“The Tales of Custard the Dragon" at the Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse -- May 19 through June 20.
Tuesday, May 19, through Saturday, June 20
Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, 1828 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL
A joyous family musical and off-Broadway smash that, as Kennedy Center Vice-President of Education Derek Gordon raved, "will delight both the young and the young at heart," The Tales of Custard the Dragon will enchant audiences in Rock Island from May 19 through June 20, this Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse debut adapted from the whimsical children's stories of Ogden Nash.
In this charming all-ages treat adapted by Mary Hall Surface and with music and lyrics by Brad Ross and Danny Whitman, you're invited to join Custard the Dragon and his friends as they embark on a musical journey in which a most unlikely hero finds true courage. Based on author Nash’s beloved The Tale of Custard the Dragon and Custard the Dragon & the Wicked Knight, this musical follows the exploits of young Belinda and her three boastfully brave pets Mustard the Dog, Ink the Cat, and Blink the Mouse ... plus one not-so-brave dragon named Custard. Yet when Belinda is confronted first by a fearsome pirate and then by a wicked knight, it’s Cowardly Custard who comes to the rescue, discovering that you can be brave even when you're afraid, because real courage comes from love.
Directing and choreographing The Tales of Custard the Dragon is Circa '21 veteran Kiera Lynn, whose credits include directing Santa Claus: The Musical, Arthur & Friends Make a Musical! and Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, as well as appearing in the theatre's productions of Mary Poppins and Lucky Stiff. Circa '21 owner Dennis Hitchcock serves as the one-hour show's executive producer, with additional members of Becher's creative team including: production manager Jeremy Littlejohn; stage manager and props and lighting designer Kendall McKasson; technical director Richard Baker; costume designer Bradley Robert Jensen; sound designer Dylan Dutro; and scenic artist Becky Meissen.
Noah Johnson, previously seen in Circa '21 presentations including Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery and Miracle on 34th Street:The Musical, portrays the dragon with a heart of gold Custard, with four other venue favorites respectively playing Belinda, Mustard, Ink, and Blink: Sophia Kilburg (A Christmas Story: The Musical), Topher Elliott (Irving Berlin's White Christmas), Krianna Walljasper (How I Became a Pirate), and Bradley Robert Jensen (Santa Claus: The Musical).
The Tales of Custard the Dragon runs in Rock Island on scheduled Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from May 19 through June 20, with the show-only performances beginning at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. A 5:45 p.m. dinner-and-show performance will also be held on Thursday, June 18, tickets including a hot dog, chips, and soda. Admission is $13 for the show-only productions and $20 for the June 18 show, and more information and tickets are available by calling (309)786-7733 extension 2 and visiting Circa21.com.
