Photo Flash: First Stage Kicks Off 2019/20 Season ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S WE ARE IN PLAY!

First Stage kicks of its 2019/20 season with Mo Willems' rollicking musical adventure ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN PLAY!" The cherished characters from the award-winning Elephant & Piggie children's books will make the leap from page to the stage. When Gerald the Elephant and Piggie the Pig get together, anything is possible! The delightful relationship between these two pals and their devotion to each other through ups and downs will remind audiences of how good it feels to put friends first. Attendees should bring their "bestus" friends and share in all of the pachydermal peril and swiney suspense on stage. ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN PLAY!" is a First Steps production that First Stage offers to introduce children ages 3 to 7 to theater in an engaging, interactive and lively environment. The First Steps Series is sponsored by PNC.

ELEPHANT & PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN A PLAY!" runs September 21 - November 3, 2019 at the Milwaukee Youth Arts Center, located at 325 W. Walnut Street in downtown Milwaukee. Tickets are $14. Tickets are available are available online at www.firststage.org or through the First Stage Box Office at (414) 267-2961. Performance runtime is approximately 60 minutes with no intermission. Suggested for families with young people ages 3 - 7+.

Director Matt Daniels had this to say about the production: "I just love Mo Willems' fantastic books about Elephant and Piggie. Their friendship is both silly and sweet, and has its ups and downs, full of times of calm and times of chaos. But through all of their adventures, whether going to a party, learning to play an instrument or just sharing an ice cream cone, Gerald and Piggie always have each other. And now that these books have been adapted into a musical, we get to experience this truest friendship with the delight of song and dance, up close and personal. Maybe we'll even make new friends along the way!"

Added Artistic Director Jeff Frank, "Mo Willems magically captures the hearts, minds and imaginations of young people of today. We are thrilled to bring these two best friends to our First Steps audiences in a musical that promises big laughs and even bigger heart."

Photo Credit: Paul Ruffolo