NSSRA’s Musical “Doo-Wop Red Riding Hood” Delights Audiences at Northbrook Theatre
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Northbrook – April 12, 2018 – Audiences were delighted over the weekend at Bright Star Theatre Company’s performances of “Doo-Wop Red Riding Hood”. Starring twelve actors with disabilities and their volunteer Creative Companions, rehearsals for the show began last September and culminated on Saturday and Sunday with performances at Northbrook Theatre.
Bright Star Theatre Company Director Julie Gibson Lay, speaking of the cast and companions, remarked, “This season I asked, and they delivered.” She continued, “It was a complex show to take on, and the actors and companions each stepped up and came alive in their roles. It has been truly magical to witness their dedication and talent on stage.”
This year’s musical production of “Doo-Wop Red Riding Hood” took attendees on a sock-hopping adventure, remixing the classic Little Red Riding Hood fairytale and telling the story of three sisters – Little Red, Big Green and Medium Purple Riding Hood – looking for love. Like any good enchanted fairytale, they of course run into hilarious obstacles along the way.
“Everybody deserves a chance to show the world who they are and what they are capable of, rather than always being defined by how other people see them,” said Gibson Lay. “Bright Star is such a valuable community program because it literally sets the stage for participants’ individual personalities and passions to shine.”
In its seventh year, Bright Star Theatre Company is a program produced by Northern Suburban Special Recreation Association (NSSRA) in partnership with Northbrook Park District. Meeting weekly from September to April, the experience combines theatre games, movement exercises and musical training for participants ages 16 and up who work with Northbrook Park District Theatre staff to put on a professional production.
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NSSRA provides and facilitates year-round recreation programs and services for children, teens and adults with disabilities who live in the partner communities. NSSRA is an extension of ten park districts, two cities and one village in the northern suburbs of Chicago. This partnership includes the Park Districts of Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, Kenilworth, Lake Bluff, Northbrook, Northfield, Wilmette and Winnetka; the Cities of Highwood and Lake Forest; and the Village of Riverwoods. NSSRA has been creating an environment of belonging through play since 1970, and has the distinction as the first Special Recreation Association in the country. For more information about NSSRA and the programs and services they provide visit www.nssra.org.