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VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is pleased to
announce the extention of OWEN AND MZEE THE MUSICAL its adaptation of OWEN & MZEE:
THE TRUE STORY OF A REMARKABLE FRIENDSHIP the #1 New York Times best-selling children's book about
the friendship between a tortoise and an orphaned hippopotamus written
by father and daughter team Craig and Isabella Hatkoff and Dr.
Paula Kahumbu . The musical features book and lyrics by
Michelle Elliott and music and lyrics by Danny Larsen. Tyrone L. Robinson is the Director and Choreographer.
Performances run Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 am through Sunday, November 7th, then Sundays only at 11:00 am through
Sunday, November 21st.
Actors' Temple Theatre is located at
339 W 47th St, between 8th and 9th Avenues.
Tickets start at $25.00 and can be purchased on line at
www.Telecharge.com,
by calling (212) 239-6200 or visiting the Box Office up to one hour before curtain on the day of the performance.
OWEN & MZEE THE MUSICAL is inspiring true story of two great friends, a baby hippo named Owen and a 130-yr-old giant tortoise named Mzee.
When Owen was stranded after a tsunami, villagers in Kenya worked tirelessly to rescue him.
Then, to everyone's amazement, the orphan hippo and the elderly tortoise adopted each other and they became inseparable, swimming, eating, and playing together.
Adorable photos e-mailed from friend to friend quickly made them worldwide celebrities.
Here is a joyous reminder that in times of trouble, friendship is stronger than the differences that too often pull us apart.
Featured in the cast are
Desmond Fernandez,
Aguel Lual,
Oscar Whitney Jr. and
Eric J. Willingham.
The design team includes
Katelyn DeGennaro (Props),
Scott Lilly (Scenic Artist) and
Harry Smith (Scenic Carpenter).
Paolo Perez
is the Musical Director and
Ericka Conklin is the Stage Manager. Casting is by
Holly Buczek.
Michelle Elliott (Book and Lyrics)
and
Danny Larsen (Music and Lyrics)
Danny and Michelle met at NYU's Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program.
Their latest musical, Hart Island,
set on New York City's notorious public burial ground,
was part of the National Alliance of Musical Theatres Festival of New Musicals in 2020
and will receive its world premiere production in 2022.
Maiden Voyage, their passionate exploration of the lives of women aboard a notorious pirate ship,
is being developed at Denmark's Fredericia Musical Theatre.
They are currently collaborating with Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls on a new musical inspired by her song,
Country Radio. Danny and Michelle's first musical, The Yellow Wood,
was directed by BD Wong as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival,
where Danny won the award for Best Music.
For their second show,Cloaked, Danny and Michelle received the Jonathan Larson Award,
and Michelle was the recipient of the Kleban Prize for Most Promising Librettist for the show.
Danny and Michelle also wrote, filmed and produced a seven-part musical for teens entitled
The Hinterlands in a response to the spate of suicides by gay youth.
The web series, which has over 1M views, can be seen at HinterlandsTheMusical.com and on YouTube.
Danny and Michelle's other work for young audiences includes Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly and Zombie in Love.
Tyrone L. Robinson (Director and Choreographer)
A snare drum roll. A cymbal CRASH! The hypnotic refrain vamps...A man's voice: "In here, life is beautiful."
I was 10 when I first heard a Broadway musical soundtrack: Kander and Ebb's Cabaret.
After an acting career – most recently on Broadway in Disney's Frozen -
I am delighted to now be directing at the regional theatre level. A trained musician, I read music, am a history buff,
and am passionate about collaboration. Recent Directing: Associate Director to Sammi Cannold on Private Gomer Jones
(NAMT Festival), resident director at Actor Screener Shoot in New York City, the short film "Un{H}armed",
which was an official selection of film festivals nationwide, and the remount of Owen and Mzee The Musical
in New York City and on tour (2022). Upcoming: This Bitter Earth by Harrison David Rivers at InterAct Theatre Company
(Philadelphia), and White Ally (reading) by Douglas Williams at
Bristol Riverside Theatre (PA). Awards/Honors: Joseph Jefferson Award, ASCAP Frederick Loewe Award,
Off-Broadway Alliance Award (nominee), Evelyn Russell Layton Award.
Writing Commissions: TheatreWorks USA, Children's Theatre Charlotte, First Stage Milwaukee, and The Kennedy Center.
Thank you Vital for the opportunity, our creative team, cast, and Stanley Mathis!
www.gurmanagency.com/tyrone-l-robinson IG and Twitter: tyronelrobinson.
Craig M. Hatkoff
Craig M. Hatkoff (Author) and his young daughters, Juliana and Isabella, have created the beloved Turtle Pond Collection
published by Scholastic. The Hatkoffs have authored multiple best-selling children's books. Craig is the Founder and CEO of
Turtle Pond Publications, LLC (www.turtlepondpublications.com), which offers remarkable stories of hope and friendship about
real animals and real world issues, empowering kids and parents to help save our planet.
Their books include the #1 New York Times best-selling "Owen & Mzee: The True Story Of A Remarkable Friendship",
which has been published in 17 languages; "Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World",
about the polar bear cub Knut from the Berlin Zoo; "Winter's Tail: How One Little Dolphin Learned to Swim Again",
about the disabled dolphin Winter; "Looking for Miza", about the endangered mountain gorillas; and "Leo the Snow Leopard",
about Leo, who was orphaned in the mountains of Pakistan and now lives at the Bronx Zoo.
The Hatkoffs' series of children's books, known as the Turtle Pond Collection,
has won numerous prestigious awards, including the American Book Association Book of the Year and the Christophers Award.
In 2002, Mr. Hatkoff moreover co-founded the Tribeca Film Festival and the Tribeca Film Institute with Jane Rosenthal and Robert De Niro.
VITAL THEATRE COMPANY is dedicated to
producing entertaining and educational theatre for young audiences. It
commissions and produces three to five musicals for children each season.
Since its founding in 1999, Vital Theatre Company has been honored with
the Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Family Musical, two Awards for
Excellence by the Off-Off Broadway Review, and has received high acclaim
from audiences and critics alike for being "a wonderful place for
parents to introduce their kids to the glories of live theatre, done well
and at modest prices" (Off-Off Broadway Review). Vital Theatre
Company has presented over 100 original productions for hundreds of
thousands of children and their families. www.vitaltheatre.org
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