Chicago Children's Theatre to Bring Works to Other U.S. Cities

Chicago Children's Theatre, now enjoying a smash hit run with its newest world premiere musical, The Houdini Box, is proud to announce the company is exporting its singular brand of professional children's theater beyond the Windy City and to major cities around the U.S.

CCT's smash hit musical The Hundred Dresses, which premiered at Chicago's Royal George Theater in 2009, will make its New York debut in a new production by Atlantic Theater Company, Feb. 19-May 11. Based on Eleanor Estes' timeless children's novel, The Hundred Dresses tackles the topic of bullying head on by taking audiences on a fun, funny, heartwarming journey that explores the bonds of friendship, the willingness to be yourself, and the courage it takes to stand up to others - even when you're standing alone.

CCT's production of The Hundred Dresses, which had a subsequent successful run in 2010 at Skokie's North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, was co-written by musician Ralph Covert (Ralph's World, The Bad Examples) and G. Riley Mills, and was originally directed by CCT Artistic Associate Sean Graney. 

"As a theater devoted to tackling important social issues impacting today's youth, we think The Hundred Dresses is the ideal production to introduce our work to audiences outside of Chicago and to add to the children's theater canon nationally," said Jacqueline Russell, Co-Founder and Artistic Director, Chicago Children's Theatre. "The play's anti-bullying message struck a strong chord in Chicago with children, parents, critics and educators. So we are thrilled that this new New York production of The Hundred Dresses will bring even more national attention to the critical issue of bullying, not to mention the pioneering new play development work of Chicago Children's Theatre. Plus, we have our own plans to tour CCT's original production of The Hundred Dresses regionally in the future as well."

For tickets to the The Hundred Dresses at New York's Atlantic Theater, presented in the Peter Norton Space, 555 West 42nd St., call 212.279.4200 or visit atlantictheater.org.

More recently, Chicago Children's Theatre hit another one out of the ballpark when it opened its world premiere play Jackie and Me about Jackie Robinson last year at this time. Like The Hundred Dresses, Jackie and Me has been picked up for subsequent productions at Houston's Main Street Theater, Feb. 6-Feb. 24, and the Metro Theater Company in St. Louis, Jan. 8-Jan. 23, 2013.

Based on the popular children's novel by Dan Gutman about the courageous athlete who broke baseball's color barrier, Jackie and Me was adapted by acclaimed playwright Steven Dietz, and originally directed by Derrick Sanders. 

For tickets to the current production in Houston, call the Main Street Theater box office, 713.524.6706 or visit mainstreetheater.com. For information about the Metro Theater Company's 2013 production of Jackie and Me in St. Louis, call 314.997.6777 or visit metrotheatercompany.org