Pushcart Players to Present ELLIS ISLAND at The Grand Opera House

Pushcart Players, New Jersey's renowned touring theater for young audiences presents "Ellis Island: Gateway to America" at The Grand Opera House in Wilmington, DE on Wednesday, March 6 at 9:30 am and 12:00 noon.

"Ellis Island: Gateway to America" is a spirited salute to the country in song, dance and story, designed to illustrate the struggles and achievements of past generations in preserving the freedoms enjoyed in the United States today. It takes a loving look at a small group of immigrants who came to America in 1903; they provide a symbolic representation of the many émigrés from a multitude of nations that have reached our shores. Prevailing themes throughout the presentation are the immigrant experience, ethnic diversity, and the precious legacy of freedom and democracy in America.

"This uplifting production celebrates people who came to this country seeking freedom, opportunity and a better life for themselves, their children and their children's children," said Paul Whelihan, artistic director. "But '...Gateway...' goes on to explore some extraordinary events in American history impacted by some ordinary citizens. These include Industrialization, Unionization, our two World Wars, the roaring twenties, the Depression, FDR and the New Deal, life in the 1950's and the Civil Rights Movement."

Directed by Whelihan, the cast includes Layan Elwazani, Stacie Gogo, James Holden, and JD Lynch. The production is written and designed by co-founder Ruth Fost. Original music is by Carole Wechter and orchestrations are by Tony Award-winner, Larry Hochman.

Layan Elwazani's recent credits include Louise in "Gypsy," Anita in "West Side Story", and The Human Race Theatre Company's production of "Mame." She is a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from Wright State University. Stacie Gogo is a graduate of Wilkes University with a B.A. in Musical Theatre and a Minor in Dance. Gogo appeared Off-Broadway as a Kit Kat Girl in 'Cabaret' at the Players Theatre, as Penny Pingleton in 'Hairspray' at the Westchester Broadway Theatre, in the ensemble of 'Grease!' at the Surflight Theatre, and she has also toured nationally.

James Holden played the loveable cop Flapjack in both "Doubles Crossed" and the sequel, "Doubles Crossed: The Ballad of Rodrigo" both with Funny...Sheesh Productions. He's performed in theaters around the country as Uncle Ernie in "The Who's Tommy," Wolf/Cinderella's Prince in "Into the Woods," Chris in "Miss Saigon," Snoopy in "...Charlie Brown," and Albert Peterson in "Bye Bye, Birdie." James has appeared on such television shows as "Celebrity Ghost Stories," "I'd Kill for You," and "Redrum." JD Lynch is a graduate of DeSales University with a degree in theatre/communications. He has performed extensively throughout the country and Off Broadway, and has been a beloved matinee idol in New Hope PA (Bucks County Playhouse) and Shawnee, PA. He was most recently seen in the role of Samuel in an original play, "Fading Light," at the New York Fringe Festival.

Paul Whelihan directs, stage-manages and performs off-Broadway (47th Street Theater, 59 East 59 Theatres, NY Fringe Festival, 54 Below) and regionally (Royal Poincianna Playhouse, Broward Center for the Arts, Centenary Stage, The Bickford Theatre, The Growing Stage, Luna Stage Company, Forum Cultural Arts Center, Quillo Arts Center, Dreamcatcher Rep) in musicals, dramas, original works and locally produced television, film and web series projects.

Larry Hochman is the Tony and Drama Desk award-winner for best orchestrations for "The Book of Mormon." He received Tony nominations for "The Scottsboro Boys," "Monty Python's Spamalot," (Hochman also received Drama Desk nominations for both), Fiddler on the Roof (2004 revival) and "A Class Act." Larry composed additional music for Disney's "Little Mermaid," for Stephen Spielberg's "Amazing Stories" and for numerous celebrity concerts. Other awards include the ASCAP Award for Musical Theater ("One Man Band"), 4 Emmy Awards for "The Wonder Pets" television series, and a Bistro Award for composing "One Man Band." He has orchestrated and/or written the scores for the majority of Pushcart's productions.

PUSHCART PLAYERS is the award-winning professional touring theater company specializing in arts education for children. Twice nominated for an Emmy©, Pushcart is the recipient of numerous state and private awards for excellence and innovation. A social-profit organization founded in 1974, Pushcart brings substantive musical theater, workshops, and residencies to young people and their families in schools and theaters nationwide. The company has traveled more than 2 million miles nationally and abroad, from the nation's White House to the rural red schoolhouse. All performances come with innovative scenery, complete lighting and state of the art sound systems, making it adaptable to any location.

The Grand Opera House is located at 818 North Market Street, Wilmington, DE. Tickets are available by calling the box office at 302-652-5577 or by visiting: http://tickets.thegrandwilmington.org/single/EventListing.aspx. For further information on this or any of Pushcart's programs and services, contact Pushcart Players at 973-857-1115 or visit the website at www.pushcartplayers.org.