Theatre for Young America 2012-13 Season

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AMERICA ANNOUNCES ITS
2012-2013 SEASON!

A two-dimensional traveler, a precocious first grader, a robot, a kidnapped mother and child, a chicken with a hyper-active imagination, and dogs exhibiting quirky human behaviors will inhabit the H&R Block City Stage when Theatre for Young America presents its 2012-2013 season at Union Station. The City Stage is located on level B in Union Station at 30 W. Pershing Road in Kansas City, Missouri.

Tickets may be reserved online at www.unionstation.org, or by calling Union Station at 816.460.2020. Season tickets must be purchased through Theatre for Young America by calling 816.460.2083 or through the TYA website at www.tya.org.

Theatre for Young America's 2012-13 productions and show dates are:

THE MUSICAL ADVENTURES OF FLAT STANLEY
October 9 through November 10, 2012
The beloved children's book was written by Jeff Brown in 1964 and has become a literary and pop cultural phenomenon, delighting readers and travelers all around the world with this delightful two-dimensional hero. Lambchop is your ordinary, every day, run-of the-mill ten-year old until one night the bulletin board on the wall above Stanley's bed comes loose and falls right on top of Stanley. The next morning, Stanley Lambchop wakes up flat. Not just flat…really, REALLY flat! In a whirlwind musical travelogue, Stanley--the ultimate exchange student--scours the globe for a solution to his unusual problem. The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley has lyrics by Timothy Allen McDonald and Jonathan K. Waller; music by David Weinstein, Timothy Allen McDonald, Jonathan K. Waller and Stephen Gabriel; and Timothy Allen McDonald wrote the book.

JUNIE B. JONES IN JINGLE BELLS, BATMAN SMELLS
November 20 through December 29, 2012
One of the most requested shows by TYA's patrons, Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells returns to the City Stage for the holiday season. Based on Barbara Parks' Junie B. Jones books and adapted for the stage by Allison Gregory, this is a sparkling musical featuring Junie B. Jones, a first grader who is funny, silly, lovable, but irreverent. It's holiday time and Room One is doing a lot of happy things to celebrate—like making elf costumes and singing joyful songs. Tattletale May keeps ruining Junie's holiday glee until Junie learns an important lesson about the joy of giving.

BULLY BOT THE ROBOT AND THE GANG OF GEEKS
January 22 through January 31, 2013
Created by local playwright Gene Mackey, TYA's Artistic Director, for Theatre for Young America, in cooperation with The Whole Person and VSA Missouri, this play addresses the problem of bullying, including the particular kinds of bullying the disabled encounter. Three best friends who share a love of computers, games and imagination meet once a week to chew over the world's problems. They affectionately describe themselves as a gang of geeks. The gang decides to solve the problem of bullying. One of the three suggests using role-playing, but the Chief Geek has a better idea. Use a robot. This show will be available for tour from late January through February.

ANANSI THE SPIDER AND THE MIDDLE PASSAGE
February 16 through February 23, 2013
This play by renowned Missouri playwright Frank Higgins features the celebrated spider from African folklore. Under heart-breaking circumstances, Anansi's stories bolster the spirits of a mother and daughter who have been kidnapped from their African homeland. Anansi's inventiveness, vitality and enterprising character fortify them during this frightful "middle passage" by bringing the bright and spirited folklore of Africa along for their harrowing journey.

CHICKEN LITTLE
March 5 through April 13, 2013
This short folk-tale of the chicken that created an unnecessary and hilarious panic when he proclaims, "the sky is falling," has been expanded into a delightfully manic musical. Theatre for Young America's Artistic Director, Gene Mackey, who wrote the book and lyrics, and Cheryl Benge, who wrote the music, combined their creative talents to present a delightful version of the story of Chicken Little, Henny Penny, Cocky Locky, Goosey Poosey, and Foxy Woxy. This play is a favorite with Kansas City audiences and also has been produced innumerable times by other theaters across the country.

GO, DOG. GO!
April 23 through May 18, 2013
Go, Dog. Go! uses much of the dialogue and illustrations of author P. D. Eastman's classic children's book of the same name. The stage-play, which takes place in a world where dogs are involved in car chases, perform circus tricks and dance, was adapted by Roberta Wilhelm for the Omaha Theater Company for Young People and was developed under the auspices of the Estate of P.D. Eastman. Kids will be dazzled by the frenetic pace and enjoy the play's faithfulness to the book.

TBA
June 11 through June 29, 2012
(May extend into July if ticket sales warrant)
Theatre for Young America is currently in negotiations for rights to a show that will be announced later.

Theatre for Young America is a professional theater company, which primarily employs local actors, including members of Actors Equity Association.

Theatre for Young America, Inc., is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Gifts are tax deductible.

KC Stage cardmembers receive a discount of:
20% off

----------------------------------------------------------
This message has been sent through KC Stage's Automated
Press Release System at http://www.kcstage.com/.

Any and all information listed in this e-mail is property
of the person sending this information and KC Stage
can not be held liable for the content.