Bay Area Children's Theatre To Produce Original Musical Version Of SHE PERSISTED

Bay Area Children's Theatre (BACT) will produce a new musical inspired by Chelsea Clinton's best-selling book, "She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World" in its upcoming 15th Anniversary Season.

"She Persisted, the Musical," one of four new works being created for BACT's 15th Anniversary Season, tells the story of Emani and Peter, whose third-grade field trip to the museum turns into an adventure in time travel during which they meet inspirational women overcoming barriers and making history.

"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring the riveting stories of these heroines to life on stage," said BACT Executive Artistic Director Nina Meehan. "Young audiences need examples of women who set high goals for themselves and persevere in achieving them. We are honored to be working with composer Deborah Wicks La Puma, who wrote the music for the national hit, ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S WE ARE IN A PLAY, and Emmy award-winning screen and television writer Adam Tobin, who fell in love with the book when he read it with his daughter."

"She Persisted, the Musical," opens February 2, 2019, at BACT's Berkeley Theatre Center, 2055 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704, and moves to San Francisco and Sunnyvale after its Berkeley run (details below).

"She Persisted, the Musical" completes the list of BACT's main stage productions for 2018-2019. (See full list below.) Other new works to be presented include The Cat in the Hat/El Gato Ensombrerado, the first bi-lingual stage version of Dr. Seuss's beloved tale, Gold: The Midas Musical, with book, lyrics and music by Min Kahng; and Press Here, the Musical, with book, music and lyrics by Austin Zumbro.

Flex Pass subscriptions to BACT's 15th Anniversary Season are now available, with "early bird" savings through June 30. Families can learn more and purchase Flex Passes at www.bactheatre.org or 510/296-4433.

BAY AREA CHILDREN'S THEATRE 2018-2019 SEASON

Main Stage Venues:

Berkeley: BACT's Berkeley Theatre Center, 2055 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

San Francisco: Children's Creativity Museum Theater, 221 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103

Sunnyvale: Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

Performance Times:

Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.

Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Productions:

Pete the Cat

When the cat-catcher finds Pete rockin' out on his guitar after bedtime, he sends Pete to the Biddle's to learn some manners. But Pete won't go silently into house cat arrest--not when he can jam with the family and help Jimmy Biddle paint the crucial picture he needs to pass second grade.

· Recommended for ages 3 to 8

· Berkeley: June 16 - August 5

· Sunnyvale: August 11 - 19

· San Francisco: August 24 - September 17

The Cat in the Hat/El Gato Ensombrerado

Expect a brother, a sister, a much put-upon goldfish, some Things, and tons of clowning around in this new production of Seuss's classic rainy-day tale that brings the Cat in the Hat's outrageous antics--and Dr. Seuss's wondrous rhymes--to life in Spanish and English.

· Recommended for ages 3 to 12

· Berkeley: September 15 - November 4

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Christmas Show

An irresistible holiday treat for the whole family featuring colorful giant puppets in a lavish new production inspired by Eric Carle's beloved stories, including Dream Snow; Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and, of course, The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

· Recommended for ages 3 to 12

· San Francisco: November 10 - January 6

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Step through the magic wardrobe with Lucy and her siblings into a land of mythical creatures frozen in eternal winter under a powerful witch's spell. Two actors and four dancers create this fantasy world, as the children meet Aslan, the great lion, and learn about love, loyalty, and overcoming evil.

· Recommended for ages 5 to 12

· Berkeley: November 17 - January 6

· San Francisco: January 12 - 27

· Sunnyvale: February 2 - 10

She Persisted, the Musical

Third graders Emani and Peter unexpectedly travel through an exploding time portal at the museum and find themselves witnessing history in the making at a school house door, the Supreme Court, an Olympic stadium, a spaceship and more.

· Recommended for ages 4 - 8

· Berkeley: February 2 - March 3

· San Francisco: March 9 - 30

· Sunnyvale: April 6 -14

Gold: The Midas Musical

Motherless Princess Lydia yearns for her father's love, but King Midas grows meaner, more distant, and greedier by the day. A modern musical re-telling of the Greek legend of King Midas who learns a valuable lesson about family when the gods grant him the power to turn everything into gold.

· Recommended for age 8 and up

· Berkeley: February 23 - May 12

Press Here, the Musical

Colorful dots cavort and juggle onstage, while audience members take an ever-changing, magical journey with the actors in this original production, inspired by Hervé Tullet's award-winning picture book, Press Here, about the power of imagination and interactivity.

· Recommended for ages 3 to 8

· Berkeley: March 30 - May 12

· Sunnyvale: May 25 - June 2

· San Francisco: June 8 - 30

About Bay Area Children's Theatre

Established in 2004, Bay Area Children's Theatre, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, serves 115,000 children and adults throughout the Bay Area, with main stage performances in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and Sunnyvale; programs and productions in local schools; and classes and summer camps in the East Bay, South Bay, and San Francisco.

Our Mission: To inspire young audiences with imaginative productions, introduce children of all backgrounds to the excitement of live theatre, and create an engaging, entertaining, and educational environment in which children and their families can explore and enjoy the arts.

How We Carry Out Our Mission:

· Bring high quality, professional theatre to children and their families, with artists who create vibrant worlds that are intriguing to young audiences

· Encourage young people to explore literature, language, and the arts by producing stage adaptations of great children's books

· Engage preschoolers in the world of theatre with productions specially designed for them

· Develop and perform exciting new work for the stage

· Reach out to children who might not otherwise experience live theatre with free tickets, special performances for school groups, and touring productions at local schools

· Create touring productions for young audiences nationwide

· Partner with communities to meet the need for theatre education

· Introduce children to the joy of performance through our theatre education program

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