Phoenix Theater For Children Announces Madeline's Christmas & More In 2009-10

The 17th season of the Phoenix Theatre for Children will feature four stage adaptations of well-known children's literature, including two revivals of stories previously adapted by Phoenix Artistic Director Steven C. Anderson and two Columbus premieres.

"This season, we chose to bring to life the characters many children may already know and love through books," stated Phoenix Artistic Director Steven C. Anderson. "It's a way of engaging their imaginations on another level and hopefully inspiring them to continue reading."

The 2009-10 season opens in November with a not-so-typical fairytale, The Paper Bag Princess. The unexpected conclusion of the delightful adventures of saucy, self-reliant Princess Elizabeth earned the book an endorsement from the National Organization for Women.

In December, Phoenix offers the Columbus premiere of Madeline's Christmas, a holiday musical featuring the talents of 12 local young actresses. The production centers on the well-loved character Madeline, first introduced in 1939 through her self-titled book and since featured in several subsequent books, an animated television series, and a feature film.

The first Phoenix production of 2010 will be another Columbus premiere, The Story of Babar, the Little Elephant, which will be performed with live actors in full-body costumes. The story debuted in 1931, and became the first in a series of children's books about the lovable French elephant, Babar. The character also starred in 78 episodes of an animated television series broadcast in 30 languages in over 150 countries, making it one of the largest distributed animation shows in history.

The Phoenix season finale will be Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, a comedy based on the first in a series of five children's books about a curious widow who can help parents cure children of bad habits. In the 1990s, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle was made into a live action television series starring Jean Stapleton of "All in the Family" fame.

Phoenix will continue to present in the Riffe Center in 2009-10, alternating between Studio One and Studio Two.

The 2009-10 Phoenix season subscription package is $32 per child and $45 per adult for subscribers who renew before June 15, and $32 per child and $65 per adult for new subscribers and renewals after June 15. Subscriptions can be purchased by calling the CAPA Ticket Office at (614) 469-0939.

Single ticket prices are $10 per child and $20 per adult and will go on sale in September.

For more information, call (614) 464-9400 or visit www.phoenix4kids.org.