Fans of Mo Willems’ beloved, best-selling Elephant & Piggie books can see these charming characters — Gerald the elephant and Piggie the pig — come to life in Honolulu Theatre for Youth’s “Elephant & Piggie’s ‘WE ARE IN A PLAY!’,” opening Friday at Tenney Theatre.
“Mo Willems actually wrote the script for this play himself and it is filled with all the charm, humor and wit you can find in the books themselves,” said director Eric Johnson.
The production, packed with humor and heart, follows Gerald, Piggie and a trio of dancing squirrels as they sing and dance their way through the ups and downs of friendship.
“We chose this play for the holidays because it is about friendship,” Johnson said. “Being truly kind to your friends and families takes work and any relationship is filled with ups and downs, but these big-hearted characters remind us there is nothing more important than the people in our lives.”
Perfect for the preschool set, “Elephant & Piggie’s ‘WE ARE IN A PLAY!’” is a great introduction to live musical theater, added Maki‘ilei Ishihara, who plays Piggie.
“The show is big fun and a great way (for families) to spend quality time together,” Ishihara said.
”ELEPHANT & PIGGIE’S ‘WE ARE IN PLAY’”
Presented by Honolulu Theatre for Youth
>> Where: Tenney Theatre, 229 Queen Emma Square
>> When: 7 p.m. Friday and 4:30 p.m. Dec. 8, Dec. 15, Jan. 12, Jan. 19 and Jan. 26 (sensory friendly/ASL performance and HTY for Every Family Pay-What-You-Can performance 11 a.m. Jan. 26)
>> Cost: $10 to $20 (for ages 3 and older)
>> Info: 839-9885, htyweb.org
