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“The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley JR.” is kicking off CYT Tri-Valley’s 2025-26 season of “CYT LITE!” shows next week at the Bankhead Theater in downtown Livermore.
The youth theater series centers on hour-long musical versions of favorite children’s book characters, featuring local performers ages 8 to 18 years old for matinee and weeknight shows. The cast of young actors is poised for the curtain to rise Tuesday, according to CYT Tri-Valley artistic director Kristin Baer-Werder, who is directing “Flat Stanley JR.”
“Their first performance is just days away and, for about one third of our cast, it’s their first performance ever,” Baer-Werder told the Pleasanton Weekly. “They’ve worked so hard and take care of all their own business like hair, makeup, and costume quick changes. We’re just so, so very proud of what they’re bringing to the stage.”
Baer-Werder said she’s struck by how the stories by the late Jeff Brown, which debuted in the 1960s, remain timeless across generations.
“The cast sent ‘Stanley’ to family and friends and we’ll display the photos they received of his ‘adventures’ in the Bankhead lobby for audiences to enjoy,” she said. “From Versailles Palace in France, to a train in Korea, to the Louisville Slugger factory in Kentucky, and back to our own Tri-Valley, Flat Stanley inspired our actors to connect with the world around them through people they know; we hope our audiences will build connections as well.”
CYT Tri-Valley, the Bankhead’s resident children’s theater company, is presenting “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley JR.” next Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 7 and 8). Evening shows are at 6:30 p.m., while “School Days” matinees – designed and priced for school field trip groups – are offered at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Tuesday and 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“Taking a classic book and making it a musical breathes new life into the story and everyone will enjoy the eclectic mix of songs about surfing in Hawaii, dreaming about being a Jedi knight, becoming a Hollywood star and more; it’s just so much fun!” Baer-Werder said.
The “CYT LITE!” is set to continue with “Seussical JR.” Feb. 18-19 and “Junie B. Jones The Musical JR.” May 19-20. The theater troupe is also producing a full-length musical this fall, “Annie” at the Bankhead on weekends from Nov. 1-9. For tickets and more information, go to cyttrivalley.org.
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