Young Footliters Youth Theatre's “Disney's My Son Pinocchio Jr." at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts -- October 18 through 20.
Friday, October 18, through Sunday, October 20
Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 Fifth Street, Coralville IA
With its songs by theatre legend Stephen Schwartz and its original life-size puppets created by West Liberty's Eulenspiegel Puppet Theatre Company, Disney's My Son Pinocchio Jr. serves as the 2024-25 season opening for the students talents of Young Footliters Youth Theatre, the one-act show's October 18 through 20 run at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts treating audiences to a brand-new take on the beloved cartoon masterpiece.
Family crowds of all ages are invited, in Disney's My Son Pinocchio Jr., to Join the Blue Fairy, Stromboli, and a lively cast of characters as Geppetto journeys beyond the toy shop to discover the meaning of family. When the Blue Fairy grants Geppetto's wish to bring his beloved puppet to life, the new father quickly learns that being a parent is full of challenges. He struggles to make his son "the perfect boy," only to lose him to a gang of Roustabouts. It is only when faced with the thought of never seeing Pinocchio again that Geppetto truly learns the joys of being a father and loving one's child unconditionally. A retelling of the classic Disney story told from Geppetto's perspective, this hour-long entertainment features the timeless songs "When You Wish upon a Star" and "I've Got No Strings" alongside a host of new numbers by Oscar and Grammy Award winner and master melodist Schwartz, tackling timely issues about what it means to be "the perfect child" – as well as what it means to be "a real father."
Directing Disney's My Son Pinocchio Jr. for the Young Footliters is Evan Hilsabeck, with additional members of the creative team including music director Jaci Visser, assistant directors Rachel Rhoads and Lindy Rublaitus, and stage manager Shannon Knipfer. And with Pinocchio portrayed by Emmett Courtright, Gepetto by Oliver Miller, and the Blue Fairy by Grace Dalmasso, nearly four dozen young talents complete Hilsabeck's ensemble: Sophie Bergman; Sidney Borgwardt; Kalin Bozung; Betsy Cantine; Lila Chimenti; Meadow Rose Conard; Rose Dalmasso; Stella Daly; Haley DeMeulenaere; Lily Doobay; Eliza Durney; Lucy Durney; Annalyn English; Elise Fesler; Miriam Foster; Camden Fowler; Harrison Frost; Hadley Fruin; Paxton Fruin; Rowan Goettel; Ellie Hardy; Rawan Hassan; Tyler Hoth; Arlo Hughes; Ella Jones; Franny Jordan; Alaina Kinscherff; Anson Knipfer; Fritz Lansing-Stoeffler; Layla Lipper; Ariah McGinnis; Seth Michel; Maple Miller; Everly Porepp; Claire Reimer; Gretta Rippentrop; Jack Rippentrop; Lily Sheerin; Lola Spencer; Max Stalder; Nina Tsilosani; Quinn Varvel; Clara Visser; Carter Wagner, and Naomi Weber.
The Young Footliters Youth Theatre's Disney's My Son Pinocchio will be staged at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts from October 18 through 20, with performances on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission is $16-21, and more information and tickets are available by calling (319)248-9370 and visiting CoralvilleArts.com.
