Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS and Teen Theatre Project Showcase at WHBPAC Set for This Weekend

WHBPAC's Nancy and Frederick DeMatteis Arts Education Program proudly presents both Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS and Teen Theatre Project in a showcase of theatre students ages 5 - 17 today, April 18 and Saturday, April 19 at 7:00 p.m. All tickets are $15. Public sale begins Friday, April 4. Purchase tickets at www.whbpac.org or by calling 631-288-1500.

First, the jungle is jumpin' with jazz in Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS! Specially adapted from the classic film, this musical includes all your favorite Disney tunes, like "The Bare Necessities," and "I Wan'na Be Like You."

On the run from Shere Khan, a ferocious tiger who has banished him from the jungle, a human boy named Mowgli is aided by an agile panther named Bagheera. Along the way, the two meet a sinister snake named Kaa, a herd of elephants, and a giant bear named Baloo, who teaches them the swingin' musical rhythms of the jungle. After surviving a dangerous encounter with a band of monkeys led by King Louie, Mowgli and Bagheera are forced to run for their lives. Shere Khan returns, leading our protagonists to rally their follow jungle creatures into battle and restore peace to the jungle.

The show is directed by WHBPAC Teaching Artist and Singer/Actress Valerie diLorenzo. Valerie has worked as a Teaching Artist at various venues including: Lincoln Center, NYU, TADA!, Inside Broadway and numerous schools and organizations throughout the country. Valerie has also been singing the National Anthem for the New York Mets for over 15 seasons.

After intermission, Teen Theatre Troupe takes the stage in two one act plays.

This Is a Test, by Stephen Gregg, is a raucous comedy that resonates with anyone who's ever had a nightmare of taking a big exam without being at all prepared. As the ticking clock reminds you, you have only 60 minutes to complete this oh-so-important predictor of your future. But you didn't get the review sheets, the teacher doesn't seem to like you and your classmates are blatantly cheating. Time is passing and the voices in your head keep reminding you that though you may be having trouble with the test, your personal life is far, far worse. Then you reach the essay question. The good news is that it's an opinion essay. The bad news is that it's in Chinese.

The exam theme continues in AP Theatre, by Ed Monk, another comedy that surveys theatre history through the eyes of teens. Welcome to the Advanced Placement Theatre examination. To demonstrate your knowledge of theater history, you will adapt three classic styles (Bunruku, Greek Theater, and Theater of the Absurd) into short plays dealing with the problems of the modern adolescent. You have thirty minutes to finish. Your time begins...now.

The Teen Theatre Project is directed by WHBPAC Managing Director of Arts Education/Resident Teaching Artist Julienne Penza and WHBPAC Arts Education Associate/Teaching Artist Morgan Vaughan.