Download AladdinJr_4-08

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 1, 2008
Media Contact: Michelle Sanders, Public Relations Manager
(425) 392-1942 x124
[email protected]
www.villagetheatre.org
FLY YOUR MAGIC CARPET TO VILLAGE THEATRE
FOR THE KIDSTAGE ENSEMBLE PRODUCTION
OF DISNEY’S ALADDIN JR.
What:
Disney’s Aladdin Jr.
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
Book Adapted and Additional Lyrics by Jim Luigs
Music Adapted and Arranged by Bryan Louiselle
Based on the Screenplay by Ron Clements and John
Musker; Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio
Directed by Charissa Bertels
Choreographed by Eia Waltzer
Musical Direction by Orlando Morales
Where:
First Stage Theatre
120 Front Street North
Issaquah, WA 98027
When:
April 17-20, 2008
Thursday through Saturday at 7:30 PM
Saturday at 2:00 PM
Sunday at 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM
Tickets:
$10-$12 – ON SALE NOW
Box Office: (425) 257-8600 or
www.villagetheatre.org
Issaquah, Wash. — Village Theatre KIDSTAGE Ensemble produces Disney’s Aladdin
Jr., the thrilling stage adaptation of the Disney hit. In this story, Aladdin, Jasmine, the Genie, and
the rest of the gang will sing and dance their way through crazy adventures to defeat the evil
Jafar. Disney’s Aladdin Jr. features 28 kids ranging between the fourth to eighth grades in a fullscale musical.
First time KIDSTAGE director Charissa Bertels (currently on Village Theatre Mainstage in Little
Women) uses the Viewpoints technique with the cast to help give them a common vocabulary from which
to create their show. Bertels comments, “So far we have learned about tempo, topography, spacial
relationships, and how these things will communicate different things to the audience through the
Viewpoints method.” Another interesting aspect of this show is first time KIDSTAGE set designer Jenny
-more-
Page Two… Fly Your Magic Carpet to Village Theatre for the KIDSTAGE Ensemble Production
of Disney’s Aladdin Jr.
Symons. “Staging a fairytale show like Aladdin Jr. presents many challenges. How do you create a
magical carpet ride without pyrotechnics and full fly rail? You have to get creative with your story telling.
It's amazing what a few simple props and lighting can do to set the mood,” Symons explains.
The KIDSTAGE production of Disney’s Aladdin Jr. boasts six young actors that have
previously been involved in Village Theatre Mainstage productions. For example, Sam Tacher
will play Aladdin in this KIDSTAGE production, and was seen last season in the role of Douglas
in Shadowlands. Many of the other cast members are returning KIDSTAGE kids, however there
are also some new faces as well. Bertels comments, “While Aladdin is a well-known and a dearly
loved movie, I want to make sure I allow students to create their own characters and to make their
own choices as actors, rather than having to mimic the Disney movie.”
Disney’s Aladdin Jr. includes professionally-designed sets, costumes, lights, and sound.
Actors are selected through a highly competitive audition process, while the show is directed,
choreographed, and musically directed by skilled theatre professionals.
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact Michelle Sanders at (425) 392-1942
x124 or at [email protected]. Photos are available on our website at:
http://www.villagetheatre.org/photos_ks-aladdin08.shtml.
About Village Theatre KIDSTAGE:
Designed to encourage teamwork, personal integrity, self-esteem, and a life-long appreciation for live theatre,
KIDSTAGE is a year-round performing arts training program in Issaquah, Everett, and Stanwood for young people ages 3-20.
KIDSTAGE students participate in classes, workshops and full-scale KIDSTAGE productions. All performances are by
KIDSTAGE students and classes are taught by professional theatrical instructors.
About Village Theatre
Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. What began in 1979 with the vision of a small
group of dedicated theatre artists has grown into one of the region's best-attended resident theatres, with over 18,000 subscribers
to the current season and 165,000 projected total attendance, performances on seven stages in the Puget Sound area, youth
education programs serving over 53,000 young people, families, and schools annually, and a nationally recognized program that
has enabled the development of over 75 new musicals. Serving an expanding and diverse community, Village Theatre has
experienced phenomenal growth in recent years with the start of our contract as the resident performing and management
company at the Everett Performing Arts Center in 1998.
Mission of Village Theatre:

To be a regionally recognized and nationally influential center of excellence in family theatre

To promote a season of top quality productions

To commission and produce new musicals that achieve national exposure

To train young people in theatre skills for career opportunities and enriched lives

To develop a broad based appreciation for live theatre

To promote positive values through art
KIDSTAGE is made possible, in part, by Arts United, Bellevue Arts Commission, Citigroup Private Bank, City of Everett, City of
Issaquah, Clear Image, Costco, Everett Clinic, Everett Cultural Commission, Fluke, Kobe Foundation, Snohomish County
Tourism, Tulalip Tribes, US Bancorp, and Washington State Arts Commission.
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