Pushcart Players to Bring HAPPILY EVER AFTER to Center for the Arts, 4/25

Pushcart Players, New Jersey's acclaimed touring theatre for young audiences presents "Happily Ever After - A Cinderella Tale" on Friday, April 25 at 10 & 11:30 am at the Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island, NY.

"Happily Ever After" is a musical about Cinderella, a young woman whose kindness changes her dreary circumstances into remarkable fortune. A less-than-perfect stepfamily, magical transformations, a missing slipper and a search by a prince for his true love illuminate the triumphant story. Based on a legend first told more than a thousand years ago, the story is informed by the universal longing to overcome adversity. It's about dreaming dreams and about goodness, generosity and compassion.

"It's also about things that can help us learn and grow," noted Ruth Fost, Pushcart co-founder and playwright / lyricist for the production. "We address the dark side of bully behavior, the importance of making good choices and being responsible for those choices. A moral of the story is that beauty can be treasured, but graciousness is priceless. Without it, nothing is possible; with it, one can do anything."

The cast of "Happily Ever After" includes Katie Booze-Mooney, Stacie Gogo, Kara Kahlil and JD Lynch. Booze-Mooney worked with American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA), the Barrow Group, and LAByrinth Theater Company while teaching and playwriting. Stacie Gogo has performed off-Broadway, in national tours and regionally. She played Penny Pingleton in Westchester Broadway Theatre's "Hairspray," and in Surflight Theatre's "Grease" in New Jersey. Kara Kahlil makes her debut with Pushcart Players as the Stepmother/Wanda in Happily Ever After. A graduate from the double degree program of Johns Hopkins University and Peabody Conservatory, Kara has enjoyed performing numerous roles throughout the country in both opera and musical theatre. JD Lynch is a graduate of DeSales University. He has performed in eight Pushcart shows and with other companies throughout the country, including Shawnee Playhouse and Bucks County Playhouse in Pennsylvania.

Music for "Happily Ever After" is by award-winning composer Larry Hochman and his daughter, Laurie Hochman. Larry won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for his co-orchestration of "The Book of Mormon." He also orchestrated "Monty Python's Spamalot," "The Addams Family," "Jane Eyre" and others.

Pushcart Players is in its 40th anniversary season of presenting productions filled with fun, facts, magic and wonder. The company has traveled over 2 million miles to serve more than 8 million children and their families nationally and abroad. All performances come with innovative scenery, complete lighting and state of the art sound systems, making it adaptable to any location. Study guides and other supplemental materials support the educational benefits of each theatre piece.

The Center for the Arts at Staten Island College is located at 2800 Victory Boulevard, Staten Island NY 10314. The shows are being sponsored by Enrichment Through The Arts and tickets are $8.00. For ticket information, call 718.982.5678 or visit www.enrichmentthroughthearts.com.

PHOTO CREDIT: Melody Moore Photography

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