Broadway Songwriters to Entertain at the Bay Area Children's Theatre's Artist Showcase

Tony Award-nominated songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul will entertain at the Bay Area Children’s Theatre’s Artist Showcase, Sunday, October 12, at 11 a.m. at the Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison Street, Berkeley, CA 94704

Proceeds from the performance benefit BACT’s Youth Education Program and outreach programs that bring theatre education and live theatre to underserved children throughout the Bay Area.

Pasek, Paul, and playwright Timothy Allen McDonald, who collaborated on the new musical, James and the Giant Peach, which the Bay Area Children’s Theatre will produce later this year, will share songs, stories and insights about the creative process. In addition, the Artist Showcase will provide a tuneful introduction to BACT’s upcoming productions, its school tour and its educational programs. Cast members will sing songs from Fancy Nancy and Three Little Birds: A New Reggae Musical for Children. Students in BACT’s Young Performers program will present a medley of songs from Peter Pan, Jr. The Artist Showcase is recommended for adults and children aged 5 and up.

Tickets: Adults - $25, Children - $22

VIP Tickets: Adults - $50, Children - $40

Tickets are tax deductible as provided by law.

For more information and reservations: (510) 296-4433, or www.bactheatre.org

About the Artists

Pasek and Paul are the Tony-nominated songwriters of the Broadway musical, A Christmas Story. The duo also wrote the music and lyrics for the award-winning, off-Broadway musical, Dogfight. As television songwriters, their original songs were featured on Season 2 of NBC’s Smash.

Enjoy this video of Pasek & Paul singing “Floating Along” from James and the Giant Peach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Twz0YG9luk

McDonald created Music Theatre International’s Education Division and iTheatrics, which adapts Broadway musicals for student performers, creates new musicals for young audiences, and provides training and resources to educators in musical theatre.

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About the Bay Area Children’s Theatre

The Bay Area Children’s Theatre (BACT), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004, serves more than 50,000 children and adults throughout the Bay Area, offering professional performances inspired by children’s literature as well as in-school and after-school theatre instruction for children. We believe in the power of theatre to build community, spark creativity, and introduce children to the larger world in which we live.

Our Mission: To inspire young audiences with imaginative productions, introduce children of all backgrounds to the excitement of live theatre, and create an engaging, entertaining, and educational environment in which children and their families can explore and enjoy the arts.

How We Carry Out Our Mission:

· Bring high quality, professional theatre to children and their families, with artists who create vibrant worlds that are intriguing to young audiences

· Encourage young people to explore literature, language, and the arts by producing stage adaptations of great children’s books

· Engage pre-kindergartners in the world of theatre with productions specially designed for them

· Develop and perform exciting new work for the stage

· Reach out to children who might not otherwise experience live theatre with free tickets and touring productions at local schools, libraries and community centers

· Create touring productions for young audiences nationwide

· Introduce children to the joy of performance with theatre classes in schools and community arts centers through our Youth Education Program.