TADA! Youth Theater Premieres EVERYTHING ABOUT A FAMILY 4/17-5/17

The award winning, TADA! Youth Theater (Janine Nina Trevens, Executive & Artistic Director), the City's "best known children's musical theater" (Time Out New York), will continue the 2008-2009 season with the world premiere of Everything About A Family (Almost) (April 17-May 17). This production will join the much beloved, "Everything About" series, which the New York Times has hailed as "delightfully comic."

For the first time in TADA!'s history, this production has been conceived and written by members of the Resident Youth Ensemble, who were given the opportunity to choose the songs in the show based on submissions from professional composer/lyricists, and develop a plot line for the piece. Through the rehearsal process dialogue will be written into the show about two Family Reunions and a young family member who leaves her own clan to find one that she thinks better suits her. The piece uses song and dance to illustrate how quirky, fun, endearing and irreplaceable our families can be. Music and Lyrics by various composers; Direction by Janine Nina Trevens; Choreography by Joanna Greer; Musical Direction by Jim Colleran.

The lyricist and composers include TADA! Youth Ensemble members: John Kroner,Arianna Rose, Callie LeFevre, Deirdre Broderick, Denver Casado, Douglas Cohen, Douglas M. Parker , Douglas Parker, Drew Fornarola, Gary Bagley, Gary Gardner, Jim Colleran, Joy Son, Kiernan P. Schmitt, Kirsten A. Guenther, Lindsay Joelle, Miriam Daly, Naomi Lee, Phoebe Kreutz, Robert Stamper, Scott Evan Davis, Simon Gray, Steve Sweeting, Tom Toce.

Cast includes: From Brooklyn: Jonathan Bach* (11 years old), Gabby Gross* (13 years old), Christina Franklin* (15 years old), Merce Jessor* (14 years old), Claire Jones (12 years old),Megan Nicholson MacRae* (12 years old), Maya Park* (14 years old), Amiri Taylor (14 years old), Simone Singletary (11 years old), Casey Wenger-Schulman* (13 years old). From Manhattan: Kristin Callahan (11 years old), Alex Getlin* (15 years old), Taylor Jones* (10 years old), Gregory Kirsopp (13 years old), Tristan Hickey** (11 years old), Toni Madison* (15 years old), Adam Mandala* (14 years old), Mary Claire Miskell* (14 years old), John Moriarty* (15 years old), KyLee Savage (10 years old), Jennifer Wais* (14 years old), Staten Island: Javier Cardenas* (17 years old), New Jersey Alec Cohen* (14 years old), Jordan Alston-Harmon* (14, Hackensack), New Rochelle Martine Bowman (10 years old), Queens Victoria Cotton* (11 years old).

TADA!'s Resident Youth Ensemble is an award-winning FREE Pre-Professional Training and Youth Development Program that empowers talented New York City children and teens (ages 8-18) through theater training and performance opportunities, as well as youth development activities. In addition to attending rehearsals and classes and enjoying performance opportunities in the musicals, readings and various public performances throughout the year, members of TADA!'s Resident Youth Ensemble receive need-based scholarships for private voice and dance lessons; transportation subsidies; field trips to theatrical, dance and other events throughout the season; panel sessions with professional actors, directors, choreographers, designers and technicians; and small group mentoring between TADA! staff and Ensemble Members.

Recently, the Resident Youth Ensemble Program won the nation's highest distinction for youth development, the Coming Up Taller Award from the President's Committee on the Arts & Humanities. The Coming Up Taller Awards recognize and support outstanding community arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of young people, and provide them with new learning opportunities and a chance to contribute to their communities. More than 350 nominations were received by the program.

TADA!'s 2008-2009 season will conclude with the scrumptious musical, The Little House Of Cookies (July 10-August 1). TADA! Youth Theater also offers classes for children (infants through 8th graders) in theater both on-site and in various locations throughout the city. The Spring semester of classes - in acting, musical theater skills building, TADA! T.O.T.S. and more - runs March 21-May 8. Week-long camps - where participants put together a mini-musical in just 5 days - take place during school vacations and all summer long both on-site and in various locations throughout the city. Visit www.tadatheater.com for full schedule and registration details.

EVERYTHING ABOUT A FAMILY (ALMOST) (April 17- May 17)

Playing Schedule: Opening Night, Friday, April 17 at 7 p.m.;
Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

School Performances: May 13 at 10 a.m. & Noon; Special Event: May 15 at 7 p.m.

TADA! Theater, is located at 15 West 28th St.,
Second Floor (between Broadway and 5th Ave), NYC

General tickets are Adults $20, Children $8;
Premium tickets are Adults $25, Children $15.

Premium tickets holders support TADA! Theater while enjoying a show and includes reserved seating in the location of choice.

For more information, please visit www.tadatheater.com or call 212.252.1619

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