PETE THE CAT Rocks Out In Berkeley, Sunnyvale, San Francisco, Starting June 16

Bay Area Children's Theatre (BACT) opens its 15th Anniversary Season on Saturday, June 16, with "Pete the Cat," a lively musical romp inspired by the popular Pete the Cat books by James and Kimberly Dean.

Get ready to rock when the grooviest, guitar-slinging cat in town meets the Biddles and turns their lives into a "really, really, really big adventure." Pete, who normally lives in a VW bus, finds himself housebound when he gets into trouble and is sent to the Biddle's to learn some manners. But it doesn't take long before he turns house arrest into a crusade to help Jimmy Biddle pass second grade.

"Pete the Cat" plays June 16 - August 5 at BACT's Berkeley Theatre Center, 2055 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704, with performances on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 4:00 p.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

"With its Beach Boys musical vibe and '60s sit-com feel, this show is a perfect summer outing for the family," said BACT Executive Artistic Director Nina Meehan.

"Pete the Cat" is directed by Scottie Woodard (who helped BACT create Beautiful Oops!), with book and lyrics by Sarah Hammond and music by Will Aaronson. Recommended for ages 3 - 8.

TICKETS: $17 - $27

BOX OFFICE: www.bactheatre.org or call (510) 296-4433

After its Berkeley run, the show moves to:

· Sunnyvale, August 11-19, at the Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 (same days and times as Berkeley, above)

· San Francisco, August 25 - September 17, at the Children's Creativity Museum Theater, 221 4th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 (same days and times as Berkeley, above)

Photo of Zachary Hasbany as Pete the Cat.
Photo credit Melissa Nigro.

About Bay Area Children's Theatre

Established in 2004, Bay Area Children's Theatre, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, serves 115,000 children and adults throughout the Bay Area, with main stage performances in Berkeley, Oakland, San Francisco and Sunnyvale; programs and productions in local schools; and classes and summer camps in the East Bay, South Bay, and San Francisco.

Our Mission: To inspire young audiences with imaginative productions, introduce children of all backgrounds to the excitement of live theatre, and create an engaging, entertaining, and educational environment in which children and their families can explore and enjoy the arts.

How We Carry Out Our Mission:

· Bring high quality, professional theatre to children and their families, with artists who create vibrant worlds that are intriguing to young audiences

· Encourage young people to explore literature, language, and the arts by producing stage adaptations of great children's books

· Engage preschoolers in the world of theatre with productions specially designed for them

· Develop and perform exciting new work for the stage

· Reach out to children who might not otherwise experience live theatre with free tickets, special performances for school groups, and touring productions at local schools

· Create touring productions for young audiences nationwide

· Partner with communities to meet the need for theatre education

· Introduce children to the joy of performance through our theatre education program