The New Victory Theater Presents
Kenny Wax Family Entertainment & TC Beech’s
Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Based on the book by Richard & Florence Atwater
UK Family Musical Makes U.S. Premiere
Before Hitting West End for the Holidays
New York, NY (September 14, 2016) — Following a critically acclaimed season in the UK, Mr. Popper’s Penguins comes to The New Victory for its American debut from October 14 – 30, 2016. Adapted for the stage by UK’s Pins and Needles Productions, Mr. Popper’s Penguins is produced by Kenny Wax Family Entertainment (Hetty Feather, 2015 Olivier Award nominee) and TC Beech (Loserville the Musical, West End).
In the small town of Stillwater, Mr. and Mrs. Popper are pleasant, practical, predictable people. But when a package for the Poppers produces a penguin, chaos waddles into their lives! This brand new musical features a family of penguin puppets by Nick Barnes and original songs like “Chills 4 U” and “Poles Apart” in a fun and fast-paced 55 minutes. Presented for kids ages 4-7 and their families, the production will appear at Artsdepot in London following its U.S. Premiere.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins was first published in 1938. The whimsical story was named a Newbery Honor Book in 1939, won the inaugural Young Reader’s Choice Award in 1940 and received the inaugural Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. The story was later popularized in a 2011 film starring Jim Carrey.
Directed by Emma Earle, designed by Zoe Squire and featuring puppetry design by Nick Barnes, co-founder of London’s Blind Summit (Puss in Boots, New Vic 2010), Mr. Popper’s Penguins features lyrics by Richy Hughes (Stiles and Drewe Prize, 2015) and music by Luke Bateman. The cast includes Lucy Grattan (Greta/Admiral Drake), Scott Jones (Understudy/ASM), Toby Manley (Captain Cook/Mr. Greenbaum), Russell Morton (Mr. Popper) and Roxanne Palmer (Mrs. Popper). Lighting design is by Ric Mountjoy and sound design is by Jason Barnes.
Learn more about Mr. Popper’s Penguins on the New Victory website.
Public Performance Schedule: 16 performances
Friday, October 14 at 7pm
Saturday, October 15 at 11am / 3pm / 7pm
Sunday, October 16 at 11am / 3pm
Saturday, October 22 at 11am / 3pm / 7pm
Sunday, October 23 at 11am / 3pm*
Saturday, October 29 at 11am / 3pm / 7pm**
Sunday, October 30 at 11am / 3pm
*sign-interpreted performance **sensory-friendly performance
Mr. Popper’s Penguins has a running time of 55 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for ages 4-7.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins is supported, in part, by a Presenter’s Grant from The Jim Henson Foundation.
Ticket Information
Tickets for Mr. Popper’s Penguins at The New Victory Theater (209 West 42nd Street) are $17 for Members and $25 at full price. Tickets are available online (NewVictory.org) and by telephone (646.223.3010). The New Victory Theater box office (209 West 42nd Street) is open Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.
Membership
Theatergoers who buy tickets for three or more New Victory shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including locked-in discount ticket prices, free unlimited exchanges (up to 48 hours in advance) and access to a first-look purchase period for newly added performances.
About The New Victory Theater
The New Victory Theater brings kids to the arts and the arts to kids as New York City’s premier theater devoted to the highest quality performing arts for kids and families. Serving the city in all its diversity, The New Victory Theater on 42nd Street presents theater, dance, circus, opera and music from around the world at affordable ticket prices. In addition to its public performances, the New Vic is also the largest provider of live performance to NYC school kids, serving 40,000 students in grades PreK-12 from more than 200 schools, after school programs and day camps each year. The New Victory Theater’s contributions to the cultural landscape of the city have been honored by the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, a national Arts Education Award from Americans for the Arts and a Drama Desk Award for “providing enchanting, sophisticated children’s theater that appeals to the child in all of us, and for nurturing a love of theater in young people.”
About The New 42nd Street
Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent nonprofit organization charged with the continuous cultural revival of 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. Committed to the transformational power of the arts, The New 42nd Street builds on the foundation of seven historic theaters to make extraordinary performing arts and cultural engagement part of everyone’s life. The New 42nd Street fulfills this purpose by ensuring the ongoing vibrancy of 42nd Street’s historic theaters; maintaining and fully using the New 42nd Street Studios and The Duke on 42nd Street to support performing artists in the creation of their work; and through The New Victory Theater, New York’s premier theater for kids and families.
