Getting lost in a Hollywood studio makes for a Mountain Playhouse escapade for kids
Pete the Cat and his buddy Callie sneak into the Hollywood Studios. Once there, lo and behold, they get lost in the world of movies.
This adventure is told through a rockin' new musical, "Pete the Cat's Big Hollywood Adventure," performed at Mountain Playhouse's temporary home at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Pete and Callie jump out of "Pete the Cat" books, along with Ethel the Apatosaurus and Robo-Pete, for this stage production recommended for children from pre-kindergarten to third grade.
The play, which is an elementary musical production through TheaterWorks USA Tour, runs about an hour and tickets can be purchased at www.mountainplayhouse.org.
Since 1939, the Mountain Playhouse has presented Broadway-quality entertainment to audiences from the Gristmill Theater in Jennerstown — until last year.
"We are seeking to identify a permanent location," said the Rev. Dr. Joseph Beer, chairman of the board of directors.
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According to a media release by Michele Beener, a member of the board of directors, "the former home of Mountain Playhouse is in need of renovation, making it impossible for us to return for the 2023 season."
The COVID-19 pandemic that forced multi-year mandated closures across the performing arts community had a considerable impact on the historic Gristmill Theatre space, she wrote.
Simultaneously, the pandemic created an operating loss for the nonprofit.
The Mountain Playhouse Board of Directors launched a strategic plan "to ensure that this significant tourism asset will continue to drive economic development in the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania for many years to come," she said.
The announcement of the summer 2023 season is "only the beginning of a series of stakeholder communications, designed to sustain and expand our ability to offer the excitement of Broadway here in Western Pennsylvania," Beener said.
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Next up, on June 14, the Mountain Playhouse will present "Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream," running through June 25. In this production, Denny and the Dreamers, a fledgling doo-wop singinggroup, is preparing to enter the Big Whopper Radio contest to realize their dreams of making it tothe big time.
The season plays
The Mountain Playhouse producer and directors virtually held casting auditions March 11. Selection for roles in the plays will soon be available.
"Nunsense" will run May 31 through June 4. When the Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally killed 52 of the sisters with a bad batch of vichyssoise, the remaining sisters are in dire need of funds for the burials.
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"The Playhouse is proud of its place as a community asset that impacts the lives of the people of Southwestern Pennsylvania through the production and presentation of live professional theater, developing new works for the stage and offering educational opportunities," Beener wrote. "In so doing, the Mountain Playhouse contributes to the economic wellbeing of the region and encourages the advancement of theater as a relevant art form in the modern world."
Donations can be made through the website, mountainplayhouse.org. Call 814-629-9220 for tickets and information.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Hollywood studio adventure provides fun for kids at Mountain Playhouse
