SPONSORED
BY MARRIOTT 2008
- 2009 - FREE PERFORMANCES! - 9:30 & 11:00 a.m.
Helen Hayes Gallery at the
National Theatre - 1321 Pennsylvania Ave, NW.
Seating
is limited!! Tickets are Required, and are Distributed Without
Charge one Half-Hour Prior to Performance, on a First-Come
First-Served basis, one ticket only, to each person standing
in line. Children must be accompanied by an adult who remains
present for the entire performance. For a Program Schedule,
Send a Self-Addressed, Stamped Envelope to "Saturday
Morning," National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue,
NW, Washington, D.C. 20004.
Recorded program information is also available at 202-783-3372.
Shows are best appreciated by children four years old and
older.
Saturday Morning at the National has been sponsored exclusively
since its inception by Marriott International, Inc. and The J. Willard and Alice
S. Marriott Foundation, Inc.
SEP 13
CARRIE’S DREAM This is the engaging true story of an African
American girl growing up in the rural South during the early
20th c Highly interactive, with Southern songs and sing-a-longs,
the performance reflects the warmth, humor, pathos and struggles
of family life in a segregated society. CHARISMA WOOTEN
directs her adaptation of the book by B. LaVERNE WILKIN Today
is ARTS ON
FOOT DAY!day! Enjoy a multimedia
Festival that kicks off the fall arts season in Downtown DC’s
Penn Quarter. Incorporating visual art, music, theatre, dance,
film, and creative cuisine, it’s an interactive celebration
the whole family will enjoy.
SEP
20 BILLY GOATS GRUFF-KIN
In this classic Scandinavian story, three goats
must cross a river to find delicious grass to munch, but a
gnarly troll bars the bridge! Using "mind over matter,"
each of the clever goats outwits the snarky troll. This charming
marionette play is presented by BLACK CHERRY PUPPET
THEATER, with enchanting hand-carved figures.
SEP
27 A BARD DAY’S NIGHT
First, enjoy some Elizabethan Revelry, in which children in
the audience are invited to take part. Then a staged version
of William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, adapted for
youngsters of all ages. This high-spirited and amusing play
is performed by the students of STAGEPLAY,
under the direction of HEATHER SANDERSON,
with music and songs by The Beatles.
OCT
4 SIR HACK OF ABERDEEN & JINGLES
THE JOLLY JESTER
Sally forth into the medieval world of castles,
kings, and damsels in distress. Knight Dennis and his faithful
side-kick Jingles find adventures aplenty with mirth and merriment
along the way. Some valuable lessons in chivalry and good
behavior are woven into the quest. Master Ventriloquist DENNIS
DANIELS, AKA “MR. D.”, is the wily wizard
who makes it all happen.
OCT 18 BERT THE NERD THRILL SHOW
Laughs! Thrills! Danger! Bert sets his audiences
on fire - but in a good way! He performs amazing feats of
skill, daring stunts and incredible magic -- and then he opens
his suitcase! Perched atop a unicycle flinging around knives
and bowling pins, or simply smashing crackers with a sledgehammer,
he commands the forces of gravity but is defeated by his necktie.
RICH POTTER is Bert.
OCT
25 DEFYING
GRAVITY
A magic wand flies about the stage, and a ball floats out
of the hands of MAGICIAN BENJAMIN COREY,
hovering mysteriously in space! Cards appear out of thin air,
and objects which disappear reappear in the hands of the audience.
You help make it all happen in this interactive comedy magic
experience for the whole family!
NOV
1 THE MOM AND ME SHOW
Meet ROSANNE, MEGAN and the
lovable DENNIS THE DAZED DUCK for a fast-paced
musical romp. Children sing along to the kid-friendly lyrics
of all-original songs: Planting Seeds, the Echo Song,
I Love America, Na Na Na, the Cowpoke Song, Stand and Shake,
We Get Around, Running, Friends, the Brushing Song,
and of course: Dennis the Duck’s own theme song!
NOV
15
STONE SOUP
The hungry sailor Peter gets no food from the
stingy citizens of a tiny village. Turning the tables on them,
he invites the villagers to a Stone Soup Dinner. He will provide
the stone if they provide the vegetables. The villagers learn
a lesson in friendship and sharing from Peter and his trusty
parrot Admiral in THEATRE IV’s musical
retelling of the classic folktale.
NOV
22
BOOGIE WOOGIE BOW WOWS
Enjoy a morning Dancing with Dogs: These terpsichorean
pooches are the canine answer to Fred and Ginger. JOAN
ROSE and her miniature longhair dachshund TUCKER,
with LYNN FRANKLIN and her standard poodle
SAM, present a a fast-paced romp set to music. The
doggies ride a skateboard, jump through hoops, and cavort
with their human partners. Volunteers join the doggies on
stage.
DEC
6
TREASUREQUEST: PIRATE COMEDY AND MAGIC
Captain Nobeard is a no good, lying, scoundrel
of a pirate who has misplaced a treasure. Until he finds the
true map, he is cursed to search the waters where the treasure
was lost. Can a pirate use a little magic and some help from
the audience to find the truth and restore the treasure? Come
along as MATTHEW PAULI leads this comical
misadventure.
DEC
13
THE KINGDOM OF SWEETS: A CHRISTMAS TREAT
Get in the Christmas Spirit as Debra and Benn
Savage and the BALLET ARTS ENSEMBLE OF FAIRFAX
present their “Nutcracker in a Nutshell.”
