Children's Musical Ferdinand the Bull at Imagination Stage
Imagination Stage (4908 Auburn Avenue Bethesda, MD 20814)
- Full Price:
- $17.00 - $21.00
- Our Price:
- $8.50 - $10.50*
* Additional fees apply.
All offers for Ferdinand the Bull have expired.
The last date listed for Ferdinand the Bull was Saturday October 31, 2009 / 4:00pm.
Currently at Imagination Stage:
P. Nokio: a Hip-Hop Musical: A Modern Retelling of Pinocchio
- Full Price:
- $18.00 - $22.00
- Our Price:
- $9.00 - $11.00
Imagination Stage presents a world-premiere musical by musician and playwright Psalmayene 24, known locally for his unique style of hip-hop musical theater. P. Nokio re-imagines the classic tale of Pinocchio, the wooden puppet with an honesty deficiency. This updated version takes the story from Italy to the enchanted land of Hip-Hopia. G. Petto, a computer game designer, creates a digital character named P.Nokio who comes to life, becoming G. Petto's unexpected son. P. Nokio, not yet a real boy, attends the Old School to master style, originality, and swagger and gain reality. Unfortunately, temptation rears its head and P.Nokio is led astray by fun and trouble, becoming swept up in a tangle of lies that endangers his newfound father. To save G.Petto, P.Nokio must wise up, keep it real, and learn that words and truth are the mightiest weapons of all. Learn More
Goldstar Member Tips
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Patrice English on What to Wear
Comfy, not to dressy
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Patrice English on Where to Park
Adjacent to plentiful parking
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MayraD on Where to Park
The parking lot next door to Imagination was free that Sunday which was great.
Goldstar Member Reviews
Goldstar Member
This was a simply delightful performance. I bought tickets for a visit by my mother-in-law. The double entendres kept she and I in stitches and the kiddies-7 & 9- just loved the activity, the costumes and the acting. The interaction was perfect for them. I highly recommend this clever and well-done performance.Written on Oct 06 2009
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Patrice English
It kept my 8 year old's attention and there was enough storyline to keep me focused too!Written on Oct 05 2009
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Goldstar Member
My 7-1/2 year old daughter loves attending the theater. She's been to shows at many local venues including Wolf Trap, Glen Echo and Kennedy Center. She loved the theater and the show. She loved the costumes, the music, and the story. I think the show is entertaining for children as well as adults. There are many double entandres that will make adults laugh, as well as plenty of laughs for the kids. Fun Show!Written on Nov 02 2009
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Goldstar Member
Imagination Stage is always worth the trip - although I always feel as if they're trying to gouge me for more money (gift shop, food, season tix etc.). The play was ok. Many of the themes and jokes were good for the adults - could have been a bit more content for kiddies.Written on Oct 19 2009
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More Information About Ferdinand the Bull
Website
http://www.imaginationstage.org/shows-a-tickets/now-playing
Description
Imagination Stage is saying "olé!" to the charming Ferdinand the Bull, as the show kicks off the 2009-10 season. Imagination Stage is the region's leading theatre dedicated to children. The show has book and lyrics by acclaimed Washington playwright Karen Zacarias and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma. It is based on the classic book The Story of Ferdinand (published in 1936) by Munro Leaf (a University of Maryland grad) and is directed by Imagination Stage Associate Artistic Director Kathryn Chase Bryer. Recommended for ages 4 and up, it runs in the beautiful Annette M. and Theodore N. Lerner Family Theatre at Imagination Stage in Bethesda.
While based on the book, and especially the beloved hero, the play adds more characters and action to the story. Ferdy is an easy-going, flower-loving kind of bull, whose best friend, the star-struck pig Cochina, takes him to exciting Madrid to be in a bull fight (but not knowing the bull's fate...). In Madrid, Ferdy meets the unhappy Danilo, a boy torn between his own dreams and his father's very different plans for him. Their dramatic encounter in the bull ring has a happy surprise ending and shows how hard—and ultimately how important—it is to be true to one's self.
