Oregon Children's Theatre Presents JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH, Beginning Tonight

Roald Dahl's beloved classic takes the stage in a new musical! One boy, two awful aunts, five larger-than-life insects, and a giant peach! What happens when magic crystals cause a withered old tree to create the largest and most magnificent peach ever seen? Luckily, a boy named James and a handful of bugs just happen to be nearby when the peach finally snaps free of its stem, and it sweeps them along on a marvelous adventure.

From Tony-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, this adaptation of a Roald Dahl favorite will be a visual and musical delight. Director Stan Foote shares his excitement over this enchanting tale: "An amazing cast lead by an eight and ten-year-old sharing the title role, and the timeless story of a throw-away child discovering his value in the world make this an event not to be missed!"

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH is choreographed by Broadway veteran, Kemba Shannon, a renowned dancer who has performed with Madonna, Celine Dion, The Color Purple on Broadway, and Cirque du Soleil. She collectively holds 20 years of professional dance experience, and currently operates her own dance studio in North Portland.

OCT is excited to include insect puppets from Seattle Children's Theatre's Master Puppet Artisan, Annett Mateo. Annett has worked with SCT for over 15 years and has had work featured in Seattle's Experience Music Project's Jim Henson exhibit.

Audience members are invited to come early to performances and participate in a fun pre-show craft activity by Art a la Carte. They are also welcome to stay after the show to meet the cast and get their playbills autographed!

The cast features Theo Curl and Aida Valentine as James; Matt Brown as Grasshopper, Claire Rigsby as Spider, Gary Norman as Centipede, Danielle Valentine as Ladybug, James Richard Dixon II as Earthworm, Victoria Blake as Sponge, Gerrin Mitchell as Ladahlord, Stephanie Leppert as Spiker, and Allison Parker as Roustabout.

The creative team includes: Stan Foote (Director), Jeffrey Childs (Musical Director), Kemba Shannon (Choreographer), Mark Haack (Scenic Designer), Jason Bray (Costume Designer), Daniel Meeker (Lighting Designer), Drew Dannhorn (Props Master), Em Gustason (Sound Designer), and Val Landrum (Dialect Coach).

NOTABLE PERFORMANCE EVENTS:

Before Every Performance: Come up to an hour early for a craft activity by Art a la Carte!

Following Every Performance: Meet the cast, take photos, and get your playbill autographed!

Saturday, May 7th, all shows: First Timer/First Saturday. $5 tickets for children attending theater for the first time. See www.octc.org for details.

Saturday, May 7th, all shows: Boy Scout Day. Tickets for Boy Scouts are discounted to $11-$21. Fun patches are available for sale for $2 each (order in advance!).

Sundays, May 8th and May 29th: Grandparent Day. Join us for special senior (age 62+) ticket prices on the first and last Sunday of each show. Tickets are only $11 - $21.

Saturday, May 14th, all shows: Girl Scout Day. Tickets for Girl Scouts are discounted to $11-$21. Fun patches are available for sale for $2 each (order in advance!).

Saturday, May 14th, 2:00 pm: Interpreted performance in American Sign Language.

IF YOU GO:

JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH

Written by: Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Book by Timothy Allen McDonald. Based on the book James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.
Directed by: Stan Foote

Dates: May 7-29, 2016
Times: Saturdays at 2:00pm and 5:00pm, Sundays at 11:00am and 2:00pm [2:00pm only on 5/28 and 5/29]

Location: Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway

Tickets: $18-$32 for adults and $14-$28 for children (group rates also available, $8-$21)
Box Office: 503-228-9571 or www.octc.org

Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Founded in 1988, Oregon Children's Theatre has served well over two million children, teachers, and families. OCT is Oregon's largest non-profit professional children's theater company and a resident company of Portland'5 Centers for the Arts. Performances are held weekdays for school audiences and on weekends for family audiences. OCT serves more than 120,000 children of all ages each year. OCT offers numerous school services including study guides, teacher professional development opportunities, in-school workshops, and an extensive outreach program. In partnership with Kaiser Permanente, the Educational Theatre Program provides free touring productions that promote healthy living. OCT's year round Acting Academy offers theater classes for children ages 3-18 and Young Professionals Company, a mentoring program for teens.

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