What’s big and fat and pink and loves to dress up in fancy clothes? Give up? It’s the Emperor himself in Grey Seal Puppets’ clever adaptation of The Emperor’s New Clothes. Not only is this Emperor big, fat and pink, he just happens to be a pig! Don’t miss this great production June 29, 30 and July 1 at 10:30 a.m. in the Indoor Theatre at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Tickets: $5 except for ages 2 and younger-free. How about a Combo Ticket? Admission to the Park and the children’s show offering a discount of $2.50 off RIFP adult admission; $3.00 off youth RIFP admission. No additional discounts apply. Children’s shows sponsored, in part, by Friends of Elizabeth II and the William and JoAnn Small Family Fund and the Outer Banks Community Foundation. Visit roanokeisland.com for additional listings of children’s shows this summer.
The Hans Christian Andersen story takes on a whole new dimension as this classic is transformed into a fable. The crafty tailors are foxes; the prime minister a near-sighted camel; and the councilor, a befuddled old walrus. Even the audience takes part, as animals, of course.
Children will recognize the Emperor as a vain ruler who easily falls for the tailors’ story of a magic cloth. Those who can see the cloth are smart and good at what they do. Those who can’t see the cloth are not fit for their jobs and should be fired. It takes the honesty of a child to see what they really are.
Well known for their trademark whimsical approach to storytelling and exquisite puppet design, Grey Seal Puppets thirty-year history includes such honors as three Citations of Excellence from UNIMAUSA (International puppetry organization), the President’s Award from the Puppeteers of America, and the Award for Leadership in Theatre from the NC Theatre. For more information about the production visit roanokeisland.com.
Roanoke Island Festival Park is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.