Dallas Children’s Theater announces 2008-2009 season

by Shawn Parikh

2008-2009 marks the 25th anniversary celebration for the reputable Dallas Children's Theater. Season tickets are now available for the 10 shows by downloading the form or calling the box office at 214-740-0051. Most performances take place at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts and showtimes are Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 p.m., and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. & 4:30 p.m. Make sure to check out the lineup and the shows with the * indicate productions for the Young Adult Series most enjoyed by teens and adults:

• Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse from September 19 - October 26. Based on the book by Kevin Henkes and adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling. She's back! Make way for Lilly - the feisty, irrepressible, impulsive "queen of everything". This spunky mouse-girl absolutely loves school until her teacher confiscates her purple plastic purse and its very important contents. Lilly's amazing exploits become life lessons learned with plenty of fun and laughs along the way.
• The Mummy's Claw * from October 10 - November 1. By Mark Chandler. This Horror Spoof will have audiences "wrapped" in suspense and laughter just in time for the arrival of King Tut's treasures! In the grand tradition of Agatha Christie and Monty Python, a colorful collection of zany characters convene a archaeologist Sir Nevil Blore's Egyptian "digs" to solve an ancient puzzle. A simple house party becomes a life or death struggle in the Valley of the Nile.
• Madeline's Christmas from November 21 - December 21. Book and Lyrics by Jennifer Kirkeby and music by Shirley Mier. Joyeux Noel and Bonne Annee! Celebrate the season in picturesque Paris with the famous and precocious little sweetheart adored by generations for her bravery and kindness. Bakes on the book, this holiday musical adventure is a French delight filled with surprising miracles. Join us for a merry magic carpet ride!
• Santa's Holiday for Strings, in conjunction with Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts, from November 28 - December 23. Starring Santa and Frosty, and featuring Christmas trees, penguins, and seasonal gifts, this innovative holiday celebration honors peace, joy and love. Utilizing multiple styles of puppetry, Kathy Burks' nationally celebrated troupe captures the spirit of the season in an exciting musical revue filled with fun, friendship and family.
• Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type from January 23 - February 22. Adapted from the book by Doreen Cronin, illustrations by Betsy Lewin, and adapted by James E. Grote & George Howe. Farmer Brown's animals are cold, bored and lonely. When Hen finds a typewriter in her nest, a revolution begins! And then Farmer Brown has a problem - his animals go on strike! It's a barnyard musical of mutiny, but on this "Animal Farm" anarchy and rebellion lead to an exquisitely happy ending.
• Honus & Me from February 15 - March 1. A Play by Steven Dietz, adapted from the book by Dan Gutman. Young Joe Stoshack is crazy about baseball. When he finds the most expensive baseball card ever, the coveted 1909 Honus Wagner card, Joe suddenly finds himself face to face with the great player. Traveling back in time to the seventh game of the World Series, Joe discovers the gift of confidence and the power of dreams. At El Centro College.
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit, in conjunction with Kathy Burks Theatre of Puppetry Arts, from March 20- April 19. Based on the book by Beatrix Potter, adapted for the puppet stage by B. Wolf. The award-winning musical adaptation of Beatrix Potter's beloved and bestselling rabbit tale! New puppets based on Miss Potter's charming illustrations spring to life to re-create the tale of the naughty little bunny who has captivated our hearts for over 100 years.
• dont u luv me? * from April 3 - May 3. World premiere by Linda Daughtery. Angela has a new boyfriend. C.J.'s romantic. He sends her flowers. He texts her day and night. But C.J. has his own struggles. Soon his devotion feels like control and the relationship spirals dangerously downward. This powerful world premiere by award-winning playwright Linda Daugherty, author of The Secret Life of Girls and EAT (It's Not About Food), explores the hidden world of aggression and violence in teen dating while encouraging young people to make choices that result in healthy relationships.
• And Then They Came for Me * from May 1 - May 17. Remembering The World of Anne Frank, by James Still. This riveting multimedia drama about the hidden children of the Holocaust returns so that its dark history will never be forgotten. Videotaped interviews with two Holocaust survivors and friends of Anne Frank, Eva Schloss and Ed Silverberg, are interwoven with live dramatic action to chillingly recreate their World War II experience in hiding and in concentration camps. This moving play about families becomes a promise to the future of hope and acceptance.
• The Neverending Story from June 19 - July 26. Based upon the novel by Michael Ende, and adapted by David S. Craig. Reality and fantasy collide as Bastian, a very real and lonely boy, becomes captivated by a mysterious book. A fictional young warrior fights to save Fantastica from The Nothing, but will Bastian save imagination itself? Keep the story alive by coming to find out! Filled with loveable characters, dark villains and unlikely heroes, the quest begins again and again and again as Bastian discovers that he holds the key to the story's end.