Little House Musical Arrives at Westport

Westport Country Playhouse’s Family Festivities Series will present the musical Laura Ingalls Wilder, about the exciting adventures of the beloved author who wrote the classic “Little House” series of children’s books, on Sunday, Feb. 7 at 1 and 4 pm.

Recommended for 2nd through 6th graders, the show is produced by ArtsPower. The performance is approximately 55 minutes with no intermission.

In the musical production, the spirited pioneer girl Laura Ingalls Wilder, older sister Mary, Ma and Pa travel across the unsettled frontier of the late-1800s American Midwest in search of a little house to call home. Facing obstacles such as scarlet fever and eviction from their land, their family bonds are tested but never broken.

The show features a lush musical score with five original songs, among them “Move On,” which captures the restlessness and excitement of loading up the covered wagon, and “Fishin’,” a duet in which Laura and Pa laugh and share tall tales at their favorite fishing hole.

The production is written and directed by ArtsPower artistic director Greg Gunning with music by his longtime collaborator Richard DeRosa.

In pre-show activities, children will participate in fun pioneer-themed activities and games. Pre-show activities, for which reservations are required, begin one hour before the performances at noon and 3 pm.

Tickets for “Laura Ingalls Wilder” are $16. Birthday party facilities may be scheduled in advance. Everyone in the audience requires a ticket. Groups of 10 or more save up to 30% off the regular ticket price. For group sales information call (203) 227-5137, x120.

Upcoming in the Playhouse’s 2010 Family Festivities Series are “Charlotte’s Web” on Sunday, Feb. 28; “Are You My Mother?” on Sunday, March 28; and “I Have a Dream: The Life and Times of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” on Sunday, April 11.

ArtsPower was founded in 1985 by Mark and Gary Blackman. ArtsPower has grown into one of America’s largest and most active producers of professional theater for young and family audiences. Its 26 professional touring productions have been seen by 9 million people in 46 states and in some of the national’s top venues including The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC and Lincoln Center.