Chicago Shakespeare Theater Presents
World Premiere Family Musical
The Adventures of Pinocchio
A CST Family Commission by Drama Desk Award Nominees Neil Bartram and Brian Hill
Now through August 28, 2011
Chicago—July 22, 2011—Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) presents the world premiere family musical The Adventures of Pinocchio now through August 28, 2011. Based on Carlo Collodi's classic tale of a wooden puppet who yearns to be a real boy, this originalCST Family commission will turn CST's Courtyard Theater stage into a larger-than-life, European-style marionette theater. Created by multiple Drama Desk Award-nominated teamNeil Bartram (music/lyrics) and Brian Hill (book), The Adventures of Pinocchio is directed byRachel Rockwell, who returns to CST after staging last summer's world premiere CST Family musical The Emperor's New Clothes. Tickets for The Adventures of Pinocchio now through August 28, 2011, in CST's Courtyard Theater are $18-$25 with special discuonts available for groups of 10 or more. All patrons receive a 40% parking discount at Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com/pinocchio.
Continuing its commitment to young audiences and the development of new musicals, Chicago Shakespeare Theater commissioned Neil Bartram and Brian Hill to create this inventive retelling of Carlo Collodi's beloved story. Through several workshops at CST,Creative Producer Rick Boynton worked with Bartram and Hill to develop The Adventures of Pinocchio, leading to its world premiere this summer at Chicago Shakespeare. In this puppet-infused CST Family musical, the woodcarver Geppetto, mourning the loss of his wife, carves a wooden boy named Pinocchio in honor of the son they never had. Pinocchio is eager to explore the world and, before long, the fun-loving boy is tricked into working for a puppet master, swindled by smooth-talking scam artists Fox and Cat, and tempted to climb aboard a dangerous coach bound for "Terra di Ragazzi," the Land of Boys. Through their journey together, Pinocchio and Geppetto learn about the importance of family—and that making choices is one of the most important and precious parts of being human.
Creators Neil Bartram (music/lyrics) and Brian Hill (book) garnered four Drama Desk Award nominations for The Story of My Life, which premiered on Broadway in 2009, including outstanding musical, outstanding music and lyrics, and outstanding book of a musical. The duo has collaborated on a number of other musicals, including Somewhere in the World, The Nightingale and the Rose and Not Wanted on the Voyage. Bartram is a past recipient of the Jonathan Larson Foundation Award, a Dramatist's Guild Fellowship and a Dora Award.
Celebrated Chicago musical theater director Rachel Rockwell returns to Chicago Shakespeare Theater to stage The Adventures of Pinocchio after directing last summer's critically acclaimed world premiere CST Family musical The Emperor's New Clothes. As a choreographer, her work has been seen on CST's stages in productions including The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo and Juliet and Measure for Measure. In addition to regional credits throughout the country, Rockwell's Chicago-area directing and choreography credits include Jeff Award-winning productions at The Marriott Theatre, Apple Tree Theatre, Noble Fools Theatricals and Drury Lane Oakbrook, where Rockwell garnered a Jeff Award for Best Director for Ragtime.
New to the city of Chicago and making his Chicago Shakespeare Theater debut in the role of Pinocchio is fresh talent Skyler Adams, who has worked with the Lyric Theater of Oklahoma and Music Theatre of Wichita. Returning to CST to perform the role of Geppetto is five-time Jeff Award nominee Don Forston, whose past roles in CST Family musicals include the Emperor in The Emperor's New Clothes, the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz and Smee inPeter Pan. Additional Chicago Shakespeare veteran actors in Rockwell's production areMelody Betts as Storyteller, Derek Hasenstab as Fox, Heidi Kettenring as Cat (through July 31), Ericka Mac as Cat (beginning August 3), Liz Pazik as The Driver, Ron Rains as Puppet Master and Hannah Sielatycki as Mary. The ensemble is rounded out by Dylan Saunders as Lampwick and Katie Spelman as Annette.
