 or visit the website at www.pushcartplayers.org and Facebook at www.facebook.com/pushcartplayers.

Pictured: Pushcart Players in the finale of "Peter and the Wolf". Photo by David Crow Photography.

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