Crocodile, Inc. to Present World Premiere Reading of New Musical THE GRASSHOPPER Next Month

The reading will take place on October 7 at Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice.

By: Sep. 25, 2023
Crocodile, Inc. to Present World Premiere Reading of 
New Musical THE GRASSHOPPER Next Month

CROCODILE, INC. will present a world premiere reading of a new musical, THE GRASSHOPPER, with book, lyrics and direction by Academy Award- nominee Roger Allers (The Lion King), and music & musical direction by Genaro Pereira.  THE GRASSHOPPER will perform on Saturday, October 7 at 1:00pm at Pacific Resident Theatre, 703 Venice Blvd. in Venice.

In THE GRASSHOPPER, our hero is Jean de la Fontaine, the brilliant writer of fables, whose gift is to see the animal beneath the “Mask of Respectability.” His bold criticism of tyrants pits him against Louis XIV, and so the King does everything in his power to suppress him. In spite of this, his sharp wit makes him popular with the people. We witness his fables come to life on stage as characters transform into their true animal selves. 

ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST

Roger Allers (Book, Lyrics & Direction) is the director of one of the most successful films of all time, The Lion King.  Following that, he wrote the Tony-nominated book for the Broadway adaption of his film. During his 16 years at Disney, Roger developed story for such films as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin.” He has also directed the independent animated feature film Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet, as well as Open Season for Sony. Roger earned an Academy Award nomination for his direction of the Disney short The Little Match Girl.  He returns to Broadway as lyricist and writer with his original musical, The Grasshopper.                                                                                                 

GENARO PEREIRA (Music, Lyrics & Musical Direction) is a concert pianist and composer, born in Zimbabwe and raised in South Africa. As a young man he performed for President Nelson Mandela and simultaneously set the “Guinness Book of Records” record for the world's highest piano performance atop Cathkin Peak.  He composes in various styles for films such as those in the Re:voir catalogue and as an inter-disciplinary artist also for his own films that were shown at the “Cannes Film Festival” Shorts Corner. During his 15 years in Paris, he worked at among other places the prestigious “Schola Cantorum” and also created and performed in various original theatre pieces such as at the “Avignon Theatre Festival”. As a soloist he performs the virtuoso piano repertoire regularly on three continents, although he has the special privilege of sharing his music with Zimbabwe. He is based in Los Angeles and Lisbon and is cross-fertilizing his Baroque music influences with his dramatic and lyrical sensibilities to create a new sound for the Broadway stage in The Grasshopper.

The cast of THE GRASSHOPPER will feature (in alphabetical order): Tomasina Abate (Love Actually Live), Julia Black (“Were the World Mine”), Abby Carlson (The Sound Of Music), Sarah Chaney (The Oath), Ashley Faatoalia (Treemonisha with Volcano), Barrett Foa (“NCIS: LA”), Michael Thomas Grant (“Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist”), Doug Kreeger (The Visit), douglas Ladnier (Jekyll & Hyde), Jonathan Ritter (Finding Neverland), and Jason Michael Snow (The Book Of Mormon). THE GRASSHOPPER will also feature Barry Tan on Piano.

The Executive Producer is Matthew Rimmer. The Production Supervisor is Jill Gold. The Stage Manager is Margaret M. Saba. The Casting Director is Annie Stuart.  General Management by LDK Productions.

BroadwayWorld Awards Voting

RELATED STORIES - Los Angeles

1
17TH ANNUAL SOCAL SLACK KEY FESTIVAL Features Biggest Hawaiian Music Event Of The Year &am Photo
17TH ANNUAL SOCAL SLACK KEY FESTIVAL Features Biggest Hawaiian Music Event Of The Year & Free Hawaiian Marketplace

The 17th Annual SoCal Slack Key Festival is the biggest Hawaiian music event of the year! Don't miss out on this free Hawaiian Marketplace.

2
The Black List And Woolly Mammoth Select Playwright Seayoung Yim For New Play Commission Photo
The Black List And Woolly Mammoth Select Playwright Seayoung Yim For New Play Commission

THE BLACK LIST and Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company select Seayoung Yim as recipient of the Woolly Mammoth x Black List Playwriting Commission. Yim will receive a $10,000 grant to develop a new play exploring race, gender, and belonging.

3
Interview: A Comforting Sabrina Sloans Making Full Circles With A CHRISTMAS STORY Photo
Interview: A Comforting Sabrina Sloan's Making Full Circles With A CHRISTMAS STORY

Next up at the Ahmanson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s A Christmas Story opening December 8, 2023 (with previews beginning December 5th). Matt Lenz directs the cast of Chris Carsten, Eric Petersen, Sabrina Sloan, Shelley Regner, Kai Edga, and Henry Witcher; with ensemble members Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Gabbie Fried, Andrew Ge, Juliane Godfrey, Julia Harnett, Michael James, Trent Mills, Kyle Montgomery, Gabriel Navarro, Jane Papageorge, Zeke Bernier, Addalie Burns, Jack Casey, Jordan Coates, Greta Rebecca Kleinman, Kayden Alexander Koshelev, Emilie Ong, Izzy Pike, Jacob Pham and Charlie Stover. Sabrina took some time from her Mother-ing to answer a few of my queries.

4
Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at A Noise Within Photo
Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at A Noise Within

Fresh and glorious to behold, with bold, impressive stagecraft and truly innovative and imaginative costume design.  There are frequent moments of awe and breathtaking sprinkles of magic.  Although it feels off to me in some of its performance and art direction choices, this is a remarkable and stunningly visual production.

More Hot Stories For You

Videos


The Secret Garden, The Musical in Los Angeles The Secret Garden, The Musical
Chance Theater (11/24-12/23)
Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar ¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva America! in Los Angeles Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar ¡Viva Mexico! ¡Viva America!
Carpenter Performing Arts Center (3/23-3/23)
CURRENT: [inti]mate in Los Angeles CURRENT: [inti]mate
Museum of Latin American Art (1/20-1/21)
A Faery Hunt Amazing Adventure in Los Angeles A Faery Hunt Amazing Adventure
O'Melveny Park (2/24-2/24)
The Talented Tenth in Los Angeles The Talented Tenth
Los Angeles Theatre Center (11/09-12/10)
Andrea Marcovicci & Maude Maggart Andrea Marcovicci & Maude Maggart "A Gardenia Christmas"
The Gardenia (12/10-12/10)
Compañía Nacional de Danza de España in Los Angeles Compañía Nacional de Danza de España
Luckman Fine Arts Complex (2/15-2/15)
Jeff Award Winner Darryl Maximilian Robinson Notes 50th Anniversary As An American Stage Performer  in Los Angeles Jeff Award Winner Darryl Maximilian Robinson Notes 50th Anniversary As An American Stage Performer
The Excaliber Shakespeare Company Los Angeles Archival Project (12/21-2/04)PHOTOS
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Los Angeles Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
A Noise Within (2/11-3/17)
The Extravaganza! in Los Angeles The Extravaganza!
Theatre68 (12/14-12/14)
VIEW ALL SHOWS  ADD A SHOW  

Recommended For You