The production team for The Adventures of Pinocchio includes Scenic Designer Kevin Depinet, who returns to collaborate with Rockwell after designing the whimsical set for The Emperor's New Clothes last summer. Depinet most recently designed the set for Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin's celebrated Chicago Shakespeare production of As You Like It. The production team for The Adventures of Pinocchio is rounded out by Costume DesignerRachel Healy, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Sound Designer James Savage, Puppetry Designer Meredith Miller, Wig and Make-up Designer Melissa Veal and Properties MasterChelsea Meyers.
The Adventures of Pinocchio is recommended for ages 5 and up, and runs now through August 28, 2011, in CST's Courtyard Theater. Tickets are $18-$25 with special discounts available for groups of 10 or more. All patrons receive a 40% parking discount at Navy Pier garages. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Box Office at 312.595.5600 or visit the Theater's website at www.chicagoshakes.com/pinocchio.
Chicago Shakespeare Theater is collaborating with the Chicago Children's Museum on the following programs in conjunction with performances of The Adventures of Pinocchio:
- Bring a Puppet to Life Workshops on July 28 at 5:30 p.m. and 6:30p.m.; and on July 30 and 31 at 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
- CST's Pinocchio and Puppet-making at CCM's Great Hall on August 2 at 1 p.m. and August 11 at 6 p.m.
About the CST Family Series
Chicago Shakespeare Theater's CST Family Series presents a wide range of affordable programming especially for families. As part of CST's commitment to making theater and live performance accessible to all ages, offerings year-round include Short Shakespeare!adaptations of Shakespeare classics, summer musicals of imaginative children's tales and classical music concerts in collaboration with The Chicago Chamber Musicians. These programs reach more than 35,000 patrons each season—making Chicago Shakespeare one of the largest providers of family programming in Chicago. CST has also championed the creation of new family productions, commissioning and producing two world-premiere summer musicals to great acclaim: How Can You Run with a Shell on Your Back?, about students in detention who bring a modern twist to Aesop's fables, and last summer's The Emperor's New Clothes, based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic tale.
About Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary this season, Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a leading international theater company, known for vibrant productions that reflect Shakespeare’s genius for intricate storytelling, musicality of language and depth of feeling for the human condition. Recipient of the 2008 Regional Theatre Tony Award, Chicago Shakespeare’s work has been recognized internationally with three of London’s prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, and by the Chicago theater community with 55 Joseph Jefferson Awards for Artistic Excellence. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Barbara Gaines andExecutive Director Criss Henderson, CST is dedicated to producing extraordinary classic productions, new works and family fare; unlocking Shakespeare’s work for educators and students; and serving as Chicago’s cultural ambassador through its World’s Stage Series.
Significant projects include: Barbara Gaines’ two-part epic Henry IV at the Royal Shakespeare Company; Chicago Shakespeare’s Olivier Award-winningproduction of Sondheim and Weidman’s Pacific Overtures at London’s DonmarWarehouse, directed by CST Associate Artistic Director Gary Griffin; Edward Hall’stour de force, Rose Rage, in Chicago and New York; a commissioned adaptation ofFeydeau’s A Flea in Her Ear by David Ives; a commissioned “ad-rap-tation” of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Funk It Up About Nothin’, which garnered acclaim in Chicago, New York and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, toured Australia and made its London debut at Theatre Royal Stratford East; and participation in the inaugural campaignof the NEA’s Shakespeare in American Communities initiative.
At its permanent, state-of-the-art facility on Navy Pier, CST houses two intimate theater spaces: the 500-seat Jentes Family Courtyard Theater and the 200-seat Carl and Marilynn Thoma Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare. Through a year-round season encompassing more than 600 performances, CST leads the community as the largest employer of Chicago actors and attracts 225,000 audience members annually—including nearly 19,000 subscribers and 50,000 students and teachers.
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American Airlines is the official airline of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
ComEd is the official lighting design sponsor of Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Programming in the Theater Upstairs at Chicago Shakespeare is made possible through generous support from Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
Land O'Frost is a proud sponsor of the Subscription Series at Chicago Shakespeare Theater.
Artistic productions in the Jentes Family Courtyard Theater are supported, in part, through a generous grant from the McCormick Foundation.