“Academy Players” Youth Theater Troupe to Perform Original Musical Dramedy THE PEOPLE VS. B.B. WOLFE
JOSHUA TREE — Come bring the entire family to experience the magical world of fairy tales as the ACADEMY PLAYERS present their live musical theatrical production of the original children’s musical, THE PEOPLE VS. B.B. WOLFE — where the fate of a fairy-tale villain (B.B. “Big Bad” Wolfe) is determined in a lively, witty, and uproariously funny musical courtroom trial featuring Mother Goose, The Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, Eenie-Meanie, Miney-Moe, and other fanciful fairy-tale characters! With wonderful costumes, a fun set, exciting music, and a superb cast, this family production is not to be missed and runs only for three shows this weekend.
The Academy Players is an honors-level youth theatrical troupe comprised of those students who exemplify a high work ethic, passion for theater, desire to learn, and talent, and were chosen to represent the “best of the best” of young student performers from the Hi-Desert Arts Academy classes. With students from Desert Hot Springs to Twentynine Palms, and everywhere in between, these students were given the exclusive opportunity to participate in the new “Academy Players” troupe and will be starring in the original musical production: Aidan Bosworth, Nathan Bosworth, D.J. Briggs, Cooper Hopton, Tawny Johnson, Brooklyn Kettler, Kevin Myers, Mackenzie Naylor, Tehya Salas, Blaze Shrader, and Starlin Shrader.
The play, written and directed by Howard Shangraw with additional music and arrangements by Nelms McKelvain, was first performed at the Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory Theatre in 1988 while Shangraw was an instructor in their Youth Conservatory Players. It received much acclaim — including that from Orange County Superior Court Commissioner, Richard Vogl who wrote that “the idea and cleverness of the play were outstanding” — and went on to tour Orange County. This production features the entire honors-level Academy Players youth acting troupe in the group’s inaugural production and plays Friday May 13 at 7pm and Saturday May 14 at 1pm and 4pm at the Hi-Desert Cultural Center’s state-of-the-art Blak Box Theater.
Tickets for THE PEOPLE VS. B.B. WOLFE are only $10 for the General Public and $5 for Hi-Desert Arts Academy students. All ticket sales help support the costs of the program and tickets may be purchased online at www.hidesertculturalcenter.org, by visiting the Hi-Desert Cultural Center Box Office in person Monday through Friday from 1-5pm, or by calling the Box Office at 760.366.3777 from 9am – 5pm. The Hi-Desert Cultural Center’s multi-theater complex is located at 61231 Hwy 62 in Joshua Tree, CA.