BACT's World Premiere of THE RAINBOW FISH Musical Opens Friday, 6/30

What could be better for bright summer days than an underwater adventure, complete with singing sea creatures in resplendent attire?

That's what will bubble up for young audiences when the Bay Area Children's Theatre (BACT) presents The Rainbow Fish Musical, opening Friday evening, June 30, at Children's Fairyland, 699 Belleview Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610.

Oakland Dates and Times: The Rainbow Fish Musical will play Oakland on Fridays at 6 p.m., Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Sunday's at 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m., June 30 - August 6.

San Francisco Dates and Times: After its Oakland swim, er, run, the production moves to the Children's Creativity Museum Theatre, 221 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103, where it will play Fridays at 6:30 p.m. and weekends at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., August 11 - 27.

For the first time this season, BACT is piloting Friday night performances of its shows, complete with a slice of pizza included in the Friday night ticket price.

"We're including a slice of pizza so families can enjoy an evening of live theatre together without extra stress," said BACT Executive Director Nina Meehan. "We know that life is hectic, and, as a mom, I find that Friday night dinners are always a challenge. We're hoping Pizza and Performance will become a new tradition for Bay Area families."

The Rainbow Fish Musical is a world premiere created by BACT based on Marcus Pfister's classic story, The Rainbow Fish, about a dazzlingly beautiful fish who learns to attain happiness by sharing with others.

"We're really excited to bring The Rainbow Fish story to our stages," Meehan said. "It's a beautiful opportunity to remind us all that sharing our gifts brings joy to everyone around us."

The Rainbow Fish Musical has been adapted for the stage by local Playwright, Composer, and Lyricist Austin Zumbro, with music inspired by classic rock. (See Zumbro's bio, below.) Directed by Hannah Dworkin (bio below), the production is recommended for all ages.

For ticket information visit www.bactheatre.org or call (510) 296-4433.

Tickets for Children's Fairyland show include all day admission to the park: General admission (1 and up need a ticket) - $18; Children's Fairyland member - $14; Group (minimum of 15) - $13

Austin Zumbro, playwright, lyricist, composer, musician and improv actor, is the creative force behind BACT's recent world premiere of Fly Guy, the Musical, the company's award-winning original production of Good Night, Good Night, Construction Site the Musical, and its acclaimed original production of The Day the Crayons Quit-the Musical. For BACT, Zumbro has also created two comedies, Lemony Snicket's The Lump of Coal and Rudolph the Ugly Duckling. His BACT Productions for schools, including The Gold Rush Musical; Labcoats and Scapegoats: A Science Fair Musicalamity; and Rock the Block: A Walk and Roll Musical, have been seen by more than 100,000 students in the Bay Area. An Oakland native, Zumbro graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Human Biology.

Hannah Dworkin, director, is the casting director, Arts in Schools program director, and artistic associate director at BACT. Recent BACT credits include Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas the Musical (director/choreographer), A Year with Frog and Toad (choreographer) Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site the Musical (choreographer, TBA Award nomination), and Elephant and Piggie's WE ARE IN A PLAY! (director/choreographer). Dworkin is a professor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and teaches music to children with special needs through Youth in Arts. She holds an MA in Music and Music Education from Columbia University, a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential with a Dance Certification from the University of California, Berkeley, Extension and a BA in Dance and Anthropology from the University of California, Berkeley. In addition, she is a classically trained vocalist, a dancer, and a company member of Upswing Aerial Dance.

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