"The Pied Piper" Performance July 25, 7:30PM at at Nightingale Concert Hall, Church Fine Arts Building, UNR Campus
Tickets, just $10, are available at the door or by calling Artown at 775.322.1538 
Back by popular demand, The Missoula Children’s Theater visits Artown to introduce local children to the world of theater with a production of “The Pied Piper.”
The Missoula Children's Theatre (MCT), the nation’s largest touring children’s theatre, has been touring extensively for 35 years from Montana to Japan, and will visit nearly 1,300 communities this year with 47 teams of Tour Actor/Directors. A tour team arrives in a given town with a set, lights, costumes, props and make-up, everything it takes to put on a play...except the cast. The team holds an open audition and casts 50-60 local youth to perform in the production. The show is rehearsed throughout the week and a public performance is presented on Saturday. All MCT shows are original adaptations of classic children’s stories and fairytales . . . a twist on the classic stories that you know and love. Also included in the residency are three enrichment workshops presented by the Tour Actor/Directors. Creativity, social skills, goal achievement, communication skills and self-esteem are all characteristics that are attained through the participation in this unique, educational project. MCT's mission is the development of life skills in children through participation in the performing arts.
The Performance
What do you do when your town is overrun by ravenous rats? Sara, an orphan girl, and the other Townspeople of Hamelin Town turn to the Mayor of Hamelin and his Council when their town is threatened. They then call on the Pied Piper to save them from the troublesome creatures. The Mayor's son and daughter and the Cooks also join in the endeavor. Find out what happens when the town is unable to pay the Piper and the children are led away from the town along with the rats! Tickets, just $10, are available at the door or in advance by calling Artown at 775.322.1538.
Auditions
Auditions for the Missoula Children's Theatre production of “The Pied Piper” are Monday, July 20. Contact Artown at 775.322.1538 to register and for additional details. Some of the cast members will be asked to stay for a rehearsal immediately following the audition. Approximately 60 roles are available for local students. Among the roles to be cast are the Pied Piper, Sara, the Mayor's Son and Daughter, the Mayor's Council, Cooks, Townskids and the troublesome Rats. All students, grades 1st through 12th, are encouraged to audition. No advance preparation is necessary. Most students rehearse approximately 4 ½ hours each day, Monday through Friday. A public performance is scheduled for July 25 at 7:30PM at Nightingale Concert Hall in the Church Fine Arts Building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus.
More about Missoula Children’s Theatre
The Missoula Children's Theatre is based in Missoula, Montana, and also runs many local programs. These include musical theatre day camps and performing arts classes for local children, a summer residency Performing Arts Camp for students from around the world and the MCT Community Theatre which creates an arena for local talent of all ages to participate in large-scale productions and attracts audiences from western Montana. For students interested in a career in the performing arts, MCT has developed Next Step Prep—The Academy for Musical Theatre—providing high school students an affordable opportunity to train and study with well-known professionals in the field of music, dance and acting to prepare for college.