The Penguin Project's “Frozen Jr." at Augustana College -- January 23 through February 1.
Friday, January 23, through Sunday, February 1
Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center, 3750 Seventh Avenue, Rock Island IL
From January 23 through February 1, the Center for Living Arts, the Penguin Project of the Quad Cities, and Augustana College's theatre department will team up to help turn adolescents and adults with special needs into stage stars for the eagerly awaited Frozen Jr., a one-act version of the Tony nominee based on Disney's Oscar-winning animated classic that stands as one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time.
In Frozen's beautiful, mountainous kingdom of Arendelle, Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from each other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends on Arendelle, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home – with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf. Full of magic, humor, and a stunning musical score by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and double-EGOT recipient Robert Lopez, Disney's Frozen Jr. is a powerful yet heartwarming tale of sisterhood, acceptance, and finding the real meaning of true love, its memorable songs including "Do You Want to Build a Smowman?," "For the First Time in Forever," and the Oscar-winning power ballad "Let It Go."
In directors Dino and Tina Hayz's and producer Jeff Coussens' staging of Frozen Jr., all of the show's beloved characters are portrayed by area artists with developmental disabilities. They are joined on-stage by peer mentors who have volunteered to work side by side with the cast through rehearsals and the final performances, resulting in an inspiring, magical theatrical experience for participants and audiences alike. Previous Penguin Project entertainments held in Augustana College's Brunner Theatre Center have included one-act versions of such beloved musicals as The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, and last year's All Shook Up.
Designed to provide those with special needs with creative skills related to theatre arts, the Penguin Project has evolved into a national program, with replication sites throughout the United States. The program provides a supporting environment for children with disabilities to explore their creative talents, and has demonstrated that participation in the performing arts has therapeutic value by enhancing social interacting, communication skills, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Founded by Dr. Andrew Morgan in Peoria, Illinois, in 2003, and with Augustana College's theatre professor Jeff Coussens serving as Executive Director of the Quad Cities Penguin Project chapter, the Penguin Project is a national non-profit organization with the vision of creating unrestricted access for children with special needs to the performing arts. This is accomplished with the assistance of multiple replications across the U.S. that produce modified versions of well-known Broadway musicals.
Frozen Jr. will be staged at Augustana's Brunner Theatre Center January 23 through February 1, with performances at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. The show's first weekend on January 24 through 26 performances will feature the Penguin Project's adolescent company, while the second weekend of January 30 through February 1 will boast adult performers. Admission is $15, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)794-7306 and visiting Augustana.edu/tickets.
