April 23, 2014
Ahoy thar, mateys! Venice Theatre is putting on the musical How I Became a Pirate
Theatregoers of all ages are bound to love this treasure of a show
(Venice, FL) Venice Theatre’s Generations Series is proud to present the musical How I Became a Pirate. The show opens Thursday, May 8 and will run through Sunday, May 25, 2014. Performances will take place on Venice Theatre’s Pinkerton Stage Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m. There will also be matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10 for students, $17 for adults and can be purchased online at www.venicestage.com or by calling the box office at 941-488-1115. Discounts are available for groups of 20 or more. The production is generously sponsored by Jim and Julie Podewitz.
How I Became a Pirate tells the story of young Jeremy Jacob (played by Ryan Hunek) who spots a pirate ship in the distance while playing on the beach. The boat comes ashore and Jeremy meets Captain Braid Beard (Toni Hajroja) and his mates. They recruit him to help find the perfect digging spot for their treasure. During a day with his new friends, Jeremy is instructed on how to be a pirate and in turn, he shares with them what a typical kid’s day is like.
Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman have written upbeat music, humorous lyrics and a script based on the popular children’s book of the same name written by Melinda Long with illustrations by David Shannon. Directing and choreographing Venice Theatre’s production is Cathy Baudrit-Noeth. Eli Schildkraut – a 9th grader in Booker High School’s Visual and Performing Arts program – is making his professional music director debut. The cast features 12 students ranging from kindergarten through 10th grade. The majority have taken classes through Venice Theatre’s Education Department. A full listing of the cast and production team follows.
Again, tickets for How I Became a Pirate are available at www.venicestage.com or by calling the box office at 941-488-1115. Box office hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and one hour before show-time. The theatre is located at 140 W. Tampa Avenue.
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How I Became a Pirate
Book, Music and Lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman
Production Staff
Director and Choreographer – Cathy Baudrit-Noeth
Music Director – Eli Schildkraut
Stage Manager – Rhonda Sudik
Technical Director – John Andzulis
Scenic Designer – Brian Freeman
Lighting Designer – Ryan Mueller
Costume Designer – Stephanie Gift
Sound Designer – Dorian Boyd
Props Master – Lisa Million
Assistant Stage Manager – Logan Schultz
Cast
Jeremy Jacob – Ryan Hunek
Braid Beard – Toni Hajroja
Sharktooth the Pirate – Charlie Kollar
Swill the Pirate – Natalie Taylor
Pirate Pierre – Grace Wickerson
Max the Pirate – Casey Berkery
Pirate Seymour Braunschwagger – Nick Winkelmeyer
Pirate Scurvy Dog – Ava Podewitz
Other Scurvy Pirates – Jillian Alexander, Cassie Bradley, Nathan Oss, Marek Winkelmeyer
Captions for attached photos (Credit: Renee McVety)
1. Braid Beard (Toni Hajroja) has fun with his new pirate recruit Jeremy (Ryan Hunek)
2. Braid Beard (Toni Hajroja) learns a few things about being a kid from Jeremy (Ryan Hunek)
3. Left to right: Toni Hajroja, Ryan Hunek and Ava Podewitz (as Pirate Scurvy Dog) star in Venice Theatre’s production of How I Became a Pirate.
Marketing Director
140 W. Tampa Ave
Venice, FL 34285
Tickets: 941-488-1115
