CCT_Edward Tulane_ press release

 PRESS RELEASE Press contact: Jay Kelly, L.C. Williams & Associates jkelly@lcwa.com or 312.565.4623 BROADWAY’S JESSIE FISHER, FEMALE LEAD IN ONCE, TO STAR IN CHICAGO CHILDREN’S THEATRE’S 2015-­‐‑16 SEASON OPENER, THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE DIRECTED BY STUART CARDEN Jessie Fisher will star and Stuart Carden will direct the Chicago premiere of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane at Chicago Children’s Theatre, October 20-­‐‑November 15, 2015. Click here to download hi-­‐‑res. CHICAGO, April 2, 2015 -­‐‑ Jessie Fisher, the young Chicago actress fresh from her Broadway debut in Once, and acclaimed director Stuart Carden are two of the high-­‐‑profile artists confirmed for Chicago Children’s Theatre’s 2015-­‐‑16 season opener next fall, the Chicago premiere of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Dwayne Hartford’s new adaptation of the popular children’s book by Newbery Award-­‐‑winner Kate DiCamillo. Fisher previously worked with Chicago Children’s Theatre participating in Red Kite Round-­‐‑Up, the company’s 2011 live theater experience created for children on the autism spectrum. Carden returns to Chicago Chicago Children’s Theatre after his critically acclaimed debut outing with Leo Lionni’s Frederick last fall. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane will hop off the page and land on the stage at Chicago Children’s Theatre with previews starting Tuesday, October 20. Press opening is Friday, October 23 at 7 p.m. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane will run through Sunday, November 15 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn St., Chicago. Edward Tulane promises to be a multi-­‐‑generational experience for all ages, best recommended for ages 7 and up. Chicago Children’s Theatre will announce the balance of their 2015-­‐‑16 season on opening night of their upcoming world premiere of Wonderland, Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure, Friday, April 24 at 6:30 p.m. Discounted multi-­‐‑play 2015-­‐‑16 subscriptions including The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane go on sale Monday, April 27. Single tickets are $10-­‐‑$38, and go on sale Monday, August 3. For tickets and information, visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call CCT'ʹs dedicated box office line, (872) 222-­‐‑9555. Email GroupSales@chicagochildrenstheatre.org or call (773) 227-­‐‑0180 x 13 to learn about deeply discounted group rates for schools, playgroups, birthday parties and scouting groups. -­‐‑more-­‐‑ Fisher, Carden set for CCT’s 2015-­‐‑16 opener, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – pg 2 of 3 Finding friendship, finding yourself, and finding your way home… More about The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane Edward Tulane is a very dapper china rabbit—a birthday present for Abilene, a sweet little girl who adores him almost as much as Edward loves himself. But when Edward gets lost at sea, he finds he has a lot to learn. Caught at the bottom of the sea in a fisherman’s net, he lands in a garbage dump, travels with a happy hobo, comforts a sick child, and wanders the streets of Memphis, bouncing from person to person and decade to decade until he the audience is shown a true miracle, and Edward discovers the transformative power of love. The New York Times Book Review wrote “Perhaps no other current American children’s book writer has appeared on the scene so quickly or so brightly as Kate Di Camillo…(her) latest novel, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, may well be her best. One reading is hardly enough to savor the rich philosophical nuances of DiCamillo’s story.” Jessie Fisher is thrilled to be back in Chicago, having spent the past year playing the lead in Once on Broadway. She returns to Chicago Children’s Theatre, where she participated in Red Kite Roundup. Fisher has also worked with Chicago Shakespeare, Steppenwolf, TimeLine, About Face, The Hypocrites and American Theatre Company. Her TV credits include Boss and Chicago PD. She teaches for Black Box Acting and is half of the music duo Erik and Jessie. In addition to staging CCT’s world premiere musical Leo Lionni’s Frederick last season, Stuart Carden (director) works around the country directing and producing theatre including five seasons at Writers Theatre and two at City Theatre in Pittsburgh as associate artistic director. Notable directing projects include: PigPen Theatre Co.’s folk music fable The Old Man and The Old Moon (ArtsEmerson, New Victory Theatre, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Writers Theatre), Carly Mensch’s Oblivion at City Theatre Company, Nina Raine’s Tribes in a co-­‐‑production with Philadelphia Theatre Company and City Theatre Company; the U.S. premiere of David Greig’s