THEATRE UNLEASHED SENDS ACCLAIMED SUPERHERO MUSICAL TO FRINGE!
Super Sidekick: The Musical
Super Sidekick, playwright Gregory Crafts’ wildly popular musical collaboration with composer Michael Gordon Shapiro, welcomes back Inky, Blackjack and the Ninja Koalas!
LOS ANGELES –Theatre Unleashed is proud to announce that the critically acclaimed and immensely popular Super Sidekick, the company’s first ever original musical, will return for a second run, this time as part of the ever-growing Hollywood Fringe Festival. A thematic super hero story for kids (with plenty of subtle humor for adults), the show will run Saturdays and Sundays at 1 p.m. from June 11-26 at the Actors Circle Theatre. Super Sidekick has also been accepted to the famed FringeNYC, where it will make its East Coast debut!
An original story by rising playwright Gregory Crafts (Friends Like These), with music by Michael Gordon Shapiro (the films The F-Zone and Home Room), Super Sidekick is an exciting, heart-warming and inspiring play that follows the dynamic duo of Blackjack and Inky, the greatest super hero/sidekick combination in the Kingdom, as they track the evil Sorcerer Slurm to the Caves of Doom to rescue the Princess. The modest and hard-working Inky gets his moment to shine when the proud and bumbling Blackjack also gets caught. He needs to summon his strength and courage to save them both before they fall prey to Slurm’s Terrible Tickler in this hysterically beautiful story of bravery and friendship. While the show itself is targeted to kids, Crafts tongue-in-cheek approach makes this a theatrical experience truly intended for the whole family.
“This play has something for everybody, sort of like the original Sesame Street,” Crafts said. “It’s touching, ridiculous, really very funny and quite a spectacle. Plus, it has Ninja Koalas! I’m very excited to do this show as it’s the first I ever wrote, back in the summer of 2006, when I was first meeting a lot of people that went on to form Theatre Unleashed…including my wife Jenn Scuderi, who we’re lucky to have direct once again.”
Scuderi has over a decade experience working in children’s theatre and she said she was very excited to return to the show and work with children once again.
“I think that young actors bring a different perspective to a cast, one of playfulness, openness and willingness to take the big risks,” she said. “As adult actors, we are constantly trying to get ourselves back to that place where playing wasn’t something we needed to think about. There is a playful feeling with this show and I’m confident that feeling will permeate not just the cast, but the audience as well.”
Super Sidekick also heads up a new initiative by the Hollywood Fringe to offer a more family-oriented slate of programming, which Theatre Unleashed was proud to be a part of once again.
“We’re excited to be a part of this new initiative to bring theatre to all patrons of all ages,” Crafts said. “We think its important to introduce theatre to the next generation as early as possible so they realize just how wonderful, magical and important it really is.”
In the spirit of producing partner Coeurage Theatre Company, the company is offering “pay-what-you-can” ticketing. In a brilliant marketing plan, Crafts is also producing trading cards of the cast that will be distributed at venues during the festival for kids to collect and earn rewards.
DATES AND TIMES:
June 11-26
Saturdays and Sundays, 1 p.m.
LOCATION:
Actors Circle Theatre
7313 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
TICKET PRICES:
General Admission: Pay What You Can!!
INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS:
For further information, please call: (818) 849-4039
Or check out our website at: www.theatreunleashed.com
PRESS CONTACT:
Jim Martyka
(818) 497-3701
[email protected]
