Ridgefield Playhouse Presents PINOCCHIO & INTO THE WOODS Today

Children will be entertained in grand style this February with two events at The Ridgefield Playhouse. Pinocchio will be presented today, February 22, at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. On Friday, February 28, and Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m., Into The Woods, the iconic musical of Stephen Sondheim, will be presented by The Connecticut Broadway Stage Co. with a cast of 10th to 12th graders. These shows are part of the Pepsi Children's Series. To make the day even more special, Piccolo Pizza & Pasta Jazzeria (24 Prospect St., Ridgefield) will serve a free scoop of gelato the day of the shows when tickets/stubs are presented.

Before seeing Pinocchio on stage, children are encouraged to read the book (available at Books on the Common, 404 Main St., Ridgefield) or at Ridgefield Library (21 Governor St., Ridgefield), so they can compare the book to the play. After the performance, the actors will be on hand to sign the children's purchased books. Pinocchio is the story of a wooden puppet that springs to life. The little wooden boy, named Pinocchio, becomes like a son to the kindly old wood carver, Geppetto, who provides a loving home for Pinocchio. But the mischievous, and somewhat ungrateful "son" has other ideas and sets off on a series of fantastical adventures. Along the way, he learns valuable lessons that lead him back home to Geppetto and earn him the thing he most desires -- to be a real boy. This event is underwritten by Wooster School of Danbury and sponsored by Books on the Common with support from Ridgefield Library. As part of The Playhouse's ongoing outreach program where free tickets are offered to other non-profits, The Union Savings Bank "Arts for Everyone" recipient is Danbury Grass Roots Tennis.

The musical Into The Woods will delight on Friday, February 28, and Saturday, March 1, at 7:30 p.m. Into The Woods is a brilliant Stephen Sondheim musical which blends fairy tale characters with a baker and his wife who try to reverse a curse cast upon them by a witch, rendering them barren. The actors are trained 10th thru 12th graders who will be accompanied by a professional seven-piece orchestra in an event that is sure to mesmerize young and old with its hauntingly beautiful score and storyline.

For tickets for Pinocchio ($15) and Into The Woods ($25 adults, $20 kids), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or order at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a not-for-profit arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, in Ridgefield, CT.

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