For generations, children have delighted in the lighthearted mischief of an insatiably inquisitive monkey: the beloved Curious George! This winter, we’re thrilled to bring George to life on stage with a new family musical: Curious George: The Golden Meatball (Jan. 31).
The full catalog of Curious George stories is vast. It includes more than 100 books, the first of which was published in 1941; an Emmy-winning animated series on PBS Kids that ran for 15 seasons; a half dozen or so movies; and interactive games. But the little monkey’s origins, and that of its authors, are much humbler.
Born at the turn of the 20th century in Hamburg, Germany, Hans Augusto Rey and Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein married in 1935 and eventually settled in Paris. There, Hans published his first children’s book, Raffy and the Nine Monkeys. It included the character Curious George, who both Hans and Margarete thought deserved his own book! But before their manuscript could be published, the Reys faced a new and tumultuous situation. The books’ website Curiousgeorge.com, describes their next moves like this:
“Knowing that they must escape [Paris] before the Nazis took power, Hans cobbled together two bicycles out of spare parts. Early in the morning of June 14, 1940, the Reys set off on their bicycles. They brought very little with them on their predawn flight — only warm coats, a bit of food, and five manuscripts, one of which was Curious George. The Nazis entered Paris just hours later, but the Reys were already on their way out. They rode their makeshift bicycles for four long days until reaching the French-Spanish border, where they sold them for train fare to Lisbon. From there they made their way to Brazil and on to New York City, beginning a whole new life as children’s book authors.”
The Reys' books have since delighted readers around the globe, selling more than 100 million copies worldwide. Now based on the books and the play owned by Universal Stage Productions, Wishing Star Productions, LLC is touring an adventure-filled musical, called Curious George: The Golden Meatball, featuring everyone's favorite mischievous monkey and his friend in the yellow hat. As part of the Family Series, the Center for the Arts presents perfomances on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., including music by John Kavanaugh and book and Lyrics by Jeremy Desmon. The shows are recommended for ages 4 to 9, and the 2 p.m. performance will be sign-interpreted, audio described, and sensory-friendly. Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a welcoming and comfortable arts experience for people with autism, sensory sensitivities, or other social, learning, or cognitive disabilities.
In the musical, All-You-Can-Eat Meatball Day comes just once a year and George has been waiting excitedly for the big event. When it arrives, George and his friend Chef Pisghetti are ready to cook for a hungry crowd, but their audience is nowhere to be found, lured away by a speedier Meatballs-o-Matic machine. Determined to help his despairing friend, George goes on a mission to enter Chef in the Golden Meatball Contest in Rome, learning along the way about the secret ingredient to cooking!
Tickets are $24 (including fees) and starting one hour prior to the performances, join us for family-friendly activities in the Center's main lobby, featuring a special scavenger hunt with the Mason Community Arts Academy, also part of Mason Arts.
