Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities series will present “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!,” on Saturday, April 27, at 1 and 4 p.m., produced by TheaterWorksUSA. The script is by Mo Willems, creator of the #1 New York Times best-selling, Caldecott Honor award-winning “Pigeon” picture books. Willems began his career as a writer and animator for PBS’ “Sesame Street,” where he garnered six Emmy Awards for his writing. Music is by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Ticket availability is limited.
In “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical!,” a pigeon goes into action when a bus driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers late.
Mo Willems is an author, illustrator, animator, and playwright. He was the inaugural Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence (2019-2022), and he continues to collaborate in creating fun, new stuff involving classical music, opera, comedy concerts, dance, painting and digital works with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Ben Folds, Yo-Yo Ma, and others.
Willems is best known for his #1 New York Times bestselling picture books, which have been awarded three Caldecott Honors (“Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!,” “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale,” “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity”), and his celebrated “Elephant and Piggie” early reader series, which has been awarded two Theodor Geisel Medals and five Geisel Honors.
Willems’ art has been exhibited around the world, including major solo retrospectives at Atlanta’s High Museum and the New-York Historical Society. Over the last decade, Willems has become the most-produced playwright of Theater for Young Audiences in America, having written or co-written four musicals based on his books.
He began his career as a writer and animator on PBS’ “Sesame Street,” where he garnered six Emmy Awards for writing. Other television work includes two series on Cartoon Network: “Sheep in the Big City” (creator, head writer) and “Codename: Kids Next Door” (head writer). His recent TV projects include the live-action comedy special, “Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime!,” and an animated rock opera special based on “Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed,” which originally premiered on HBO Max. Last April, he celebrated the 20th anniversary of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!” with the publication of “Be the Bus: The Lost & Profound Wisdom of The Pigeon” (Union Square Kids), a humor book for adults, and “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! 20th Anniversary Edition” (Hyperion Books for Children) including an exclusive board game. His papers reside at Yale University’s Beinecke Library.
Performances are appropriate for grades Pre-K through 2 and run approximately one-hour in length. Tickets are $30 each; limited availability.
TheaterWorksUSA, the producing company, has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. Since 1961, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals.
The Family Festivities series at Westport Country Playhouse is generously supported by Westport Young Woman’s League. Westport Country Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization.
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