UNCLE PIRATE et al. to Play Vital Theatre Company in 2011-2012

The award-winning Vital Theatre Company has announced that its 2011-2012 Family Programming will include four musicals for children and families, performed by adults. Two popular shows returning this season are THE BULLY and UNCLE PIRATE. Angelina Ballerina^TM returns to the Vital stage in ANGELINA BALLERINA^TM THE VERY MERRY HOLIDAY MUSICAL and STINKYKIDS®, THE MUSICAL rounds out the season.

Public performances run Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm, September 24th, 2011 through April 22nd, 2012. School/Group Performances are available at Vital Theatre during the run of each show. Tickets start at $25. Shows are appropriate for ages 3-12. For reservations, visit www.vitaltheatre.org or call (212)579-0528. VITAL THEATRE! COMPANY is located at 2162 Broadway, 4th Floor, at West 76th Street, on the Upper West Side.

Vital's popular production of UNCLE PIRATE with book by Ben H. Winters, music and lyrics by Drew Fornarola and direction by Marshall Pailet opens the season. The production is based on the book by Douglas Rees and plays September 24th - November 13th Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm with special holiday performances on October 10th and November 8th and 11th at 11 am and 1 pm.

Wilson is just your average kid. Then one day he finds out his uncle is a pirate... like, a REAL pirate! With help from Uncle Pirate and his faithful talking penguin, maybe, just maybe, Wilson can survive the fourth grade. Grab yer eye patches and pirate hats, mateys! The adventure begins now.

Angelina Ballerina^TM returns to the Vital Stage in ANGELINA BALLERINA^TM THE VERY MERRY HOLIDAY MUSICAL! The creative team from the original musical return with book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo, music by Ben Morss and direction and choreography by Sam Viverito. Based on the characters created by Katharine Holabird and illustrated by Helen Craig, the show will run from November 19th, 2011 - January 2nd, 2012, Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm, with holiday performances on November 25th and December 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th at 11 am and 1 pm. Critics praised Vital's original production of ANGELINA BALLERINA THE MUSICAL as being "an engaging show...a great outing ! for children" (theatreonline.com).

The perennially popular production THE BULLY with book by David L. Williams and music and lyrics by John Gregor returns this season. The production runs January 14th through February 26th on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm. School holiday performances will be on January 16th and February 20th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd.

A bus mix-up strands Lenny, the nerd, and Steve, the bully, at the wrong school where they both get picked on for being "the new kids." The boys have to work together to get back to their school and begin to learn that they might not be so different after all. "THE BULLY, like the best kind of teacher, nudges children toward the truth and then lets them discover it on their own" (New York Times).

STINKYKIDS®, THE MUSICAL a new family show based on the StinkyKids® characters created by Britt Menzies, will close the season. The production runs March 10th - April 22nd on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm with additional holiday performances on April 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th.

The StinkyKids® characters are little stinKers who learn to make right choices through their childhood mistakes and who live by the motto "Always be a leader of good". StinkyKids® pro-social brand that will appeal to parents for the values it represents and appeals to kids because the characters are real kids getting into real mischief.

Located on New York City's Upper West Side at 76th Street and Broadway, Vital Theatre Company, producer of the long running shows PINKALICIOUS, THE MUSICAL and the recent hit ANGELINA BALLERINA^TM THE MUSICAL, commissions four to five new musicals for children each season. Since its founding in 1999, Vital Theatre Company has been honored with two AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE by the Off Off Broadway Review and received high acclaim from audiences and critics alike for being "a wonderful place for parents to introduce their kids to the glories of live theatre, done well and at modest prices." Now entering its 13th season, the company is dedicated to producing entertaining and educational theatre for young audiences. To date, the company has presented 67 original productions for over 200,000 children and their families.

Please visit Sun Productions for more information.

To post a comment, you must register and login.