EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Comes to San Jose This Month

Playful People Productions will present a teen/adult production of Everybody's Talking About Jamie, a coming-of-age musical by Tom MacRae (book and lyrics) and Dan Gillespie Sells (score), inspired by the 2011 British television documentary Jamie: Drag Queen at 16. Two mixed-age casts will perform Everybody's Talking About Jamie October 26 through November 3 at Historic Hoover Theater in San Jose. Recommended ages are 12 and up, for subject matter and language. For tickets ($25—60) or more information, visit www.PlayfulPeople.org or call (408) 878-5362.

Directed by Lysander Abadia, this smash hit follows 16-year-old Jamie, a young man who wants to wear a dress to Prom. His mother supports him, although sometimes in ways that prove problematic. His friend Pritti, who is bullied at school for being Muslim, encourages him to do what makes him happy. In addition to being a musical about exploring gender identity and gender expression, it’s also about how we stand up for ourselves, and for the people we love. It’s about the heartbreak that happens when a parent can’t or won’t acknowledge who their child is. It’s about forgiveness, and understanding that sometimes people do what they do because they don’t know a better way to deal with an unfamiliar situation.

Everybody's Talking About Jamie has seen multiple productions and tours worldwide since its premiere, including London's West End, Seoul, Tokyo, Los Angeles, Sydney, Mexico City, and San Francisco. British reviews were appreciative, with Ann Treneman of The Times exclaiming “I gave it a very rare five stars. The moment it ended the entire audience rose up as one. I think that it has such an impact for the same reason that Dear Evan Hansen is such a success.” Clare Brennan of The Observer noted “sheer exuberance carries this coming-of-age tale … this is a touching, funny and joyous production.” Dominic Cavendish, in his four-star review in The Daily Telegraph, stated “I can't think of a musical that has set me spinning right round quite as much as this funny, outrageous, touching but oh-my-word PC flag-waving show … The show sends you out on a feel-good bubble of happiness."

Everybody's Talking About Jamie is supported in part by a Cultural Affairs grant from the City of San José, and by SVCreates, in partnership with the County of Santa Clara.

Playful People Productions was first founded in 2010 as a positive, inclusive, family-focused theatre company, and has operated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit since 2017. While initially providing classes, camps, and shows for kids, the company has grown to offer similar classes for adults, and stages multi-generational performances where family members can perform together.

Playful People Productions aims to create an inclusive environment where all feel welcome, and where creative impulses are encouraged by experienced Bay Area artists. The organization follows Positive Discipline guidelines as well as proven child education techniques; continually works to ensure the safety of all participants, volunteers, and staff; and regularly gives families the opportunity to share the exhilarating experience of performing together. During the nonprofit's tenure, they have enjoyed frequent instances of children performing on stage with siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents — and have also welcomed adults who wish to perform but find local theater auditions and rehearsals do not fit their needs.

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