The British Theatre Academy has today announced a double bill of musicals to play this summer at London’s Ambassadors: family musical The Adventures Of Pinocchio, and Jason Robert Brown’s coming-of-age comedy 13 The Musical.
This season follows the success of previous BTA summer shows, The Secret Garden at the Ambassadors Theatre in 2016 and Annie Jr, which smashed box office records at the Arts Theatre in 2015. Those shows gave over 500 youngsters the chance to act for the first time in the West End.
Written by the Broadway and Disney writing duo Neil Bartram and Brian Hill (The Story of My Life, Bedknobs And Broomsticks), The Adventures Of Pinocchio is based on Carlo Collodi’s classic tale of a wooden puppet longing to be a real boy, and will run from Friday July 28 – Thursday 31 August.
Carved out of wood by the lonely toymaker Geppetto, Pinocchio tumbles from one disastrous situation to another in search of adventure—only to discover that, in the end, all he really needs is an unselfish heart and the love of his father. Based on Carlo Collodi’s classic tale, the family musical illuminates the bond between parents and children.
13 The Musical is an hilarious, coming-of-age musical about discovering that “cool” is sometimes where we least expect it, with Music and Lyrics by the Tony Award-winning Jason Robert Brown (Parade, The Last Five Years, Bridges Of Madison County), and will play Wednesday 16 August – Wednesday 23 August.
Geek. Poser. Jock. Beauty Queen. Wannabe. These are the labels that can last a lifetime. With an unforgettable rock score, 13 The Musical is a musical about fitting in – and standing out. Composed of a precocious cast comprised entirely of teenagers, no character in 13 is older than the show’s title.
Producer Matthew Chandler of the BTA said: “It is has been an incredible year for the BTA and to date all our productions and concerts have given 1,500 children the chance to perform on the West End stage.”
“For our summer season, more than 2,000 young people auditioned for The Adventures Of Pinocchio and over 1,000 teenagers for 13 The Musical. In total we have 17 teams of actors performing The Adventures Of Pinocchio and 3 teams perfoming 13 The Musical. This is a fantastic opportunity for all the youngsters involved.”
Tickets can be purchased through the Ambassadors Theatre’s website.
The Adventures Of Pinocchio and 13 The Musical are also participating in Kids Week 2017; for more information, please visit the promotion’s website.