Theater News

Mighty Mouse

The anticipated musical If You Give a Mouse a Cookie squeaks into the Lucille Lortel. Also, camp memories are re-lived at the TADA! Theater, brave Margaret battles at giant in Brooklyn, The Lion King finds a new home, and theaters stay busy in Long Island.

The cast of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
(Photo © Joan Marcus)
The cast of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
(Photo © Joan Marcus)

Almost every popular children’s book is eventually adapted into a memorable play or movie. It happened to the works of C.S. Lewis, the Brothers Grimm, and Dr. Seuss, so it was only a matter of time before the wildly popular children’s book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books, got the same treatment. Theatreworks commissioned this musical adaptation of the amusing cautionary tale, and the company assembled some of musical theater’s biggest writers and actors to make sure that it was done right. The show consists of eight musical vignettes adapted by such stars as Kristen Childs, Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner, and Mindi Dickstein. The cast includes Tony Award nominee Stephanie D’Abruzzo, Aurelia Williams, Farah Alvin, David A. Austin, Nick Blaemire, and Carla Woods. (July 17-August 18, Lucille Lortel)


Another musical, Everything About Camp (Almost) offers a nostalgia trip that will tickle both parents and their children. Set at Camp Ichikawooeemakohooyahoo, it follows the lives of campers playing, gossiping, storytelling, and forming lifelong friendships. The scenes were created by Michael Slade, and fifteen artists collaborated on the music and lyrics. (July 7-29, TADA!)


The Lady Cavalier Theatre Company has always traded in fearsome stage combat. Now, they have a new weapon to show off in the famous Irish folk legend The Adventures of Margaret the Brave. It tells the story of a wily young woman who sets out to save Prince Simon from a fearsome giant. During her journey, she encounters and vanquishes monsters from Celtic lore, procures a magical ring from a mysterious sorceress, and uses an enchanted sword against a great enemy. This story is for all the young girls who never wanted to play with dolls. (July 19-28, ART/NY at South Oxford Street in Brooklyn)


The Lion King just moved out of the New Amsterdam Theatre to make way for Mary Poppins this fall. Its new stomping grounds are the Minskoff Theatre, where Simba the cub, Timon the meerkat, and Pumbaa the warthog will be going on their journey to discover the fate of the Pride Lands. Besides being a Disney mega-hit, it’s the work of the legendary director Julie Taymor and a classic story. If you’ve seen it before, here’s a perfect excuse to see it again.


It’s a busy month out in Long Island. The Patchogue Theatre has three plays going up this month. Steve Johnson stops in at the theater to explore The Wonderful World of Magic on July 8. The beautiful Belle falls in love with a real animal in the musical Beauty and the Beast on July 21, and Dorothy and her friends go off to visit The Wizard of Oz on July 14. (The Airport Playhouse is also performing the latter show from July 8 to 22, meaning that you have two yellow brick roads to choose from.) Finally, the family friendly band Laughing Pizza is performing new songs at the YMCA Boulton Center in Bay Shore on July 28.