Brand New Kids Musical 'POLKADOTS' Comes to Ivoryton Playhouse This April

POLKADOTS: THE COOL KIDS MUSICAL will premiere at the Ivoryton Playhouse in April.

Based on the historical events of the Little Rock Nine, POLKADOTS tells the story of Lily Polkadot just as she has relocated to the "Squares Only" small town of Rockaway. As the first Polkadot to attend the school, Lily is faced with the distaste of Penelope Square and the realization that she will have to drink from a new "polkadot pump" instead of the "square sprinkler." But the courageous Lily finds her way to acceptance with the help of her new friend, Sky Square.

POLKADOTS is interlaced with rollicking original songs, including First Day, Sticks and Stones, One Pal, Beautiful and The First. Add in colorful costumes and superb cast and this musical comes to life and captures the hearts of children while teaching them the importance of treating each other with dignity and respect.

Broadway actor Douglas Lyons teamed up with Greg Borowsky, Salina Giardino and Melvin Tunstall II to reimagine the story of the Little Rock Nine, the African-American students involved in the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Mr. Lyons, who grew up in New Haven, currently performs in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical on Broadway.

"The storyboard for POLKADOTS began as a history lesson with African-American and white racial tension, but as we wrote it, through the process we realized it's about more than race; it's about how to deal with bullies, how to embrace yourself and that extra layer," said Mr. Lyons. "It's about a motivation of the spirit."

The Ivoryton Playhouse premiere will be directed by Christine O'Grady. It will feature Shelby Ringdahl as Ms. Square/Mama Square, PJ Adzima as Sky Square, Tyla Collier as Lily Polkadot and Nicole Loewenstein as Penelope Square. Costume designer is Krissy Sneshkoff, set designer is Dan Nischan and lighting designer is Tate Burmeister.

POLKADOTS is best for ages 11 and under. Performance times are Monday, April 11, and Tuesday, April 12, at 7pm and Saturday, April 16, at 2 pm. All tickets are $15 and are available by calling the Playhouse box office at 860-767-7318 or by visiting our website at www.ivorytonplayhouse.org (Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.) The Playhouse is located at 103 Main Street in Ivoryton.

POLKADOTS is supported by Marc Blakeman, The Bauman Family Foundation, The Thomas J. Atkins Memorial Trust Fund, The Essex Community Fund and The Community Foundation of Middlesex County's Council of Business Partners Fund as part of its ongoing Campaign for Bully-Free Communities.