Perfect for ages 3 to 12, the Children's Theatres series hosts charming, delightful, and educational performances filled with audience participation and adventure. All shows take place on select Saturdays and Sundays in the fall and spring and begin at 10 am.

Tickets will go on sale August 27, 2007.

Tickets: Orchestra and Box $12 / Mezzanine $10
Ticket Prices Subject to $.50 Facility Preservation Fee

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK

November 17 & 18

Theatre IV

Reccommended for ages 5-10

Join our modern-day young hero, in this rollicking musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale, as he uses his imagination to become the famous Jack from the book he is reading. As he spins the tale of trading the family cow for three magic beans, young audience members will watch the giant beanstalk grow and let their imaginations soar as Jack climbs through the clouds. Once there he meets an ill-tempered giant, finds fabulous treasures, and encounters more exciting and fast-paced adventures than you can shake a stalk at.

CINDERELLA

November 24 & 25

Yates Musical Theatre

Recommended for ages 4-8

Poor Cinderella is mistreated by her stepmother and stepsisters and all she can do is cook and clean for them until, with the help of her fairy godmother and a little bit of magic, she goes to the Royal Ball. There she meets the Prince of her dreams, but must return home before the magic spell is undone - leaving only her shoe behind. Will the prince succeed in his search the maiden to fit the shoe? This time-honored tale of romance and happily ever-after unfolds with imaginative freshness and provides a perfect opportunity to witness how the magic of storytelling combined with live theatre can touch the young and the young at heart!

BABES IN TOYLAND

DECEMBER 1 & 2

American Family Theatre

Recommended for ages 4-8

This holiday favorite has entertained generations of children since 1903 and brings Little Boy Blue, Simple Simon and a host of other fairytale and nursery rhyme characters to life in the magical world of Toyland. The story begins with the evil Barnaby bullying the good Widow Piper for her mortgage payment. When she tells him she can't pay, he says he'll forgive the debt - if she agrees to let him marry her lovely daughter Mary. Mary doesn't want to marry a man twice her age, so she and her true love Alan devise a plan to get around the wedding with a little help from Jack and Jill. This lilting production includes the timeless music of Victor Herbert with 11 memorable songs including the classic "Toyland."

HANS BRINKER & THE SILVER SKATES

December 8 & 9

ArtsPower National Touring Theatre

Recommended for ages 5-12

Set in the '60s...the 1860s, that is, this beloved tale introduces the Brinker family living in Holland, near the beautiful Zeider Zee. The family just barely gets by on father's modest earnings as a fisherman, but they enjoy each other's company and the absence of elegant luxuries never seems to deny a comfortable and happy existence. When their father becomes ill, Hans and his younger sister are determined to help keep their family together and they join forces to face risks and overcome obstacles. As the sounds and sights of Holland come to life on stage in ArtsPower's touching holiday musical, based on the timeless family classic by Mary Mapes Dodge, this tale of courage and family devotion is sure to warm the heart and revive the spirit.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

December 15 & 16

Yates Musical Theatre

Recommended for ages 6-10

Glad tidings abound in this annual holiday treat! The mean old miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, hates Christmas and all it stands for until he is visited by three magical spirits who take him on a miraculous and life-altering journey. Scrooge learns how to live again as he promises to keep the spirit of the holidays in his heart throughout the year. This lively musical telling of Charles Dickens' famous tale remains faithful to the original literary classic and features everyone's favorite characters and a host of holiday cheer and delicious thrills for all ages.

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK, LIVE!

February 16

Young Audiences of New Jersey/Paper Mill Playhouse Family Series

Recommended for ages 5-12

"A pop culture phenomenon comes to the musical stage!  SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! recalls the Emmy Award winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever and memorable songs.  Tom, a school teacher nervous about his first day of teaching, tries to relax when various characters representing facets of his personality show him how to win his students over with imagination and music.  SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE! is simply good, clean and educational fun!  Songs include:  "A Noun is a Person, Place or Thing", "Three is a Magic Number", "Unpack your Adjectives", "Just a Bill", "The Preamble", "Do the Circulation", "Conjunction Junction", "Great American Melting Pot", "Interplanet Janet", "Interjections", and many more! 

JAMES & THE GIANT PEACH

April 26 & 27

Sign Stage Touring Theatre

Recommended for ages 5-10

A tale of friendship, love, and triumph, JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH tells the story of James Trotter who, as an orphan, is sent to live with his mean Aunt Spiker and cruel Aunt Sponge. One day while working in their garden, James receives a magical gift from a mysterious man that changes his life. It is a giant peach and with it James sets out on an extraordinary adventure that leaves sadness behind and replaces it with miraculous encounters with larger-than-life-sized insects and a thrilling flight through the sky pulled by a flock of seagulls! The journey culminates with a surprise landing, on the top of the Empire State Building! Sign Stage on Tour uses both the spoken word and sign language to share Jame's exploits with deaf and hearing actors performing together in a magical blend of the glories of spoken English and the spatial beauty of American Sign Language.

MAX & RUBY

May 3 & 4

Theatreworks USA

Recommended for ages 3-6

Ruby, a seven-year-old rabbit, loves her Grandma very much and wants to do something special for her. She gets the brilliant idea to put on a show, with music and costumes and a castle and everything! She'll need some help, though, so she tries to enlist her little brother Max. who turns out to be no help at all, so Ruby recruits her Bunny Scout friends for assistance. But can she finish Grandma's play in time? Find out in this delightful musical based on the top-rated Nickelodeon television show inspired by Rosemary Wells' bunny siblings, Max and Ruby!

THE UGLY DUCKLING

May 10 & 11

Theatre IV

Recommended for ages 5-10

We all know the famous fable of the swan who, in a family of ducks, is thought to be unappealing and unattractive and who eventually sees his appearance change as he discovers his true identity. But did you know that the folk tales of other cultures give us parallel stories where different animals learn the lessons of the story of the Ugly Duckling? Theatre IV pairs the classic Ugly Duckling tale with the story of the Burmese mole that hates dirt and the Inuit bald eagle with a full head of hair providing multi-cultural insights and side-splitting hi-jinx for all ages. Don't miss this all-singing, all-dancing and all-delightful new musical that shares lessons of self-esteem and self-confidence and helps young audiences to learn to love themselves as they are.

HANSEL & GRETEL and GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS

May 17 & 18

Yates Musical Theatre

Recommended for ages 5-10

Based on the classic stories from the pen of the celebrated Brothers Grimm, this double bill of cherished childhood favorites is a delight to the heart and to the senses. Colorful costumes and lively music and dance bring the beloved characters to life before your very eyes, complete with witch, dancing bears and resourceful children. By watching Hansel and his sister stick together and keep their cool we learn about thinking our way out of bad situations. And by watching Goldilocks, we learn to think twice before judging others. We begin to see that, even the fiercest looking creatures may be loving, peaceful and funny, if we respect them and get to know them.