LOGAN – In addition to its ongoing month-long festival of Star Wars movies, the Utah Theatre here will also be busy during May presenting Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are In a Play.”
Produced by the Utah Festival Opera & Musical Theatre and directed by Vanessa Ballam, the musical for children’s audiences is a stage adaptation of the beloved books for kids by Mo Willems.
Willems is a true luminary in the world of children’s entertainment, according to Ms. Ballam. In addition to authoring the Elephant and Piggie book series and a host of others, he was a writer and animator for Sesame Street during its years on television for the Public Broadcasting Service.
Starting in 2007, Willems’ Elephant & Piggie series of children books has spanned 25 titles, reflecting the author’s knack for crafting stories that resonate with both children and adults.
With lyrics by Willems and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma, Ballam says that Elephant and Piggie will now take to the stage in a vaudevillian romp and rollicking adventure that is perfect for young audiences.
Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are In a Play” was originally commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., where the light hearted musical was performed during its 2013-14 season.
Set to appear in the musical are Kaito Davis as Gerald the Elephant; Kathleen Bills as Piggie; Dallas Aksoy as the Dog; and Rachel Worthen, Ella Hassard and Grace Lynn Owen as the Squirrels.
As part of its Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) stage efforts, the UFOMT will present 14 free matinees of Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are In a Play” for Cache County school children throughout May. Those performances are supported by the Utah State Board of Education (USBOE) and the Professional Outreach Programs in Schools (POPS).
“If there’s a school that would like to join one of the free student matinees that isn’t currently full,” Ms. Ballam adds, “they can e-mail me at Vanessa@ufomt.org.”
The musical will also be offered during six public performances. Those shows are scheduled as matinees at 1 p.m. on May 17, 24, 26 and 31 as well as evening performances at 7:30 p.m. on May 29 and 30.
Tickets for the public performances are $15 for adults and $5 for kids up to age 12.
“The show is perfect for families,” Ms. Ballam promises, “because it runs under an hour without an intermission.”
The Utah Theatre is located at 18 West Center Street in downtown Logan.