Imagination Stage to Present New Mo Willems Musical for the Holidays

Imagination Stage, the metro DC region's largest professional theatre for children, will welcome audiences celebrating Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Christmas, and New Years to the omni-festive musical Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: the Rock Experience, based on Mo Willems' best-selling 2009 picture book Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed. The show runs November 16 - January 8 and is best for ages 4+. Its message of acceptance and inclusion is meaningful any time of year, and certainly during the holiday season.

In the show, Wilbur J. Mole Rat Jr. and his fellow naked mole rats live in a rocky tunnel under the earth. And they take their 'rock' very seriously...it is their musical genre and vibe, as well as their physical environment. When clothes fall from a hole in the ground above, Wilbur decides that clothes "make this mole whole." He scandalizes all the cool kids by donning pants, and then doubles down by opening a clothing store. Through a series of witty, silly, tuneful rock songs, the leader of the naked mole rats ultimately decides that each mole rat can choose whether to dress or remain naked. How do they celebrate? With a mole rat fashion show!

Willems has written the script and lyrics, and Deborah Wicks La Puma, whose commissions from Imagination Stage include Looking for Roberto Clemente and Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans, writes the music. Kathryn Chase Bryer, Imagination Stage's Associate Artistic Director, directs.

Willems is a multi-talented artist and best-selling writer who created The Pigeon series, Knuffle Bunny, and Elephant & Piggie. Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience premiered at Seattle Children's Theatre in 2018 and was originally scheduled to play at Imagination Stage in 2020, but was postponed because of the pandemic. In summer 2022, HBO Max debuted an animated version of the show.

Willems believes that "Wilbur does not 'grow' so much as the society around him does. The other naked mole rats learn to accept that naked mole rat culture and clothes do not necessarily clash. They learn to bend, to understand, to accept and every-mole becomes more fashionable for it, nude or not."

The last time Kathryn Chase Bryer directed a rock musical was Imagination Stage's 2018 Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure, which won five Helen Hayes Awards, including Outstanding Direction of a Musical for Bryer and Outstanding Production-Theatre for Young Audiences. She says "we have waited three long years to bring this bright, funny, meaningful musical to the stage and FINALLY the moment has come! I am looking forward to visiting this very special genre of theatre as it is so exciting for our families to be able to see musical instruments played live. We are working with six extremely gifted actor/musicians who will be both singing and playing much of the music." Those actors are Caroline Dubberly, Steven Gondré-Lewis, Russell Rinker, Harrison Smith, Alana Thomas, and Katherine Zoerb. The production team includes Music Director Deborah Jacobson, Choreographer Tony Thomas, Scenic Designer Mollie Singer, Costume Designer Eric Abele, and Lighting Designer Max Doolittle.

Founding Artistic Director Janet Stanford hopes that "Mo Willems' story about one naked mole rat who chooses to challenge the status quo will inspire families to laugh, to sing, and to make brave New Year's resolutions in keeping with Shakespeare's classic advice: 'To thine own self be true.'"

Managing Director Jason Najjoum says, "Personally, I can't wait to bring my nephews to see Naked Mole Rat since they love the book. And I especially can't wait to be in the audience with families coming to the theater to enjoy the show together. Tis the season!"

The Smithsonian National Zoo is the Education Partner for this production. They will be providing engaging content about naked mole rats in the theatre lobby for children to explore before or after the performance. "We're excited about the production of Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed and partnering again with Imagination Stage to bring special benefits to our members. It is our hope that combining arts and science will delight, educate, and inspire young people to learn more about our naked mole-rat colony," said Matt Cannella, Director of Advancement, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed runs November 16 - January 8, with general public performances Saturdays and Sundays and special matinees during Thanksgiving week and the week between Christmas and New Years. See the full schedule on our website. The play, to be staged in the Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre, is best for ages 4-10. Tickets are $12 - $36 (group rates available) and may be purchased online at imaginationstage.org or by phone at 301-280-1660. Members of the media: for more information or to schedule an interview, contact Laurie Levy-Page at 301-280-1642 or llevypage@imaginationstage.org

Special performances:

Sensory-Friendly performance: December 11 at 11:00

ASL-Interpreted performance: December 18 at 1:30

Winter at Imagination Stage will see an encore production of Aquarium (January 14 - February 12), a show for ages 1-5, and the debut of The Hula-Hoopin' Queen (February 15 - April 8), a show for ages 5-11. The Hula-Hoopin' Queen is a newly-commissioned production by Imagination Stage and Tempe, Arizona's Childsplay.

Imagination Stage has been holding camps, classes, and performances safely and successfully indoors since summer 2021 and believes that COVID-19 safety is paramount. Among the measures in place to keep audience members healthy:

• All actors and staff who come into contact with patrons are fully vaccinated.

• Everyone in the theatre age 2+ must wear a mask, in keeping with Actor's Equity Association regulations.

ABOUT IMAGINATION STAGE

Founded 43 years ago, Imagination Stage is a holistic theatre arts organization for all children and youth. Through award-winning professional theatre, arts education, and community-based theatre programming, the organization helps children and young people develop a deep appreciation of theatre arts, while building a sense of self and social understanding. Based in Bethesda, MD, its programming serves children and families throughout the DMV.

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