Yellow Moon, Randall Colburn’s Hesperia and Giles Havergal’s adaptation of the Graham Greene novel Travels with My Aunt at Writers Theatre; Annie Baker’s Circle Mirror Transformation, Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room, Curt Columbus and Marilyn Campbell’s adaptation of Crime and Punishment, and Martin McDonagh’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis; David Harrower’s Blackbird, Stephen Massicottes’ Mary'ʹs Wedding, Jeffrey Hatcher’s A Picasso and Tristine Schyler’s The Moonlight Room at City Theatre; Shishir Kurup’s The Merchant on Venice, David Henry Hwang’s Golden Child, and the premieres of Yussef el Guindi’s Back of the Throat and 10 Acrobats in an Amazing Leap of Faith at Silk Road Rising; and Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman, U.S. premiere of Martin Crimp’s adaptation of The False Servant, and Marie Jones’ Stones in his Pockets for Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre. Carden lives in Chicago’s South Loop with his wife contemporary art curator Neysa Page-­‐‑Lieberman and their twin toddlers Dashiell and Griffin. He is an alum of Carnegie Mellon University and a member of SDC. For more visit stuartcarden.org. Dwayne Hartford (adaptor) is a playwright, actor and director in Phoenix, where he is an associate artist and playwright-­‐‑in-­‐‑residence at Childsplay, the nationally recognized theatre for young audiences and families. His plays include Eric and Elliot (recipient of the distinguished play award from the American Alliance for Theatre and Education), The Imaginators, A Tale of Two Cities, Rock the Presidents and The Color of Stars. -­‐‑more-­‐‑ Fisher, Carden set for CCT’s 2015-­‐‑16 opener, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – pg 3 of 3 Kate DiCamillo (author) is the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature for 2014-­‐‑15. Born in Philadelphia, she lives in Minneapolis, where she faithfully writes two pages a day, five days a week. After moving to Minnesota from Florida in her 20s, homesickness and a bitter winter helped inspire Because of Winn-­‐‑
Dixie—her first published novel, which became a runaway bestseller and snapped up a Newbery Honor. Her second novel, The Tiger Rising, went on to become a National Book Award finalist. Since then, she has written for a wide range of ages, including two comical early chapter-­‐‑book series—Mercy Watson and Bink & Gollie—as well as a luminous holiday picture book, Great Joy. Her latest novel, Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, won the 2014 Newbery Medal, was a 2013 Parents’ Choice Gold Award Winner and was chosen by Amazon, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and Common Sense Media as a Best Book of the Year. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane received its world premiere in October 2013 at Childsplay in Phoenix, where it won Best Overall Production competing against “adult” theater productions in the state’s AriZoni Awards. It has also been produced at South Coast Repertory and Bay Area Children’s Theatre, both in California. Chicago Children’s Theatre production this fall will mark the musical’s Chicago premiere. About Chicago Children’s Theatre Chicago Children'ʹs Theatre focuses on the production of first-­‐‑rate children'ʹs theatre in Chicago, with top writing, performing and directorial talent and high-­‐‑quality design and production expertise. Since the company was launched in 2005, Chicago Children’s Theatre has presented the world premieres of The Selfish Giant, The Hundred Dresses, Jackie and Me, Dot and Ziggy, The Houdini Box, The Elephant and The Whale (in association with Redmoon), Mr. Chickee’s Funny Money, Leo Lionni’s Frederick and Wonderland, Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure. Chicago Children'ʹs Theatre aspires to enrich our community through diverse and significant theatrical and educational programming that engages and inspires the child in all of us. The company strives to provide affordable and accessible theatre for families and area school children. To enhance the impact of any given production'ʹs themes, Chicago Children’s Theatre offers educational materials and programs for families and educators. Led by Artistic Director Jacqueline Russell and Board Chair Todd Leland, the company is supported by a dynamic Board of Directors comprised of dedicated individuals from the fields of entertainment, philanthropy and business. Officers include David Saltiel, President; Lynn Lockwood Murphy, Vice Chair and Secretary; and David Chung, Treasurer. Chicago Children'ʹs Theatre is sponsored in part by ComEd, Goldman Sachs Gives and Target. For more information about Chicago Children'ʹs Theatre visit chicagochildrenstheatre.org, call CCT'ʹs dedicated box office line, (872) 222-­‐‑9555, or the administrative office, (773) 227-­‐‑0180. # # #