Musical Theatre Factory (MTF) and The New York Children’s Theater Festival will present THE MEANEST BIRTHDAY GIRL, with book & lyrics by Lauren Marcus and music by Leah Okimoto.
Based on the bestselling children’s book of the same title, in THE MEANEST BIRTHDAY GIRL, it’s Dana’s birthday, and she’s gonna do whatever she likes! But when one very big present starts to cause some very big problems, it’s time for her to rethink her birthday behavior…
According to Marcus and Okimoto, they were “both inspired by the simplicity, humor and straight-forwardness of Josh Schneider’s book, The Meanest Birthday Girl. We wanted to create a piece that adults would love as much as children, and that children could see themselves in. No kid is perfect; everyone has good days and bad days. We happen to catch the meanest birthday girl on her bad day, and we hope that kids will recognize the behavior, laugh at it, and then perhaps recognize a kinder way to go about treating the people around them on one of those days.”
The cast features Elizabeth Nestlerode (Dana), Andreas Wyder (Anthony), Catherine Ang (Gerturde), Alex Gilbert (Harrison/Elephant) and Natalie Walker (Jenny/Elephant).
Direction and choreography by MK Lawson. Music direction by Rob Rokicki.
THE MEANEST BIRTHDAY GIRL takes place May 15 at 5pm, May 16 at 11am & 2pm, and May 17 at 2pm at the Players Theatre (115 MacDougal Street, NYC). Please visit www.nyctfest.org for tickets and additional information.
Musical Theatre Factory is a volunteer-based organization dedicated to helping musical theatre artists develop and present new work in a collaborative environment free from the pressures of critical or commercial success.
The New York Children’s Theater Festival, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, serves family audiences by supporting upcoming artists and industry professionals who are passionate about creating theatrical experiences and productions for children. NYCTF will foster critical awareness for the art form, through professional development and enrichment opportunities for those dedicated to the craft of creating new works for young audiences. As well as annually presenting new works, NYCTF will also provide resources and services that will support artist in their work to develop and inspire the next generation of theatergoers.