TADA Presents THE LITTLE MOON THEATER, Now thru 2/16

TADA! Youth Theater has announced a new production of Michael Slade and Joel Gelpe's The Little Moon Theater, based on the book by Irene Haas, with choreography by Joanna Greer, musical direction by Jim Colleran and direction by Janine Nina Trevens. The Little Moon Theater will play a limited engagement at at TADA! Theater (15 West 28th St. 3rd Fl. New York, NY 10001). Performances begin today, January 19 and continue through Saturday, February 16. Press are invited to all performances.

The Little Moon Theater follows a travelling troupe of actors who grant wishes through performances. They meet an odd assortment of characters including an independant creative thinking young girl; a boy and his pet snake, Asp-aragus; a dog who is in love with the moon; and an endearing although rather clumsy fairy godmother who is desperately trying to retire.

The Little Moon Theater stars 24 members of TADA!'s Resident Youth Ensemble; talented kids between the ages of 8 and 18 from the NYC area who participate in this FREE year-round youth development program: THE LITTLE MOON THEATER TROUPE is JOJO: Kristin Callahan (Manhattan, 14); JIP: Thomas Vaethroeder (Brooklyn, 12); NICOLETTE: Maddie Rubin (Manhattan, 13); ALOYSIUS: Jaden Jordan (Brooklyn, 11); PHINEAS: Sammy Grob (Manhattan, 14); PENELOPE: Jesse Besca (Manhattan, 10)/ KK Pohly (Manhattan, 9); ROSE: Elsa Chung (Bronx, 11); CONSTANCE: Danielle Palmer (Bronx, 14); ALVIN: Romello Rodriguez (Bronx, 15); DOG: Tau Bennett (Brooklyn, 12). TOWNSPEOPLE are Diego Arellano (Queens, 15), Ashley Figueroa (Manhattan, 11), Molly Grob (Manhattan, 12), Ari Hawkins (Manhattan, 12), Jonah Levinowitz (Brooklyn, 12), Mateo Lizcano (Queens, 8), Nathan Love (Brooklyn, 10), Riya Nagpal (New Jersey, 10), Reynaldo Nunez (Bronx, 14), Sam Perman (Manhattan, 11), Chris Sumpter (Manhattan, 10), Kaci Walfall (Brooklyn, 8), Levana Wang (Queens, 13).

The production features scenic and lighting design by Steve O'Shea and costume design by Dina Perez. Phoebe Duncan is the production stage manager.

The Little Moon Theater plays the following schedule through Saturday, February 16:

Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m
Sundays at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Special Show Dates include: Wednesday, February 6th at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. & Friday, February 15th at 7 p.m.

Tickets are only $20 for adults and $8 for children; Premium tickets (also available for every performance) are $25 for adults and $15 for children and feature priority seating and support TADA!'s programming. Non-Profit Group rates start at $6 per child for groups of 20+; birthday party packages are also available.

Tickets are available at www.tadatheater.com/currentseason.asp and reservations are reccomended.

Parents Night Out, February 15th, Ages 6-10, 6pm-9pm - Take the night off & drop your kids at TADA! They will see the performance of The Little Moon Theater, make new friends, eat pizza,
play games & (of course) there will be lots of singing, dancing & acting.

Regular Price: $60
Kids Club Members: $55
Book online at http://tadatheater.com/schoolbreakcamps&workshops.asp

Running Time: 1 hour (no intermission)

Janine Nina Trevens (Executive & Artistic Director) co-founded TADA! in 1984 with Linda Reiff. Since that time, she has served as the Artistic Director for all of the works produced by TADA!, many of which she commissioned specifically for the company. For TADA! she wrote The Little House of Cookies, Sweet Sixteen, The Perfect Monster, Odd Day Rain and The History Mystery. She directs many of TADA!'s musicals, numerous staged readings, and Ensemble appearances at various locations and events in and around NYC. Nina was selected as one of 10 Parenting Leaders by Parenting Magazine, and she was one of only five women nationally to receive Family Circle's First Annual Halo Award for women who make a difference. She is proud to have served on funding panels for NYSCA, DCA, ART/NY and TCG. Nina is currently a member of the League of Professional Theatre Women.

