Adventure Theatre Announces 2018-2019 Professional Season

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC), recipient of 8 Helen Hayes awards, including its most recent win for Outstanding Original Play or Musical Adaptation, 2018, brings to the stage familiar friends, new and old, as they learn to navigate the world in its action-packed 67th season. A season of classic and beloved stories featuring the wonderful imaginations of children, this season promises to be one of Adventure Theatre MTC's biggest adventures yet.

Caldecott Award-Winning book by Robert McCloskey (Make Way for Ducklings), BLUEBERRIES FOR SAL, celebrates its 70th anniversary by coming alive on the stage in a world premiere musical. Directed by Jess Jung and written by Sandra Eskin, Michael J. Bobbitt, and Bill Yanesh, this all-female cast will delight audiences with an adventure of a bear and a little girl on Blueberry Hill.

We cannot celebrate the holidays without bringing out fancy decorations, and nothing is fancier than FANCY NANCY'S SPLENDIFEROUS CHRISTMAS, based on the book series that spent 100 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List and directed by our fancy director and educator Stevie Zimmerman. In classic fashion, Fancy Nancy learns what happens when things don't go as planned.

Tony Award and Drama Desk Award winning, Big River, is brought to the stage in the world premiere theatre for young audiences version, HUCKLEBERRY FINN'S BIG RIVER, in partnership with the Lyric Theatre and in association with Rogers & Hammerstein Theatricals and First Stage of Milwaukee. Revisited by the original creative team of William Hauptman and Roger Miller with new arrangements by William Yanesh, Helen Hayes Award Recipient Michael Barron directs this diverse cast and creative team in a trip down the Ohio River.

Everyone's favorite bear returns to Adventure Theatre from the Hundred Acre Wood in WINNIE THE POOH, a play directed by Shirley Serotosky based upon the works by A. A. Milne. Follow Pooh and Piglet on a Heffalump hunt, watch Rabbit scheme to rid the forest of Kanga's dreaded bathtub, and help Eeyore search for his tail.

And last, when Mom's out for a rainy day, Sally and her brother learn what crazy antics can happen in Dr. Seuss's beloved, THE CAT IN THE HAT. Directed by Theater J's Adam Immerwhar, children will delight when their favorite characters, Thing 1, Thing 2, and the infamous Cat in the Hat take over their living room.

Michael J. Bobbitt says of the season, "Building on our reputation for bringing new plays to the stage including our recent Helen Hayes winning adaption of Ella Enchanted, we are so excited to have two world premiere musicals in this season. These shows really emphasize children's ability to cope with the world and solve problems. That's really the times we're living in now with kids leading change. We wanted to reflect that on the stage. "

All performances will take place at Adventure Theatre MTC, 7300 MacArthur Blvd, Glen Echo, MD, 20812 in the historic Glen Echo Park. For more information about Adventure Theatre MTC or Tinker Bell, call 301-634-2270 or visit www.adventuretheatre-mtc.org.

PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTIONS

Celebrating its 70th Anniversary

Blueberries for Sal

A co-commission with New York City's Children's Theatre
Based upon the book "Blueberries for Sal" by Robert McCloskey
Written by Sandra Eskin and Michael J. Bobbitt
Book, Music and Lyrics by William Yanesh
Directed by Jess Jung
All performances held in Glen Echo Park
Recommended for all ages

(September 21- October 21, 2018)

Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk! Sal and her mother are picking delicious blueberries to can for the long winter months ahead to make delicious desserts. On the other side of Maine's Blueberry Hill, a mama bear and baby bear are filling up for the long hybernation. But somehow Sal and a baby bear have a mixed up adventure and lose their mothers!

Fancy Nancy's Splendiferous Christmas

Based upon the book "Fancy Nancy's Splendiferous Christmas" by Jane O'Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser
Book by Cara Lustik and Matthew Hardy
Music by Randy Klein
Lyrics by Matthew Hardy
Directed by Stevie Zimmerman
All performances held in Glen Echo Park
Recommended for all ages

(November 16, 2018 - January 1, 2019)

What could be fancier than Christmas? Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles-and who could forget the tree? After all, there is no such thing as too much tinsel. Oohlala! This year, Nancy is especially excited. After selling some of her old gowns and accessories, Nancy has enough money to buy a brand-new sparkly tree topper. She can't wait to decorate the Christmas tree. But when things don't turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous?

A world premiere co- production with The Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma, in association with Rogers and Hammerstein Theatricals and First Stage

Huckleberry Finn's Big River

A Theatre for Young Audiences world premiere musical based upon the classic by Mark Twain and the Tony Award winning Big River
Book by William Hauptman
Music and Lyrics by Roger Miller
New arrangements and orchestrations by William Yanesh
Directed by Michael Baron
All performances held in Glen Echo Park
Recommended for all ages

(February 8- March 3, 2019)

Twain's timeless classic sweeps us down the mighty Mississippi as the irrepressible Huck Finn helps his friend Jim, a slave, escape to freedom at the mouth of the Ohio River. Touching and timeless, this tale of friendship against all odds is recreated for young audiences as two best friends demonstrate the power of changing the world.

Winnie the Pooh

Based on the book by A.A. Milne
Adapted for the stage by le Clanché du Rand
Directed by Shirley Serotosky
All performances held in Glen Echo Park
Recommended for all ages

(March 29- May 26, 2019)

Winnie the Pooh would spend every day of life humming tunes and stopping frequently to eat "a little something." But today, Pooh and Piglet have to find the Heffalump, watch Rabbit scheme to rid the forest of Kanga's dreaded bathtub, and help Eeyore search for his tail. Pooh's intentions are always the best, but his passion for honey and condensed milk keeps getting him into trouble.

The Cat in the Hat

Based on the book by Dr. Seuss
Play Originally Produced by The National Theatre of Great Britain
Adapted and Originally Directed by Katie Mitchell
Directed by Adam Immerwhar

(June 21- August 18, 2019)

From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that the cat in the hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he is certainly fun to play with. And he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. But what will mom find when she gets home...?

ABOUT ADVENTURE THEATRE MTC

Adventure Theatre MTC educates and inspires new generations of theater artists and audiences with exceptional theatrical experiences.

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