by Shawn Parikh

Celebrating its 47th year in children's theater with 6 shows, including a world premiere musical.

Casa Mañana's Children's Playhouse is now in its 47th year of introducing children of all ages to the magic of live theatre. Season tickets ($77-87) are now available allowing you to receive a discount equal to seeing one show free. Call 817-332-2272 or visit the box office at Casa Mañana Theatre to order a 6-show season ticket package. Here is the lineup for the 2008-2009 season:

• Sleeping Beauty, from September 26 - October 12, 2008. A new, bolder, funnier retelling of your favorite tale, this Sleeping Beauty features some delightful new characters and a slightly different spin on the usual suspects. A young Princess is cursed to sleep an ageless sleep, and can only be awakened by the kiss from a Prince. You are sure to be enchanted by the staging of this magical fairy tale developed by critically acclaimed local artists Brad Jackson and Alex Vorse.
• The Stinky Cheese Man And Other Fairly Stupid Tales, from October 24 - November 9, 2008. What do you get when you take your favorite fairy tale classics and turn them on their heads? How about the Ugly Duckling growing up to be A Really Ugly Duck, Cinderella snubbing Rumpelstiltskin, or The Princess kissing a frog only to end up with a mouthful of slime. If you love the wacky humor of the award winning book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, then don't miss this hilarious musical parody that is sure to crack up kids and parents alike.
• Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, from November 21 - December 21, 2008. Get in the holiday spirit with the world’s most famous reindeer. Young, shy Rudolph is laughed at because of his bright red nose. But that glowing nose comes in very handy when Santa needs someone to save Christmas by serving as a beacon to guide his sleigh. Join Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Comet, Cupid and all the other reindeer as Rudolph captures their admiration and proves he is a true Christmas hero.
• Miss Nelson Is Missing!, from February 20 - March 8, 2009. The students in room 207 just won’t follow the rules and are not being respectful to their teacher, Miss Nelson. One morning, Miss Nelson is mysteriously missing from school, which makes her students believe they have succeeded in driving her away. Their celebration quickly ends when the substitute teacher, the mean and scary Miss Viola Swamp, descends upon the classroom. You’ll love what happens next in this new musical based upon the popular children’s books by Harry Allard and James Marshall.
• Rockin' With Mother Goose, from April 3 - 19, 2009. See Jack & Jill, Humpty Dumpty, Little Bo Beep and more of those beloved characters as we present the classic Mother Goose rhymes to upbeat, catchy music. There are little life lessons tucked into each song to help teach children about good manners, safety and responsibility. Developed by local artists Brad Jackson and Alex Vorse, this world premiere musical puts a new spin on the classics to make your favorite rhymes come alive.
• A Year With Frog & Toad, from May 1 - 17, 2009. The Tony Award-nominated adaptation of the beloved Arnold Lobel classic stories where cheery Frog and grumpy Toad leap off the page to the stage just in time for blossoming, bird-chirping spring. With hilarious and tender songs inspired by snazzy jazzy music, this charming musical comedy gloriously suggests that having a very best friend for flying kites, racing sleds and baking cookies, is as good as it gets.