Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical

A TheaterWorksUSA Production
Book and Lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila
Music by Brad Alexander
Adapted from the CAT KID COMIC CLUB series of books by Dav Pilkey
Directed and Choreographed by Marlo Hunter

Cast

JANNA LINAE Cat Kid, Molly & Others
DAVID VANDYKE Flippy & Others
JIMMY HENDERSON Kip & Others
JEREMY FUENTES Melvin & Others
DIAMOND DESTINY Naomi & Others
SAVANNAH TROTTER Starla, Poppy & Others
LESLIE BAEZ Swing for Cat Kid, Naomi, Starla
TROI LENNOXX GAINES Swing for Melvin, Flippy, Chubbs & Others

Production Team

MARLO HUNTER Director & Choreographer
SARA ANDREAS Associate Director/ Choreographer
DAV PILKEY Author
KEVIN DEL AGUILA Book & Lyrics
BRAD ALEXANDER Music
CONNOR DORAN Tour Music Direction
CAMERON ANDERSON Scenic Design
JEN CAPRIO Costume Design
EMMAROSE CAMPBELL Props Supervisor
KATIE DERWIN Assistant Props Supervisor
COLTON ROBERTSON Stage Manager

Photo and video capture of any kind (including your mobile device) is prohibited during this performance.
Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical is 60 minutes, no intermission.
*Actors Equity Association Member
^United Scene Artists Member, Local 829
**Stage Directors and Choreographers Society Member

Summary

From the team that brought us Dog Man: The Musical comes the much-awaited sequel Cat Kid Comic Club!

Based on the wildly popular series by Dav Pilkey (Dog Man, Captain Underpants) this fast moving, colorful and kinetic play will entertain the whole family!

Cat Kid and Molly Pollywog have started an epic club to teach 21 rambunctious baby frogs how to make their own comics! Their fishy father Flippy is overjoyed that his kids will learn to unleash their creativity, but when the frogs’ constant bickering and outrageous imaginations send their comics comically off the rails, Flippy flips out! Will the club survive? Will the frogs ever get along? And will creativity finally save the day? All will be answered in this madcap musical based on Dav Pilkey’s irreverently hilarious book series.

Themes

CENSORSHIP – Censorship is just a big word for telling someone what they can and cannot say or do. In Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical, Flippy tries to control what the kids write, making the kids feel like they cannot express who they really are in their comics. Flippy learns that he cannot write the kids’ story, and it’s better to let the kids find their own voices. It teaches us that allowing kids to express themselves and to be true to who they are is the best way to support them.

MENTORSHIP – Mentors are kind of like teachers. They teach us new things and cheer us on when we need support. The coolest part is anyone can be a mentor! Being a good mentor is not just about teaching, it is also about being there when someone needs you. In Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical, Flippy learns that instead of trying to make the kids just like him, it is better to give them the tools they need to discover themselves.

THE POWER OF IMAGINATION – Inside all of us we have a seed of imagination. The seed is always there but without water it cannot grow. Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical reminds us that imagination is worth watering and growing. The Cat Kid Comic Club is a space for the characters to grow their imagination from a seed into a beautiful flower and reminds us to take care of our own seed, water it and be proud of the beautiful flower of imagination we all have inside.

TOGETHERNESS - COMMUNITIES CREATING TOGETHER – Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical shows us how working together can make us closer. Most of the characters write their comics alone, but the whole club always presents them together for their audience. By working together, the kids find community with each other and become closer as a club. Watching the play, we learn that the power of making things together brings people closer, and stronger.

Note from Kevin Malgesini, Managing Director

When is it that we first fall in love with story? It’s often as a child. Children get to revel in the way stories delight and inspire us, and sometimes transform how we see the world. And there’s no better place for young people to experience this magic than in the theatre.

For 50 years, Seattle Children’s Theatre has been more than a place for live performance; it’s been a home where imagination is unleashed, hearts are entertained, minds are expanded. SCT has been Seattle’s partner in nurturing young people into good humans. Theatre grows empathy and kindness, connecting people from all walks of life through a shared story—one where everyone Belongs.

Tonight’s performance is just the beginning of a season dedicated to celebrating the power of story, inviting the young and young at heart to imagine new futures and new possibilities. For half a century, we’ve welcomed young people into our cultural community, offering a space where they can feel big feelings, think big thoughts, and dream new stories into being.

Whether this is your first visit or you’ve been with us throughout the years, thank you for being part of our journey. We welcome you on the adventure and hope to see you at the theatre again soon.

Kevin Malgesini Managing Director

🔝 Back to Top

Note from Idris Goodwin, Artistic Director

On behalf of everyone at Seattle Children’s Theatre I welcome you to Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical, produced by our wonderful partners at TheaterWorksUSA. After the incredible response to Dog Man: The Musical last fall, we knew we wanted to build on that energy by bringing another story from Dav Pilkey’s imaginative world to our stage.

Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical is not just an entertaining hour and a half of song and laughter; it’s a celebration of youth expression and creativity. The themes of artistic freedom and the tension between creativity and censorship feel especially relevant today, and we are proud to present a show that encourages young people to find and share their unique voices.

We are grateful to TheaterWorksUSA for creating this vibrant production and for partnering with us to bring it to our community. We hope this performance inspires you and your family to embrace your creativity and celebrate the power of self-expression.

Enjoy the show!

Idris Goodwin Artistic Director

🔝 Back to Top

Cast and Creative

Cast

JANNA LINAE Cat Kid, Molly, & Others – Janna is a dog person, but she’s simply jazzed to be back on tour as her favorite little kitty! TOURS: Junie B.’s Essential Survival Guide to School (Junie B. Jones), James and the Giant Peach (Centipede/Aunt Sponge), Edward Tulane (Abilene). REGIONAL THEATRE: Sister Act (The MUNY); Kinky Boots, The Rocky Horror Show, Bright Star (Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma); Nunsense, Matilda (Great Plains Theatre); Little Women, Mary Poppins, Rabbit Hole (Festival 56). OCU Grad. For Mom, Dad, A&K, and Cole. You can keep up with Janna on Instagram: @jannalinae. Enjoy the show, y’all!

DAVID VANDYKE Flippy & Others – David is excited to be back on the road with TheaterWorksUSA as Flippy! He loves all things Star Wars and Pixar and can usually be found with a guitar or a video game when he isn’t onstage. Other credits include Pete the Cat’s Big Hollywood Adventure (TheaterWorksUSA), RENT (Madison Theatre), and Into the Woods (Jean’s Playhouse). He has a BFA from CAP21 Conservatory. Lots of love to his brother, parents, and Karis. Website: david-vandyke.com

JIMMY HENDERSON Kip & Others – Jimmy is beyond lucky to have the greatest job in the world: making kids laugh! Credits include Magic School Bus (TheaterWorksUSA), Addams Family (Pickleville Playhouse), She Loves Me (Utah Festival Opera), Secret Garden (Hale Centre Theatre), Ordinary Days (Covey Center). He has a BFA from BYU. AEA since 2023. “For Bubbs and Wubbs. Your Uncle Chubbs loves you!” Website: jimmyhendersonactor.com

JEREMY FUENTES Melvin & Others – Jeremy (he/him) is SUPA excited to be joining the North American Tour of Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical! Originally an understudy for the Off-Broadway debut, Jeremy is very grateful to be stepping into the shoes of Melvin. He wants to thank his friends and family for being so supportive and the TheaterWorksUSA team for their amazing work on this production. @jeremyxfuentes

DIAMOND DESTINY Naomi & Others – is very blessed to be joining TheaterWorksUSA’s production of Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical. Her passion for acting began at seven years old. Thus, playing the hilarious, energetic, big-hearted tadpole Naomi for children and families across North America is a dream come true. Having graduated with her BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Diamond is a trained musical theatre and film actress. Aside from acting she enjoys creating encouraging content on social media and spending time with her family and friends. Diamond is grateful to Jesus Christ for the opportunity to share such a fun, uplifting story with you. She hopes you enjoy it as much as she enjoys playing Naomi the Great! Instagram: @_diamondestiny_

SAVANNAH TROTTER Starla, Poppy, & Others – Savannah (she/her) is supa excited to keep this party going on her second (now international!) tour with Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical! Other recent credits include: The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System (Janet, National tour, TheaterWorksUSA) and Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration (Fever/Warner Bros). Originally from Des Moines, IA and Normal, IL, Savannah received her BFA in Musical Theatre from CAP21/Molloy in NYC. Savannah would like to thank her parents for their endless love and support, and TWUSA for bringing theatre to kiddos all over North America. IG: @savannah_trotter

LESLIE BAEZ Swing for Cat Kid, Naomi, Starla, & Others – Leslie is a 22-year-old actor, singer, and dancer from New Jersey. She is thrilled and grateful to be a part of this fun-loving and expressive production. Some of her previous credits include Seussical (Bird Girl), Men on Boats (Old Shady), Rebel Genius (Elza), and Coming Out! A New Musical (Ensemble/Amy Understudy). She has also participated in concerts such as “Follies” at Carnegie Hall and “Leslie Baez’s Musical Odyssey” at 54 Below. Leslie would like to extend her heartfelt thanks to the cast and team for this incredible experience. She is immensely thankful for the opportunity and hopes you enjoy the show! Instagram: @lesliebxez

TROI LENNOXX GAINES Swing for Melvin, Flippy, Chubbs, & Others – Troi is absolutely thrilled to be aboard the Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical Tour! Brought up in Newark, New Jersey, Troi gained a love for theatre and both the dedication and appreciation it required to flourish very early on. When he was 11, he joined Kinky Boots’ first national tour and quickly realized that this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Now, he gets to do it again — new family, new places, new material — and he’s just thrilled! Troi thanks his mother, Janine Gaines, his father, Lawrence Gaines, and Janeece Freeman Clark, his mentor.

