J
James and the Giant Peach - Fall Main Stage 2018 Photo Credit: Randy Maschaka
From the Tony® and Grammy® award-winning creators of Spring Awakening, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik, and co-written by Jessie Nelson (Waitress), Alice by Heart is a touching musical inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
Source -- Musical Theatre International
Alice By Heart Synopsis:
In the rubble of the London Blitz of World War II, Alice Spencer’s budding teen life is turned upside down, and she and her dear friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. When the ailing Alfred is quarantined, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.As they travel through the tale, Alice by Heart explores the poignancy of first love, coming to terms with loss, and finding the courage to move forward. This world premiere musical encourages us all to celebrate the transformational power of the imagination, even in the harshest of times.
One of literature's most enduring young heroines, Meg Murry, is back--braces, stubbornness and all. Once again, she's joining forces with Mrs. Whatsit, Charles Wallace, Calvin O'Keefe and more to battle the forces of evil so she can rescue her father, save humanity and find herself. In the end, we know two things for sure: 1. Love CAN overcome evil and 2. There IS such a thing as a tesseract.
EMU A Wrinkle In Time Photo Credit: Jeremy Hopgood
EMU Actor's Studio Interview with A Wrinkle In Time Cast
Dessa is a modern-day, 12-year-old with no shortage of mysteries to solve and fossils to find. Her days are filled with buried treasures just waiting to be uncovered. But when her family of three unexpectedly becomes a family of two, this smart, funny young scientist struggles to overcome her grief and anger at all the changes in her world. Dessa's unlikely comfort comes from a remarkable new friend, one only she can see and hear—Mary Anning, the 19th-century paleontologist who discovered a breakthrough dinosaur fossil at the age of 12 and became a pioneer in her field. But why is her portrait not on the museum wall alongside those of her male counterparts? Dessa decides that she’s going to fight to earn Mary the respect she deserves. With help from her new classmate and once-rival, Nilo, Dessa unearths secrets of the past and present—for Mary’s legacy and her own way forward.
EMU Actor's Studio Interview with Digging Up Dessa Cast
EMU Digging Up Dessa Photo Credit: Madeliene Huggins
What Is the Story of Peter and the Starcatcher?
Peter and the Starcatcher provides a humorous and fantastical backstory for the beloved character of Peter Pan and his arch-nemesis Captain Hook. In this wickedly imaginative play, we meet a poor orphaned child on the high seas simply called Boy because, in the absence of a mother and a father, he was never given a name. His sad and lonely world is turned upside down when he meets Molly. The daughter of famous Starcatcher Lord Astor, our heroine is on a mission to save the world and protect a treasure trunk filled with magical star stuff from getting into the hands of evil and greedy pirate Black Stache. As they travel aboard the Neverland ship headed for a faraway land, Molly and Boy learn about love, friendship and forge an unbreakable bond. - Source Broadway.com
Watch EMU's Actor's Studio Tech Interview for Peter and the Starcatcher
Watch EMU's Backstage Studio Tech Interview for Peter and the Starcatcher
EMU Peter and the Starcatcher Photo Credit: Jeremy Hopgood
Based on Arnold Lobel’s beloved children’s books, A Year with Frog and Toad is a whimsical musical that tells the story of two best friends: the cheerful Frog, and curmudgeonly Toad. The musical follows Frog and Toad through four colorful seasons, from hibernation to hibernation. Frog and Toad, along with their playful, quirky friends Snail, Turtle, the Birds, and more, enact many adventures, from rushing down a hill in a runaway sled in the winter, to taking a picnic and a quiet moment in the summer. Children and adults alike with relish in the joyful vignettes of A Year With Frog and Toad, which feature catchy tunes, funny dialogue, and bright, memorable characters.
EMU Actor's Studio Interview with A Year with Frog & Toad Cast
EMU A Year With Frog & Toad Photo Credit: Randy Mascharka
Set in North Carolina in the 1960s, North Star is the story of Relia, a Black girl, searching for her place to shine in both society and her personal life. The joyous innocence of Relia's summer is transformed by the rising tensions of the growing civil rights movement. Relia's parents are hotly divided between letting her participate in the demonstrations and shielding her from the harsh realities of the civil rights struggle and their community's battle for freedom. Relia's memories of magical moments stargazing with her father help guide her as she risks her life to be a part of the "Dream" and the "Big Freedom."
Source Dramatic Publishing
EMU North Star Photo Credits: Wallace Bridges
This piece is the first play for young audiences to receive the Kennedy Center's Fund for New American Plays Award. Still Life with Iris is a fantastical adventure which centers on a little girl's search for the simplest of things: home. Iris lives with her mom in the land of Nocturno—a magical place in which the workers make, by night, all of the things we see in the world by day. Also, in Nocturno, memories do not reside in people's minds but instead are kept in their coats (called 'Past Coats'). The rulers of Nocturno, the Great Goods, are determined to have the "best" of everything on their island—and therefore take Iris away from her home and bring her to Great Island to be their daughter. To ease the pain of this separation, they remove her Past Coat, leaving her with no memory of her home or her family. All that remains of Iris' past is a single button from her coat. Using the button as a clue, Iris joins with friends she meets on her journey—Annabel Lee (a young woman from the sea) and Mozart (the composer, age 11)—and frees herself from the Great Goods. She returns to Nocturno, having found her past, and her home. ~ Source Dramatic Publishing
EMU Actor's Studio Interview with Still Life With Iris Cast
EMU Still Life With Iris Photo Credit: Wallace Bridges
A magical peach! An imprisoned boy! Insect friends! An incredible journey! This amazing adventure of James Henry Trotter will fulfill the fantasy of anyone who has ever dreamed of escape. Roald Dahl's story comes hilariously to life in this delightful dramatization that reveals the wickedness of some, the goodness of others, and the indecision encountered by many when they are faced with crises. You will see James (as he cleverly gets the Peach out of danger), the wise Old-Green-Grasshopper and the pessimistic Earthworm. You will also see James' mean Aunt Spiker and cruel Aunt Sponge come to a suitably sticky end. The action is tied together by the Narrator, a storyteller, motivator, emcee and audience friend. Take advantage of the quick costuming, simple props and basic scenery to provide your cast and audience with an exciting, peachy adventure!
EMU Actor's Studio Interview with James and the Giant Peach Cast
EMU James and the Giant Peach Photo Credit: Randy Mascharka