Harrisburg Theatreworks USA will present a Broadway-style musical revue, If You Give a Pig a Pancake & Other Story Books at 2 p.m. and again at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24, in the Rose Lehrman Arts Center theatre at , Central Pennsylvania Community College. The afternoon will feature a celebration of books and reading with free events before and after each show and a photo opportunity with the Pig.
Based on popular children literature, If You Give a Pig a Pancake & Other Story Booksis a sparkling musical revue based on the popular picture books by Laura Joffe Numeroff, as well as six other stories familiar to the younger generation. Presented by a multi-talented cast, the stories represent various issues, themes and ideas relevant to a broad and diverse audience of children. Books featured in the show include:
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin. Follow a worm adventures as he writes about them all in his diary.
Fluffy the Classroom Guinea Pig by Kate McMullan. When Fluffy enters a Best Pets Contest, a pesky flea threatens to derail the entire competition.
Horace & Morris But Mostly Dolores by James Howe. Three mice promise to be best friends forever.
How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long. Young Jeremy Jacob would love to sail away and be a pirateno vegetables, no manners, no bedtime, and no rules.
If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff. A bossy little pig demands frazzle a little girl in this hilarious lesson about cause-and-effect.
Lilly Big Day by Kevin Henkes. Lilly teacher is getting married, and she just knows shel be a great flower girl, despite the fact that Mr. Slinger has already asked his niece to be the flower girl.
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch. When a ferocious dragon smashes Princess Elizabeth castle, burns all her fancy clothes, and kidnaps her beloved prince, she dons a paper bag and comes to the rescue.
Theatreworks USA has a distinguished history of not only providing young audiences with their first taste of the performing arts, but also giving young actors, writers, directors, and designers an early opportunity to work in this field. Theatreworks USA is the only children theatre to receive both a Drama Desk and a Lucille Lortel Award. In addition, it was the recipient of a 2001 Jonathan Larson Performing Arts Foundation Award, and in May 2000, The Actors Fund of America bestowed its Medal of Honor upon Theatreworks founders, Jay Harnick and Charles Hull.
Free pre-and post-performance events round out a fun-filled day. SuperReader, American Literacy Corporation (ALC) Super Hero, will present a pre-event performance in the Studio Theatre at 1 and 3:30 p.m. SuperReader, alter ego of Floyd Stokes, ALC executive director, dons a yellow mask, a blue cape and an R emblazoned uniform to save children from a life deprived of books.
After each Theatreworks USA performance there will be a free Book and Cookie Party in the lobby. Books will be given to each child courtesy of the ALC, while free pancakes (sugar cookies) are provided by Cookies by Design and juice donated by Harrisburg Dairies. There will also be a free photo opportunity with the Pig at the post-show parties. Support for this Live at Rose Lehrman event comes from Alumni Association, American Literacy Corporation, and Capital Area Head Start. Media Sponsor for the event is Central Penn Parent.
Theatreworks USA musical production of If You Give a Pig a Pancake & Other Story Bookswill be presented 2 and 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 24 in the Rose Lehrman Arts Center on the Harrisburg Campus of . Tickets for the one-hour show, recommended for 5 years and up, are $15 for adults, senior citizens, students and $10 ticket for children ages 5 to 12. The pre-event performances by SuperReader begin at 1 and 3:30 p.m. in the Studio Theatre. Rose Lehrman Arts Center box office phone is 231-ROSE (7673). Tickets can be purchased online at .