Metro Theater Company Extends Run Of THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR SHOW Through May 23

Due to popular demand, Metro Theater Company is extending the run of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show / La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo through Sunday, May 23. Six additional performances have been added to the schedule: Friday, May 21 at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., Saturday, May 22 at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., and Sunday, May 23 at 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. The virtual streaming option of the production, which is available at metroplays.org for audiences across 10 states in the Midwest, is also extended through May 23.

Ladue News' Mark Bretz calls The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show / La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo "charming," "intriguing to youngsters," and "educational as well as entertaining, accompanied by catchy music." KDHX's Tina Farmer says it's "a fantastic production that's vibrant, visually entertaining and fluidly presented in English and Spanish."

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show / La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo marks Metro Theater Company's return to live performances after a year of digital programming. Created by Jonathan Rockefeller, the Drama Desk nominated production brings Eric Carle's beautifully imaginative stories to life. It has been performed more than 2,000 times worldwide. Now, Metro Theater Company presents the global sensation as an English-Spanish bilingual production with an all-St. Louis cast (Jamie McKittrick, Hailey Medrano, and Gaby Rodriguez) on an outdoor stage on the lawn at the brand new Kirkwood Performing Arts Center. Metro Theater Company Artistic Director Julia Flood directs. Audiences are seated on the gated lawn in socially distant pods sized to accommodate groups of 2-8 persons.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show / La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo is a dazzling, critically acclaimed production, featuring a menagerie of more than 75 larger-than-life, magical puppets. Friends from three other iconic Eric Carle picture books-Brown Bear, Brown Bear, 10 Little Rubber Ducks, and The Very Lonely Firefly-join everyone's favorite caterpillar. The music-filled experience coupled with unique and enchanting puppets, evokes nostalgia and whimsy in audience members of all ages. MTC's staging of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show / La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo is an English-Spanish bilingual production, making it a joy for language learners of every age.

Outdoor seating pods start at $56. Pods are available for groups of 2-8, with pricing based on the number of people in each pod. Online virtual streaming is $20 and is exclusively licensed for broadcast in 10 states across the region. School groups can enjoy live performances or virtual field trips at heavily discounted rates, with streaming tickets available for $7 or less and in-person tickets available for $10 per student. Tickets for the live, outdoor performances and virtual streaming can be purchased online at https://www.metroplays.org/hungrycaterpillar or by calling 314-325-9505.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a 60-minute production with no intermission. The production is recommended for all ages.

John and Carolyn Peterson Foundation is the presenting sponsor of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show / La Oruga Muy Hambrienta Espectáculo with support from Missouri Humanities Council (MHC). Lead institutional support comes from John D. and Anabeth C. Weil, Berges Family Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Emerson, National Endowment for the Arts, and Missouri Arts Council.

Metro Theater Company has been approved as Missouri ArtSafe Certified. For more information on Metro Theater Company's COVID health policies, please visit metroplays.org/COVID.