The show is infused with Spanish language, music, dance and even the artwork of Joan Miro, providing a great introduction to a new culture for children. Bryer is delighted to include in the cast a guitar player, Michael Perez, and a flamenco dancer/castanet player, Renee Lamont. She says that "many times, it is not economically feasible for us to have live musicians, so we were thrilled to be able to bring in Michael and Renee for the run of Ferdinand. They have very special talents perfectly suited to this production." They will start the show with a dance number, and music and dance will be interwoven into the show throughout. Both are well-known performers around Washington, DC. Perez plays regularly at DC restaurants Cabanas and Café Citron. Neither has done any legit theatre before, and Bryer is pleased that they will make their debut at Imagination Stage. The dances will be choreographed by Jaime Coronado, a prominent Spanish dance choreographer, originally from Mexico.
Imagination Stage commissioned Ferdinand the Bull from Zacarias and La Puma and premiered it in 2001 at the old Imagination Stage in White Flint. Imagination Stage has also commissioned and premiered Zacarias and La Puma's The Magical Piñata, Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans and the 07-08 smash hit Looking for Roberto Clemente. Following Ferdinand's initial production at Imagination Stage, the show went on to run at such major regional theatres as the Goodman Theater in Chicago, Alliance Theater in Atlanta and the Arden in Philadelphia. By the end of 2009, Ferdinand the Bull will have had about 75 productions nationally and internationally, as far away as Singapore.
Zacarias is one of only a small handful of playwrights (Eric Coble and Jose Cruz Gonzalez among them) who move comfortably and frequently between writing plays for children and for adults. She believes that her work in each genre is stronger for working in them both: "I try to push the parameters of both genres. My adult work is more imaginative because of my time spent writing for kids. And the work for kids is more textured and relevant because of my writing for adults." She is pleased to see Ferdinand returning to Imagination Stage. "Ten years ago Imagination Stage gave me my first commission! I am really lucky to have Imagination Stage as an artistic home. Kate and Janet (Stanford) are real cultivators. They take people who don't think of themselves as children's writers and help them blossom."
Bryer and Artistic Director Janet Stanford worked closely with Zacarias and La Puma on the original script. Zacarias laughs that "Ferdinand is the most UNdramatic protagonist in literature! Drama is about conflict and choice. Ferdinand has already made his choice and does not want conflict. So we created obstacles around him, and in the end he does have a choice of whether or not to fight when he gets into the bull ring."
Stanford notes that "Ferdinand does not refuse to fight in the bullring on political grounds. He just knows who he is. He knows that he was put on this earth to grow flowers and to be a good friend. But Danilo is torn between pleasing his father and pleasing himself. One of my favorite lines is when Ferdy tells Danilo, "Some of the bravest people in the world never raised a fist or sword. And they changed the world. Cha-cha-cha.""
As to the look of the show, Bryer and set designer Elizabeth Jenkins McFadden and costume designer Katie Touart were inspired by the works of Spanish artist Joan Miro. Theatre-goers will recognize not only Miro's unique shapes but also his sense of whimsy and color. Miro and Munro Leaf were of the same era—though working on different continents.
Besides Coronado, McFadden and Touart, the creative team includes Andrew Griffin (lighting design), Debbie Jacobson (musical direction), Chris Baine (sound design) and orchestrations by La Puma. Kristen Bishel stage manages.
The cast includes three Imagination Stage returning favorites, Ricardo Frederick Evans (Ferdinand), Michael John Casey (Duque Dodo) and Andrew Boza (Danilo) and one recent Catholic University graduate, Sara Beth Pfeifer (Cochina) as well as guitarist, Perez, and dancer, Lamont.
About the Ticket Supplier: Imagination Stage
Imagination Stage is a family arts center that nurtures young people of all abilities through participation in professional theatre and arts education experiences.