NEWS FROM BC/EFA

TONY NOMINEE JOHN TARTAGLIA
RETURNS TO THE STAGE IN
JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES LIVE – A MAGICAL HOLIDAY
A FAMILY EVENT BENEFITING
BROADWAY CARES / EQUITY FIGHT AIDS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17 (5 & 8 PM)
LITTLE SHUBERT THEATER (422 WEST 42ND STREET)

On Monday December 17th Tony® Award nominee John Tartaglia along with some friends from Disney Channel's hit Playhouse Disney kids' television series “Johnny and the Sprites” will take the stage of the Little Shubert Theater (422 West 42nd Street) for a very special live holiday musical celebration for the whole family. JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES LIVE – A MAGICAL HOLIDAY a one day only event will play two performances (5:00PM and 8:00PM) only, with all proceeds benefiting Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.

JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES LIVE – A MAGICAL HOLIDAY is a holiday-themed evening of songs and scenes featuring faces familiar to fans of the popular TV show. “Sprites” (puppets) Basil, Ginger, Lily and Root will share the stage with Tartaglia to celebrate the diverse and joyous nature of the holiday season. Special guest stars from the worlds of Broadway, TV, and film will be featured in JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES LIVE – A MAGICAL HOLIDAY including Oscar® and Grammy® award winning composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) who will perform a rendition of “Brightly Shining” a song he penned for this year's holiday episode of “Johnny and the Sprites.”

JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES LIVE – A MAGICAL HOLIDAY is the first time Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS has presented a large scale event for young audiences.

"Johnny and the Sprites" combines the musical talent of Broadway's best with vibrant, endearing puppet characters in a whimsical setting to create a one-of-a-kind program for preschool viewers and their families. Tartaglia stars as Johnny, a singer/songwriter who moves out to the country after inheriting a family home. He soon discovers a portal in his backyard leading to the enchanted world of the Sprites: Ginger, Basil, Lily, Root and Sage. Together, Johnny and the Sprites share valuable lessons about mutual understanding, tolerance and respect for the world around them. Each half-hour episode consists of two 11-minute stories featuring music from some of the theater world's most celebrated songwriters.

“Johnny and the Sprites” premiered in fall of 2005 as a series of five minute shorts. It quickly became popular with fans and was expanded to a full 30 minute program in January 2007. The series features at least two original Broadway-style songs in each episode written by some of the best composers working on Broadway today including Stephen Schwartz (Wicked), Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker (Altar Boyz), Robert Lopez (Avenue Q), and Mark Hollmann (Urinetown). The series also occasionally features guest stars from Broadway including the cast of Altar Boyz and Tony® Award winner Sutton Foster.

JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES LIVE – A MAGICAL HOLIDAY is written by John Tartaglia and directed and choreographed by Donna Drake (director of BC/EFA yearly “Nothing Like A Dame”). Musical Director, Michael Patrick Walker will lead the ensemble of live musicians for the event.

Tickets to JOHNNY AND THE SPRITES LIVE – A MAGICAL HOLIDAY are $65 and can be purchased online by visiting www.broadwaycares.org

Playhouse Disney, seen in a daily programming block on Disney Channel U.S. and on ten Playhouse Disney channels around the world, encourages preschoolers to imagine and learn through original series, short-form and acquired programming that includes song, movement and entertainment. Guided by an established curriculum, Playhouse Disney supports multiple areas of child development: physical, emotional, social and cognitive; thinking and creative skills as well as moral and ethical development through carefully constructed themes, storylines and endearing characters.

Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA) is the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grants making organization. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million dollars for critically needed services for people with AIDS and other serious illnesses.

BC/EFA is the major supporter of six programs at The Actors’ Fund - including The AIDS Initiative, The Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, two supportive housing residences, and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic at The Aurora in NYC - and awards grants to over 400 AIDS and family service organizations yearly.

For more information about BC/EFA programs and events, visit www.broadwaycares.org


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