Village Theatre Announces 2009-2010 Pied Piper Season

Village Theatre is excited to announce an incredible season of Pied Piper productions presenting quality international performing arts for young people and their families. "Next season our best touring theatre companies will be telling some of the most beloved children's stories in a performance series that brings literature to life, " describes Erica Weir, Pied Piper manager.

The 2009-2010 Pied Piper Season includes the following performances for schools and the general public: Goodnight Moon / Runaway Bunny, Charlotte's Web, Frindle, Chasing George Washington, Stellaluna, Freedom Train, Max and Ruby, and Lost in Yonkers.

For additional information on Village Theatre and Pied Piper productions, visit www.villagetheatre.org

Goodnight Moon / Runaway Bunny
Based on the books by Margaret Wise Brown, Illustrated by Clement Hurd
Grades PreK-2

School Performances:
Theatre at Meydenbauer Center:
Thursday, November 19, 2008 - 10:00 AM & Noon

Everett Civic Auditorium:
Friday, November 20, 2009 - 10:00 AM & Noon

Public Performance:
Everett Civic Auditorium
Saturday, November 21, 2009 - 2:00PM

Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny's pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mother. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security and peace. Whimsical puppetry and evocative original music will bring a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations.

Charlotte's Web
Based on the book by E.B. White
Everett performances produced by TheatreworksUSA
Bellevue and Mt. Vernon performances produced by Central Theatre Ensemble
Grades PreK-5

School Performances:

Everett Performing Arts Center
Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 10:00 AM and Noon
Friday, December 11, 2009 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center
Wednesday, May 26, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon
Thursday, May 27, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

McIntyre Hall
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Public Performances:
Everett Performing Arts Center
Saturday, December 12, 2009 - 2:00PM & 4:00PM

Based on E.B. White's loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider, Charlotte's Web the perfect way to connect literature and live theatre. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman -- she will create a "miracle." Spinning the words, "Some Pig," in her web, Charlotte weaves a solution which not only makes Wilbur a prize pig, but ensures his place on the farm forever. This treasured tale, featuring mad-cap and endearing farm animals, explores bravery, selfless love, and the true meaning of friendship.

Frindle
Based on the book by Andrew Clements
Produced by Griffin Theatre Company (from Chicago)
Grades: 2-6

School Performances:

McIntyre Hall
Monday, January 12, 2010 - 10:00 AM

Everett Civic Auditorium
Wednesday, January 13, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center
Tuesday, January 14, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

No Public Performances of this Production.

Nicholas Allen has plenty of ideas. When he ends up in Mrs. Granger's language arts class, he has his best idea ever. He decides to create his own word...FRINDLE! Before long, Nick's word creates a buzz in his school, his town, and then, to his surprise, it spreads all around the country, and a power struggle erupts with the strict Mrs. Granger. Will the word "Frindle" win? Based on the multiple award winning, best-selling novel by Andrew Clements, this quirky, imaginative tale about creative thought and the power of words will have students inventing their own words.

Chasing George Washington
Produced by the Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences on Tour
In collaboration with the White House Historical Association
Grades: 2-8

School Performances:

Everett Civic Auditorium
Monday, January 25, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Public Performances:
Everett Civic Auditorium
Sunday, January 24, 2010 - 2:00 PM

Field trips are fun, especially when your destination is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue! In this charming and exciting new musical, Dee, José, and Annie accidentally knock George Washington out of his portrait and into real life -turning their White House tour into an unexpected adventure. As they try to get the nation's first president back into his painting, the threesome encounter Jacqueline Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln and his wife, Mary Todd, Dolley Madison, and other famous White House residents. Together, they learn that the White House isn't just a historic building... it's also a home. This brand new musical adventure offers terrific curriculum connections including American history, literature, problem solving, and the influence of family.

