The Growing Stage to Present HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, 5/13-22

The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey, located in the Historic Palace Theatre on Route 183 in Netcong completes its 2015 - 2016 Main Stage season with HOW I BECAME A PIRATE. The show runs May 13th through May 22nd with performances Friday evenings at 7:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday matinees at 4:00 PM. A previous production appeared at The Growing Stage in 2009. Based upon the book "How I Became A Pirate" written by Melinda Long with illustrations by David Shannon, HOW I BECAME A PIRATE, has book, music and lyrics by Janet Yates and Mark Friedman. Performed by arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and The Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, HOW I BECAME A PIRATE received its world premiere at First Stage Children's Theatre, Milwaukee, WI. This production is under the direction of Danny Campos, veteran Growing Stage actor and teaching artist with musical direction by Stephen Fox and Choreography by Jillian Petrie.

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE sails off on a fantastic musical excursion when a band of comical pirates lands at North Beach looking for an expert digger to join their crew. Braid Beard and his mates enlist young Jeremy Jacob, as they try to find the perfect spot to bury their treasure. Jeremy finds that adventuring can be lots of fun, but also learns that love and home are treasures you can't find on any map! The whole family will love this delightful and swashbuckling musical adventure! Terrific songs like A Good One to Boot, Green Teeth, I'm Really Just a Sensitive Guy, Talk Like a Pirate, Soccer by the Rules, Pirates Dot Arrgh, and many others will have your audience rolling in the aisles and leaving the theatre secretly wishing for Captain Braid Beard and the gang to one day pay them a visit. Arrgh!

HOW I BECAME A PIRATE features the talents of six professional equity performers in the cast. Making their Growing Stage debuts are Chris Morrissey of Westfield, NJ as Jeremy Jacob, Christopher Tefft of Rutherford, NJ as Captain Braid Beard and Jeffry Foote of Flanders, NJ as Max. Rounding out the cast are Growing Stage favorites: Izzy Figureoa of Old Bridge, NJ, last seen in James and the Giant Peach and The Book of D, as Sharktooth; Kyle Bergslien of Hazlet, NJ, last seen as Young Marley in A Christmas Carol, as Pierre and Casey Low of Mount Arlington, NJ, who just appeared as Spider in James and The Giant Peach, portrays Swill in this production.

The Growing Stage continues FUN-tastic Fridays with all tickets $15! Saturday and Sunday tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for children. To purchase tickets, please visit www.growingstage.com or call (973) 347-4946. Group rates and Birthday Party packages are available. The Growing Stage's programs are made possible, in part, by funding from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and contributions from numerous corporations, foundations, and individuals.