From Act II of Tchaikovsky’s classic, the Sugar Plum
Fairy, the Chinese Dancers, and the other celebrated characters
bring you elegant and amusing holiday cheer.
JAN
24 Barrymore
Eagle'sKIDS'
ART &
KOLORING
KONTEST
begins today, so pick up your entry blanks! MICHAEL
ROSMAN: AIR-BOURNE!
Fast-paced juggling - let’s say an apple,
a baseball and a chain-saw, or a dozen cigar boxes - is the
specialty of this most unusual performer. MICHAEL
keeps the kids entranced and the adults amazed with unicycling,
magic and audience participation. You won’t stop laughing
because his mischievous humor is zany, off-beat and totally
irresistible.
JAN
31
NATIVE AMERICAN STORYTELLING
The remarkable “MAMA” MARY
SUNBEAM, a Cherokee Indian in ancestral regalia,
tells stories born of a lifetime of personal and tribal experiences.
Her legends define "The Circle of Life"
which binds us together in respect for self, family, community,
and our environmental ecosystem. Interactive drumming, singing,
and movement enhance this uniquely enriching experience.
FEB
7
AMERICAN ODYSSEY
Hats off to America! Hats on, as RAY OWEN
conducts a musical journey through history, with a crew of
colorful characters who step right out of the pages of our
heritage songbook. A cowboy hat and coon-skin tails, revolutionary
tri-corner and rebel cap - and Uncle Sam’s own tall
top-hat - set the tone for this upbeat cavalcade of popular
and patriotic songs.
FEB
21
UNDER THE SEA
Journey to the deep with a marine biologist
to meet a world of fascinating creatures such as crabs, clams,
conches, eels and blow fish. The tiniest of these live sea
dwellers will be clearly seen through live video on a large
screen. Kids learn about marine ecology while meeting amazing
vertebrates and invertebrates who thrive beneath the ocean
waves.
FEB
28
KINDERCISE!
All kids up on your feet as song-and-dance
super-hero KINDERMAN involves even the littlest
children in his high-energy exercise act! This whirlwind performer
mixes ancient African call-and-response technique with his
"Disco King" background, creating a whirlwind
of energy, excitement and laughing fun. The kids will be jumping
with joy before the morning is over.
MAR 7 MOTHER
GOOSE AND HER FABULOUS PUPPET FRIENDS
Jack and Jill sing the rhymes of Humpty
Dumpty, Little Miss Muffet, Jack Horner, Hey Diddle Diddle,
and others. DIANE LIGON sings original arrangements
and in musical styles from classical and opera, to rock and
roll, jazz, salsa, disco, and hip hop. The puppets play games,
dance, and tell us what life was like 250 years ago when these
poems were written.
MAR 14
JACK AND THE VERY GREEN
BEANSTALK
It's St. Patrick's Day at CATRIONA'S CASTLE
where the FAIRY GODMOTHER creates an interactive fairy tale
play. The kids take part with colorful costumes and fun props.
The tale comes to life as the children "dress up"
to play Jack, his Mother, the Giant, the Cow, the Magic Harp,
the Gold Keeper and others. Everyone helps make sound effects.
Wear your green!
MAR
21
MAGIC & MISCHIEF
You will enjoy BRIAN CURRY’s
suave and good-natured jollity as he presents a rollicking
roller-coaster of fast-paced comedy and magic, mystifying
adults as well as kids. Audience interaction, wacky wordplay,
and Brian’s magic with bowling balls, bottles and pickles
packs a punch! This really has to be seen to be believed -
but then you won’t believe what you think you’re
seeing.
MAR
28 GALACTIKA!
Join star-struck Captain Galactika in a quest to conquer the
cosmos. Encountering solar flares, comets, and a couple of
dancing aliens named Steve, the trek get complicated! SYNETIC
THEATRE blends music, mime, dance and astronomical
adventure in this comical cosmic caper - which educates as
it entertains, in its exploration of the wonders of our universe.
APR
4 LAST
DAY to
turn in entries for BARRYMORE
EAGLE'S KIDS'
ART &
KOLORING
KONTEST!. THUMBELINA
Join Thumbelina, the miniature heroine who emerges from a
flower. She encounters Toad, Fish, Field Mouse, Mole and Swallow,
in a series of astonishing, delightful and sometimes perplexing
adventures in nature’s tiny, enchanted world. THEATRE
IV brings Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved
fairytale of heroism and surprise to life in a joyous musical
adaptation.
APR 11
BARRYMORE
EAGLEwill
present prizes today in hisKIDS'
ART &
KOLORING
KONTEST.
Don't miss the special fun at our last show of the season! YOUNG
PLAYWRIGHTS’ THEATRE: EXPRESS TOUR
Hear the voice of a new generation in three
compelling, dynamic and hilarious short plays, written by
public school students from the Greater Washington Area, and
produced with some of D.C.'s finest professional actors, directors
and designers. YPT will amaze, enlighten
and delight you with the endless potential and power of our
young people. Don’t miss out!
You
may take (non-flash) photos of our shows, and of your children
enjoying or participating in them!
HAVE A HAPPY SUMMER
AND WE WILL SEE YOU IN THE FALL!!
Saturday Morning at the National has been
sponsored exclusively since its inception by MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL, INC., and THE J. WILLARD AND
ALICE S. MARRIOTT FOUNDATION.
The performances are best appreciated by
children four years and older.
The
National Theatre is a not-for-profit 501.c.3. organization