Stellaluna
Based on the book by Janell Cannon
Produced by King Cole Theatricals (from Toronto)
Grades: K-5

School Performances:

Everett Civic Auditorium
Friday, February 5, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center
Monday, February 8, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Public Performance:

Everett Civic Auditorium
Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 2:00PM

Baby bat Stellaluna's life is flitting along right on schedule--until an owl attacks her mother one night, knocking the bewildered batlet out of her mother's loving grasp. The tiny bat is lucky enough to land in a nest of baby birds, but her whole world has just turned upside down. Literally. Stellaluna's adoptive bird mom accepts her into her nest, but only on the condition that Stellaluna will act like a bird, not a bat. Soon Stellaluna has learned to behave like a good bird should--she quits hanging by her feet and starts eating bugs. But when she finally has an opportunity to show her bird siblings what life as a bat is like, all of them are confounded. Anyone who has ever been asked to be someone they're not will understand the conflicts--and possibilities Stellaluna faces.

Freedom Train
Produced by TheatreworksUSA of New York
Grades: 2-8

School Performances:

Everett Civic Auditorium
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

No Public Performances of this production.

Freedom Train tells the thrilling story of Harriet Tubman, the Moses of her people, in a fascinating series of highly theatrical scenes that use dance, dialogue, and music of the period. Songs include "Follow the Drinking Gourd," "Steal Away," "Wade in the Water," "Good News, the Chariot's A-comin'," and many others still sung today. Freedom Train is the story of self-sacrifice, dedication and survival, laced with warmth and a sense of humor that celebrates the human spirit -- a universal story for all.

Max and Ruby
Grades: PreK-2

School Performances:

Everett Civic Auditorium:
Monday, May 24, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Theatre at Meydenbauer Center:
Tuesday, May 25, 2010 - 10:00 AM and Noon

Public Performances:

Everett Civic Auditorium:
Sunday, May 23, 2010 - 2:00PM

Ruby, a seven-year-old rabbit, loves her Grandma very much and wants to do something special for her. She gets the brilliant idea to put on a show, with music and costumes and a castle and everything! She tries to enlist her little brother Max to help. Ruby wants to put on a play about a princess, but Max is already playing a cowboy. Ruby wants to work quietly, but Max is enjoying his noisy toys. Ruby wants to look for costumes, but Max is too busy looking for frogs! Max is no help at all, so Ruby recruits her Bunny Scout friends for assistance. But can they help her finish Grandma's play in time? Find out in this delightful musical based on the top-rated Nickelodeon television show inspired by Rosemary Wells' bunny siblings, Max and Ruby!

Village Theatre Mainstage Matinee

Lost in Yonkers
Written by Neil Simon
Produced by Village Theatre
Grades 6 and up

School Performances:

Francis J. Gaudette Theatre, Downtown Issaquah
Thursday, February 4, 2010 - 10:00 AM

Everett Performing Arts Center
Thursday, March 11, 2010 - 10:00 AM

The winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Play, and the Pulitzer Prize, Lost in Yonkers is a remarkable coming of age story. Two young brothers are forced to enter a dysfunctional household consisting of their formidable grandmother, their "closed for repairs" aunt, and their Uncle Louie, a small-time thug. As comical as it is poignant, this Neil Simon masterwork is an examination of lives in an oppressive household, with a dramatic climax that is certain to leave you spellbound.

All school performances cost $8.50, with the exception of Village Theatre's production of Lost in Yonkers, which costs $15. Schools may reserve seats by calling (425) 257-6343. Tickets to public Pied Piper performances are $12 for youth/seniors and $14 for general audiences. Village Theatre also offers Pied Piper subscriptions available via the Village Theatre Box Office. To purchase single tickets or a subscription package, contact the Box Office at (425) 257-8600.

The Pied Piper program is dedicated to enriching the cultural lives of young people and supporting the classroom objectives of educators by bringing first-class educational performances to students, teachers, and families in the Puget Sound area. A Programming Advisory Committee, made up of teachers, principals, administrators, and parents advise on the selection of productions and presentations for each season's series, with the final selections being made by Village Theatre's educational and artistic staff.

Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining quality productions for the entire family since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best-attended Equity theatres, with over 18,000 subscribers and 170,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having launched over 80 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow's audiences through its youth education programs, Pied Piper and KIDSTAGE, serving over 54,000 young people, families, and schools annually.

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