CCT & CATCO Is Kids Announce 2020 Collaboration

CATCO is Kids and Columbus Children's Theatre, the region's premiere youth theatre organizations, announced today they will co-produce Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical, winner of multiple Tony and Olivier awards, May 7-24, 2020. The collaboration is a first for the two groups and the beginning of what leaders of both organizations hope will pave the way for additional partnerships in the future.

"We believe our products for families and young audiences will be stronger and our opportunities to connect with our audiences will be greater if we work together, pooling our resources to create larger and bolder productions than what either of us would be able to produce individually," said Joe Bishara, who oversees all programming and production at CATCO is Kids. Bishara also is the associate producing director at CATCO, CATCO is Kids' adult theatre partner.

"The future sustainability and growth of our organizations and the broader arts community will be contingent on smart partnerships and efforts to eliminate program redundancy between organizations. This partnership will showcase the best attributes of Columbus Children's Theatre and CATCO is Kids for the next generation of arts patrons," said Susan Pringle, executive director of Columbus Children's Theatre. "We're excited to team up with CATCO is Kids on this Columbus premiere," she said.

During the fall of 2019, Columbus Children's Theatre will partner with Short North Stage on a production of West Side Story. Previously, CCT and Short North Stage have collaborated on Jackie & Me in 2016. CCT has been fortunate to collaborate with organizations across Central Ohio including the YMCA of Central Ohio, The Dublin Abbey Theater, The McConnell Arts Center, United Schools Network, and BalletMet.

In May CATCO is Kids will partner with Columbus School for Girls to co-produce Haroun and the Sea of Stories. The two co-produced Anne of Green Gables during the 2016-17 season. CATCO is Kids also has collaborated with the McCoy Center For The Arts in New Albany last summer with the production of Mary Poppins JR. The two will partner again this summer to produce Willy Wonka JR.

Matilda The Musical, inspired by the genius of Roald Dahl, is the captivating masterpiece from the Royal Shakespeare Company that revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination and the story of a young girl who dreams of a better life. The tale of Matilda, a special child with an extraordinary imagination, has delighted audiences young and old since its premiere on London's West End in 2011 and on Broadway in 2013.

CATCO is Kids and CCT will generate awareness for the upcoming co-production through educational offerings and additional events through the rest of 2019 and the first half of 2020 leading up to the show. Details about these programs, aswell audition and show information about Matilda The Musical, will be available in the coming weeks on the organizations' websites, catcoiskids.org and columbuschildrenstheatre.org.

All performances will be held in the Shedd Theatre, Columbus Performing Arts Center, 549 Franklin Ave.

Columbus Children's Theatre, CATCO, and CATCO is Kids seasons are supported by The Ohio Arts Council, which helps fund both theatres with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, education excellence, and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans, and both are supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

In addition, the Columbus Foundation supports both Columbus Children's Theatre and CATCO and CATCO is Kids with the latter receiving support of the Helen E. Sandfort Arts-in-Education and Florence E.K. Hurd Funds of The Columbus Foundation, assisting donors and others in strengthening our community for the benefit of all of its citizens.

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