Joanna Greer (Director/Associate Artistic Director/Resident Choreographer) holds a BA in Musical Theater Performance and Dance from Columbia College Chicago. As a Director-Choreographer, Teaching Artist and Arts Administrator she has had the pleasure of working with
numerous organizations, such as The American Ballroom Theater (featured in the 2005 Documentary Mad Hot Ballroom), YANY, City Lights Youth Theatre, and the acclaimed Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Current TADA! Director and/or Choreographer credits include well over 20 mainstage musicals as well as 365 Days/365 Plays by Suzan Lori-Parks at TADA! and The Public Theater. Joanna is also the Co-founder of NYC-based Kinetic Dance Theater, an artistic collective driven toward innovating dance theater, cabaret and musical theater performance KineticDanceTheater.org.

Jim Colleran (Resident Music (Resident Music Director, Composer/Lyricist) has served as Music Director for all of TADA!'s mainstage shows since May of 2004. Jim wrote the book, music and lyrics for The Gumball Gang: Crime-Solving Kids and contributed songs to each of the Everything About revues. For TADA!'s Musical Theater Writing Residency program, Jim has written dozens of original songs performed by students in schools throughout NYC. Alumnus, BMI Musical Theatre Workshop (2006 Harrington Award winner). Composer/Lyricist credits: Still Life at the Golden Age, Go Girls Go, and Hoarder Patrol at the York Theatre, Gentleman Jim, It's A Wonderful Life, Medea, Paper Bag Players, Kidstock Theater, Thinkeroo Video, and Gann Films. Jim is currently at work on two new musicals.

Irene Haas (Author, Illustrator) has illustrated 14 books, and written and illustrated three, The Maggie B., The Little Moon Theater and A Summertime Song. The delightful picture book based on a folk song, Was It A Good Trade, was republished with new illustrations by Irene (who also did the original illustrations). In between books, Irene made record album covers for Columbia, Caedmon theater posters (Oliver!, Hello Dolly), magazine illustrations, and credits for a film (The Greengage Summer). Her books have won prizes including a silver medal from the Society of Illustrators, "Best Design" from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, The New York Times "Best Illustrated" and The Children's Book Council Showcase. The Maggie B. won the Irma Simonton Black Award. Irene has traveled to Japan twice to accept the prestigious "Owl Prize" for The Maggie B. and for Carrie Hepple's Garden. She also wrote and illustrated for Ladybug Magazine. Irene is a member of TADA!'s Artistic Advisory Board, and her incredible illustrations have graced the front of many TADA! flyers, programs and invitations.

Since 1984, TADA! Youth Theater has been providing young people of all different backgrounds the opportunity to explore and perform musical theater together in an educational, supportive and professional environment. TADA! has received many honors and awards including the American Alliance for Theater Education's Anne Flagg Multicultural Award, Family Circle Magazine's 1st Annual Halo Award, and more than a dozen National Youth Theatre Awards and two Innovative Theater nominations. In 2008 TADA! was honored with a Coming Up Taller Award, our nation's highest honor for youth development from the President's Committee on the Arts & Humanities, and in 2009 with a Special Drama Desk Award for "providing an invaluable contribution to the future of the theater." TADA! is the only youth theater to have won this prestigious award.

Every year, TADA! produces:original musical Theater Productions performed by kids for family audiences; a discounted ticket program; free pre-professional training and youth development opportunities through the Resident Youth Ensemble composed of over 80 NYC kids ages 8-18; renowned Arts Education in-school residencies and after-school programs; and theater classes and camps for kids of all ages taught by professional Teaching Artists and for which need-based financial aid is readily available. For more information visit www.tadatheater.com.

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