John Ellingson News

The Starlings, NWCT's all-bird, all-puppet acting troupe, return for this imaginative exploration of the airplane. Follow Amelia Earhart on an interactive, puppet-fueled extravaganza as she soars through the history of women in flight from the early airplane to the space program.

The Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards have announced this year's nominations! See the full list below. The ceremony will take place June 6 at 7pm at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts in the Winningstad Theatre.

Happy Holidays! It's the last week to vote for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Portland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 18. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31!

Time is running out to vote for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Portland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 18. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31!

Voting is fully underway for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Portland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of December 11. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

Voting has opened for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Portland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 27th. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

Voting has opened for the 2015 BroadwayWorld Portland Regional Awards! Check out the latest live stats as of November 27th. Nominations were reader-submitted and after the nomination period ended, BroadwayWorld's local editors proofed the list for eligibility and errors. Voting runs through December 31.

It's a Jolly Holiday with Mary! The beloved classic film turned musical hit lands on the NW Children's Theater stage with a heartwarming score, spoonfuls of imagination, and a flying nanny!

Peter Pan, Wendy, and the Lost Boys are back for the holidays! Be a part of the most popular show in NWCT history as the 'boy who would not grow up' flies from London to Neverland, does battle with Captain Hook and his cowardly pirates, and revels in the adventure of childhood. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action!

Take to the skies on the wings of a...peach? Anything is possible when young James Trotter (J.J. Pen) discovers a magical escape from his dreary life with aunts Spiker and Sponge (Tai Sammons and Melanie Moseley). A chance encounter with a magical stranger, a bag filled with mysterious crocodile tongues, and an unexpected accident lead to the creation of the largest peach the world has ever seen! After climbing aboard the giant fruit, James finds himself surrounded by a rag-tag group of friendly insects: Centipede (John Ellingson), Spider (Annie Willis), Earthworm (Sam Burns), Grasshopper (Zero Feeney), and Ladybug (Madeleine Delaplane). Adventure awaits the unlikely crew as James captains the peach across the Atlantic; flying, floating, and rolling away from a life of loneliness and isolation into to a brighter, more hopeful future. Check out a first look below!

Grab your tap shoes and get ready for a lavish re-telling of this classic tale presented in the classic musical style. Inspired by the Broadway of Cole Porter and George Gershwin, this story of a girl, a gown, and a glass slipper will keep your toes tapping 'til the stroke of midnight. This original adaptation of Cinderella marks the close of NW Children's Theater's 20th Anniversary Season, and is NWCT's second world premiere this year, running April 27-May 26, 2013. Check out photos of the cast in action below!

Grab your tap shoes and get ready for a lavish re-telling of this classic tale presented in the classic musical style. Inspired by the Broadway of Cole Porter and George Gershwin, this story of a girl, a gown, and a glass slipper will keep your toes tapping 'til the stroke of midnight. This original adaptation of Cinderella marks the close of NW Children's Theater's 20th Anniversary Season, and is NWCT's second world premiere this year, running April 27-May 26, 2013. Check out photos of the cast in action below!

Join Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz and the Cat in the Hat in this musical adventure through the limitless imagination of Dr. Seuss. From the tiny land of Who-Ville to the Jungle of Nool, Seuss's timeless tales leap from page to stage. Seussical first opened on Broadway in the fall of 2000. In 2004, it was reworked by Theatreworks USA, streamlining the story and retooling some of the songs and dialogue. The new version has enjoyed huge success across two US tours, a run in London's West End, and in children's theaters across the country, including NWCT, which previously produced the show in 2006. Check out photos of the show's stars below!

BroadwayWorld brings you the Best of Portland in the year 2012. Check out the Top Theatre Stories from each month during in the year 2012. We look forward to another exciting year of theatre in 2013!

Celebrate NW Children's Theater & School's 20th Birthday with the story that launched the company! Peter Pan and his Shadow, Captain Hook and his crew of cowardly pirates, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys fly off the stage in this fast-paced, thrilling, musical journey to Neverland. An NWCT World Premiere, PETER PAN, by Milo Mowery and Rodolfo Ortega, will play today, December 8, 2012, through January 6, 2013. Meet Peter Pan and Captain Hook in the photos below!

Celebrate NW Children's Theater & School's 20th Birthday with the story that launched the company! Peter Pan and his Shadow, Captain Hook and his crew of cowardly pirates, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys fly off the stage in this fast-paced, thrilling, musical journey to Neverland. An NWCT World Premiere, PETER PAN, by Milo Mowery and Rodolfo Ortega, will play December 8, 2012, through January 6, 2013. Meet Peter Pan and Captain Hook in the photos below!

Celebrate Northwest Children's Theater's 20th Birthday with the story that launched the company! Peter Pan and his Shadow, Captain Hook and his crew of cowardly pirates, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys fly off the stage in this fast-paced, thrilling, musical journey to Neverland. An NWCT World Premiere.

It's the "witching hour" when a young orphan, Sophie (Annika Cutler) peers out of her bedroom window and sees... the BFG (NWCT resident art- ist John Ellingson). Get a first look at Cutler and Ellingson in NW Children's Theater's production of Roald Dahl's The Big Friendly Giant in the photos below!

It's the "witching hour" when a young orphan, Sophie (Annika Cutler) peers out of her bedroom window and sees... the BFG (NWCT resident art- ist John Ellingson). Get a first look at Cutler and Ellingson in NW Children's Theater's production of Roald Dahl's The Big Friendly Giant in the photos below!

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! will end its world premiere run at the Northwest Children's Theater on April 4th. From the book by Mo Willems, Adapted by Sarah Jane Hardy & John Ellingson, Music and lyrics by Ezra Weiss