Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre Presents THE EMPEROR'S NEW CLOTHES, Now thru 8/11

This summer, join Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre in the far away land of Pantaloon. From the same team of professionals that have brought arts opportunities to Upstate New York Schools for over fifty years, The Emperor's New Clothes will tour parks, churches, playgrounds and recreation centers from tonight, July 12-August 11, 2012.

A fashion-obsessed Emperor, who is blinded by his search for the perfect wardrobe, unknowingly hires two swindlers to sew his royal vestments. Hardly up to the task of creating these extravagant garments, the trickster "tailors" manage to convince the Emperor that their clothing can only be seen by the wisest people in the kingdom. Can one man's honesty help the Emperor to see the error of his vanity before he strolls through Pantaloon wearing nothing at all?

Michelle Foytek returns from New York City to direct her second MGR summer production, hot on the heels of last year's Aladdin. Many area children will recognize summer tour veteran actors Michael Brennan and James Caito, who are beginning their sixth and fifth seasons with MGR, respectively. Joining them will be Christine Zavakos, who hails from Centerville, Ohio, and has worked at regional theatres all over the country. Auburn native Marie Angus rounds out the cast after recently completing her degree in Music from Wells College.

A year-round repertory company headed by Producing Director Ed Sayles and Associate Producer Lisa Myers, Merry-Go-Round Youth Theatre tours state wide with curriculum-based theatre performances and a workshop series for youth during the school year and a family oriented performance during the summer.

Sponsored by Wegmans and with support from the Cayuga County Youth Bureau and the Auburn Recreation Department, a number of free public performances are available throughout the city of Auburn and its surrounding areas during the months of July and August.

For more information about when and where The Emperor's New Clothes will be in your area, or to book a show for your community, please contact Stephanie Figer, Educational Theatre Coordinator at (315) 255-1305 x 26 or visit our website, www.merry-go-round.com.