Photos courtesy of People’s Light and Theatre and Mark Garvin
Andrew Kane, Michael Doherty, and Rachel Brennan in Kathryn Petersen’s Treasure Island: A Musical Panto, with music and lyrics by Michael Ogborn. At People’s Light & Theatre through January 8th. Photo by Mark Garvin.
People’s Light & Theatre presents Treasure Island: A Musical Panto, by Kathryn Petersen, with music and lyrics by Michael Ogborn. It runs November 16, 2011 – January 8, 2012 on the Main Stage. Associate Artistic Director Pete Pryor directs.
In Treasure Island: A Musical Panto, Mother Hawkins and Long John Silver return for the holidays with the rascally rabble aboard Ye Olde Blowharde. They sing, dance, stagger, and swim their way through a few of the Seven Seas in search of Billy Bones’ treasure.
Now a holiday tradition, audiences ages 5-105 have been selling out People’s Light’s Main Stage for eight seasons to see the company’s World Premieres of Panto-spins on classic tales. Treasure Island will be the first time People’s Light is reviving one of its most popular productions, adding new material to make it a special experience for all who enjoyed it the first time, as well as newcomers.
Composer and Lyricist Michael Ogborn joined the creative team for the 2007 version of Treasure Island and has co-written with Playwright Kathryn Petersen all of the Pantos since then: Cinderella (2008), Snow White (2009), and The Three Musketeers (2010).
“With this ensemble and creative staff, we all have great ideas,” Ogborn says. “The respect that everyone has for the process that we put together every year is really extraordinary. And it’s a lot of fun. I have a feeling that this Treasure Island is going to be bigger and better than ever!”
WHAT IS A PANTO?
The Panto is a tradition borrowed from England, where almost every town has a Panto during the holiday season. Pantos are a mix between a fractured fairy tale and a variety show, using familiar stories to form the basis for exaggeration, outrageous jokes, and rollicking songs and dances. They incorporate specific elements, including “the dame” (a man dressed as a woman), audience participation (in the form of cheering the heroes and booing the villains), a “messy bit,” candy passed out to the audience, and a “silly song” that inspires an audience sing-along.
TICKET INFORMATION
Treasure Island: A Musical Panto previews on Wednesday, November 16th and Thursday, November 17th at 7pm. The play opens on Saturday, November 19th at 7pm and runs through Sunday, January 8th. Audiences are encouraged to join the artists after each Thursday evening performance for a conversation about the production.
Single tickets range in price from $35 – $45. For tickets, call the box office at 610.644.3500. Special discounts are available for groups of 15 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call 610.647.1900 x134 or email charles@peopleslight.org. Actors, prices, performance dates and times are subject to change. Additional service charges will apply. Contact the box office for more details.
People’s Light & Theatre is located at 39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA 19355. For tickets call 610.644.3500 or visit PeoplesLight.org. Treasure Island is part of the PNC Arts Alive Family Discovery Series.
