Jane Hardy News

For one weekend only, catch Portland’s best theater, music, and dance geared toward children and families at Spotlight: A Family Arts Festival! Learn more about the festival and find out how to attend here!

Northwest Children’s Theater has announced plans to leave their historic home at the NW Neighborhood Cultural Center and move to downtown Portland, converting the fourplex movie theater located at 1000 SW Broadway into a multi-venue arts center for youth.

Journey through a wooded Fairyland where the powers of magic, mischief, and love rule. Artistic Director Sarah Jane Hardy and award-winning choreographer Anita Menon of the Anjali School of Dance join forces to bring this abridged version of Shakespeare’s comedy to life in a brand new way.

Nominees have been announced for the 13th Annual Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards. The ceremony will take place on Youtube, June 14 at 7pm.

Set in a Zoom call, Is Everybody Here? is a collaborative effort of more than 30 creators illustrating the current moment of COVID-19 in a 40-minute musical revue of ten songs.

If you have kids, chances are you've read Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie books. NWCT Artistic Director Sarah Jane Hardy brings the world of Elephant & Piggie to life in an upbeat musical that weaves through eight of his most popular books, including Elephants Cannot Dance, I Love My New Toy, and Should I Share My Ice Cream? The tour is modeled on NWCT's 2018 production, which enjoyed sold-out houses and rave reviews.

The beloved play travels to Portland, Hillsboro, Sherwood, Gresham, and Salem If you have kids, chances are you've read Mo Willems' Elephant & Piggie books. NWCT Artistic Director Sarah Jane Hardy brings the world of Elephant & Piggie to life in an upbeat musical that weaves through eight of his most popular books, including Elephants Cannot Dance, I Love My New Toy, and Should I Share My Ice Cream? The tour is modeled on NWCT's 2018 production, which enjoyed sold-out houses and rave reviews.

NWCT is thrilled to introduce a new col- laboration with Anita Menon, who co-directed 2015's smash hit, Indian-dance infused adaptation of The Jungle Book. Featuring epic martial arts sequences and a wide range of dance styles, Chitra: The Girl Prince tells the story of a warrior princess who struggles to stay true to herself while balancing her responsibility to her people with the call of true love.

Theatre Britain today announced the line-up of shows for 2017. The season will comprise five shows, including a world premiere panto and the American premiere of the drama Winston's Birthday by Paul Baker.

The Portland Area Musical Theatre Awards have announced this year's nominations! See the full list below. The ceremony will take place June 6 at 7pm at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts in the Winningstad Theatre.

NWCT's 22nd Season of Plays opens with this energetic reboot featuring "the world's most famous detective." Recast as a young boarding school student, Sherlock Holmes (Andrew Fridae) quickly makes his mark on the Criterion Academy. Here he must befriend Watson (Mitchell Lenneville), navigate the twists and turns of school politics, and crack the case all while struggling to stay on the right side of the Headmaster (longtime NWCT performer and local comedian Kevin-Michael Moore). This world premiere adaptation is written by local playwright Jeff Sanders, who previously collaborated with NWCT on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and The Swiss Family Robinson. Check out production photos below!

Take to the skies on the wings of a...peach? Anything is possible when young James Trotter (J.J. Pen) discovers a magical escape from his dreary life with aunts Spiker and Sponge (Tai Sammons and Melanie Moseley). A chance encounter with a magical stranger, a bag filled with mysterious crocodile tongues, and an unexpected accident lead to the creation of the largest peach the world has ever seen! After climbing aboard the giant fruit, James finds himself surrounded by a rag-tag group of friendly insects: Centipede (John Ellingson), Spider (Annie Willis), Earthworm (Sam Burns), Grasshopper (Zero Feeney), and Ladybug (Madeleine Delaplane). Adventure awaits the unlikely crew as James captains the peach across the Atlantic; flying, floating, and rolling away from a life of loneliness and isolation into to a brighter, more hopeful future. Check out a first look below!

Grab your tap shoes and get ready for a lavish re-telling of this classic tale presented in the classic musical style. Inspired by the Broadway of Cole Porter and George Gershwin, this story of a girl, a gown, and a glass slipper will keep your toes tapping 'til the stroke of midnight. This original adaptation of Cinderella marks the close of NW Children's Theater's 20th Anniversary Season, and is NWCT's second world premiere this year, running April 27-May 26, 2013. Check out photos of the cast in action below!

Grab your tap shoes and get ready for a lavish re-telling of this classic tale presented in the classic musical style. Inspired by the Broadway of Cole Porter and George Gershwin, this story of a girl, a gown, and a glass slipper will keep your toes tapping 'til the stroke of midnight. This original adaptation of Cinderella marks the close of NW Children's Theater's 20th Anniversary Season, and is NWCT's second world premiere this year, running April 27-May 26, 2013. Check out photos of the cast in action below!

Celebrate NW Children's Theater & School's 20th Birthday with the story that launched the company! Peter Pan and his Shadow, Captain Hook and his crew of cowardly pirates, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys fly off the stage in this fast-paced, thrilling, musical journey to Neverland. An NWCT World Premiere, PETER PAN, by Milo Mowery and Rodolfo Ortega, will play today, December 8, 2012, through January 6, 2013. Meet Peter Pan and Captain Hook in the photos below!

Celebrate NW Children's Theater & School's 20th Birthday with the story that launched the company! Peter Pan and his Shadow, Captain Hook and his crew of cowardly pirates, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys fly off the stage in this fast-paced, thrilling, musical journey to Neverland. An NWCT World Premiere, PETER PAN, by Milo Mowery and Rodolfo Ortega, will play December 8, 2012, through January 6, 2013. Meet Peter Pan and Captain Hook in the photos below!

Celebrate Northwest Children's Theater's 20th Birthday with the story that launched the company! Peter Pan and his Shadow, Captain Hook and his crew of cowardly pirates, Wendy, Tinkerbell, and the Lost Boys fly off the stage in this fast-paced, thrilling, musical journey to Neverland. An NWCT World Premiere.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! will end its world premiere run at the Northwest Children's Theater on April 4th. From the book by Mo Willems, Adapted by Sarah Jane Hardy & John Ellingson, Music and lyrics by Ezra Weiss