Surprise! Those Bay Area Children's Theatre Construction Vehicles are Back!
By: A.A. Cristi May. 17, 2017
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site-The Musical opens Saturday, June 3, and plays weekends through June 25 at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. at the complex BACT is developing for young theatre lovers at 2055 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94103.
"We couldn't resist the temptation to bring back this construction-themed show to give families another chance to enjoy the antics of our actors on Wheelie-Heelys and to introduce many of our patrons to our new performance venue, which we are about to remodel as the Bay Area's first theatre center designed especially for children," said BACT Executive Artistic Director Nina Meehan.
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site-The Musical re-imagines the New York Times bestselling picture book about hard-working construction vehicles by Sherri Duskey Rinker, with illustrations by Tom Lichtenheld. Playwright, lyricist and composer Austin Zumbro has adapted the story for the stage, complete with music, rhyme and gentle winks to parents about the behavior of the busy vehicles.
The production, which is suitable for all ages, won six awards at the 2016 Theatre Bay Area (TBA) Awards Celebration, including Outstanding Production of a Musical, Outstanding Direction of a Musical, and Outstanding World Premiere Musical.
TICKETS: $25 adults, $23 seniors, $20 children, $15 groups (minimum 15). BOX OFFICE: www.bactheatre.org or call (510) 296-4433
BACT's new home is just blocks from the downtown Berkeley BART station. BART is a BACT community partner.
Nina Meehan, executive artistic director of the Bay Area Children's Theatre, has directed numerous productions for the company, including, most recently, Fly Guy, the Musical; The Wheels on the Bus (Theatre for the Very Young); A Year With Frog and Toad; BACT's original production of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site-The Musical; The Day the Crayons Quit-the Musical, and James and the Giant Peach. She champions new works for young audiences and has produced original adaptations of BACT's award-winning Where the Mountain Meets the Moon; Ivy+Bean, the Musical; Ladybug Girl and Bumblebee Boy, the Musical, and many others. An award-winning youth theatre director, she has worked throughout the Bay Area as an actress, educator, storyteller, and director. Meehan serves on the Theatre Services Committee for Theatre Bay Area and the Board of Directors for TYA/USA. She received her BS in Theatre from Northwestern University and her Masters in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco.
Austin Zumbro, playwright, lyricist, composer, and improv actor, is the creative force behind BACT's 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. He is currently preparing The Rainbow Fish Musical for its summer debut. Zumbro has also created two comedies for BACT, Lemony Snicket's The Lump of Coal and Rudolph the Ugly Duckling. His 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.
About the Bay Area Children's Theatre
Established in 2004, the Bay Area Children's Theatre, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, serves more than 90,000 children and adults throughout the Bay Area, with main stage performances in Berkeley, Oakland, and San Francisco; selected productions in local schools; and classes and summer camps in more than 10 East Bay communities.
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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