Theatre Palisades Youth Presents ‘Madagascar, A Musical Adventure, Jr.’

By DILLON RING | Junior Reporter | Age 11

I saw a brand new fantastic take on the hit DreamWorks’ movie “Madagascar” at Theatre Palisades. It’s a lot of fun for everyone of all ages. Come on over and enjoy the show!

“Madagascar” is about a group of diverse animals (penguins, a lion, giraffe, a zebra and a hippo) that escape from the Central Park Zoo in New York. They have an adventure of a lifetime being captured and stowed away on a boat to the exotic island of Madagascar where they meet King Julien, the king of the lemurs. But, the penguins have something else in mind, first. They want to sail all the way back to where they belong, in Antarctica.

In preparing for this musical, the actresses and actors worked very hard. My sister, Kayla, plays Private the Penguin, and every Monday and Wednesday for six weeks, she would rehearse at the theater for two-and-a-half hours. On Saturdays she would rehearse for five hours.

Recently, during the rigorous “technical” week before opening night, there was a four-hour rehearsal every day! That adds up to a total of more than 65 hours. So when you watch the show, just remember how dedicated these actors are to their craft!

There were so many outstanding performances. From the excellent work by the show’s lead characters (Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Gloria the Hippo, Melman the Giraffe) to each and every member of the talented cast, you will find yourself impressed and entertained by each of these young talents.

The set was amazing. There was so much dedication and hard work from the Director, Lara Ganz, Musical Director Caitlin Tortorici, Producers Amy Kate Connolly, Claire Farwell and Stephanie Malayil, and the parents of the young actors in helping to build the sets, create and hand sew the costumes, and help with make up, lighting, and music. The choreography of each dance was also stupendous. Truly an awesome TPY community effort!

Overall, “Madagascar” was a fantastic show, and you can enjoy it, too!  You can see it on Friday, March 3 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 4 at 5 p.m.; and Sunday, March 5 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 each. You can buy them online at the Theatre Palisades website or at their box office. Come see “Madagascar, A Musical Adventure, Jr!”