Youth theater taps Tony talent

Tom Titus

It’s not unusual for South Coast Repertory to showcase award-winning

writers and actors on its two stages. It happens quite a bit,

actually.

So, when ushering in its new season of Theater for Young

Audiences, why not go after some of the best in the business?

This weekend, SCR opens its youth-oriented season with a world

premiere musical from the Tony Award-winning team behind such

projects as “Ragtime,” “Seussical” and “Once on This Island” -- Lynn

Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The source material, however, is as old

as ... well, Hans Christian Andersen.

The musical adaptation of Andersen’s “The Emperor’s New Clothes,”

written specially for the Costa Mesa company, will be unveiled this

weekend on SCR’s Julianne Argyros Stage under the direction of

John-David Keller, best known for helming the company’s annual

production of “A Christmas Carol” -- which he’ll start working on

soon for the 25th time.

The youth show, which will run through Nov. 16, is populated by

colorful court characters and lively songs, along with a five-member

cast of professional actors. Tim Horrigan is serving as musical

director.

In the Ahrens-Flaherty version of the Andersen classic, a teenager

finds himself emperor at the unimpressive but highly impressionable

age of 14. Trying in vain to appear mature to his subjects, he

decides that clothes will make the man -- and soon finds himself the

subject of a revealing swindle.

“We are creating fully professional productions that give young

audiences an opportunity to experience live theater at its best,” SCR

Producing Artistic Director David Emmes said. “We feel the goal of

creating an event that draws the family into a shared experience is a

vital adjunct to our work.”

Toward its goal of introducing the next generation to theater,

SCR’s Theater for Young Audiences program will provide free admission

to thousands of children, thanks to grants from the Whittier

Foundation and the Irvine Co. Twelve of each production’s

performances in the three-show season will be school-day matinees

reserved for students at no cost, with a different school district

invited to each show.

The three-week run of “The Emperor’s New Clothes” begins this

afternoon with three low-priced weekend previews (today at 4:30 p.m.,

Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 4:30 p.m.) and then two weeks of

weekday school performances (Tuesdays through Thursdays at 9:30 and

11:15 a.m. each day), along with weekend public performances (Fridays

at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 and 4:30 p.m.).

Since today is Halloween, the curtain time for the opening

performance has been moved to 4:30 p.m. and is a “trick or theater”

event in which costumes are welcome in the audience.

For more information, or reservations, call SCR’s ticket services

at (714) 708-5555. Group sales are being handled by Kelly Fullerton

at (714) 708-5569.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.