Creative Team

COLTON ROBERTSON (Stage Manager) is a Brooklyn-based AEA Stage Manager and theatre artist. He has worked on numerous musicals, plays, and symphonies across the country. Colton has a passion for bringing new works to life, with recent credits including Shadows (Soul Project), Rough Trade (Showtown Theatricals), How to Live (LABA: A Laboratory for Jewish Culture), and A White Man’s Guide to Rikers Island (Without a Net Productions). This marks his fourth production with TheaterWorksUSA, having also toured nationally with El Otro Oz, Junie B. Jones, and Dot Dot Dot. Colton has collaborated with EST/Sloan Foundation, Amoralist Theatre Company, and more.

CONNOR DORAN (Tour Music Direction) is an NYC-based music director, conductor, and pianist who has conducted ensembles nationally and internationally. Current Music Director: Rise: The Musical. Previously Music Director/Conductor for (respectively): The Jimmy Awards^Ⓡ; Pittsburgh CLO; TheaterWorksUSA; The Gene Kelly Awards; Ad Astra Music Festival; Scranton Shakespeare Festival; United Nations International School; BroadwayVox Studios. B.S. in Music Education, Duquesne University; M.M. in Conducting, Eastman School of Music. Much love to Mom, Ryan, Sarah, Nana, Pap, WW, and to all the mentors, teachers, and friends that have guided his life and career. @Cdoranmusic

MARLO HUNTER (Director & Choreographer) is a theatre & film director. Winner of the Callaway Award and a “2022 Woman to Watch on Broadway”. Recent theater: Director/Choreographer, Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical (Off-Broadway, NY Times Critic’s Pick), Alex Wyse’s Picking Up Speed (Director, Off-Broadway); Ever After (Director, workshops in NYC, Discovering Broadway). Marlo made her feature film directorial debut with American Reject in 2022 (Amazon and Apple+). Recent film: Director, Trivia at St. Nick’s (Hallmark -2024); Mystic Christmas (Director, Hallmark - 2023). Upcoming: A Hanukkah Carol, or Gelt Trip! The Musical at Round House Theatre in DC (Director, Fall 2024, World Premiere). Princeton University. MarloHunter.com

SARA ANDREAS (Associate Director/ Choreographer) is thrilled to be working with TheaterWorksUSA. Choreography/Associate Choreography and Directing Credits: The Goodbye Girl (off-Broadway/ Theater Row) Legally Blonde (2nd National Tour), Catch Me If You Can (National Tour), Kinky Boots (PCLO & Hangar Theatre), Spelling Bee, Spring Awakening (Connecticut Repertory Theatre), Triple Threat (Indie Film). Performing Credits, Broadway/National Tours: Escape To Margaritaville, Catch Me If You Can, Jesus Christ Superstar, Rock of Ages, Anything Goes, Addams Family, Legally Blonde. Thank you to Marlo and to the loves of her life, Mikey, Bowie and Sadie.

CAMERON ANDERSON (Scenic Design) is an internationally acclaimed scenic and projection designer working at the world's leading theatre and opera companies. Recent projects: Popstar Charlie Puth's National Tour, world premiere opera RUR: A Torrent of Light (Tapestry Opera, Toronto), West Side Story (Kilden Performing Arts Center, Norway), Simon Boccanegra (Teatro Colon, Argentina), Byhalia Mississippi (The Kennedy Center), Leonora (Chicago Opera Theater) The Niceties (Manhattan Theatre Club), Yerma, Becoming Cuba, and Sweat (Huntington Theater), Fille du Regiment (Opera Saratoga). Select Off-Broadway credits include Roundabout Theatre Company, Playwrights' Horizons, LAByrinth Theater Company, Ars Nova, and Brooklyn Academy of Music. Select opera credits include Glimmerglass Festival, San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, and Central City Opera. Cameronanderson.net

JEN CAPRIO (Costume Design) Broadway: Heart of Rock and Roll, Spamalot (2023 Revival), Falsettos and The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. National/International: Falsettos, Joseph…, The Lion (West End/US Tour), …Spelling Bee (US Tours) and various rock revues. New York: City Center Encores!, Audible/Minetta Lane, Second Stage, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout, Primary Stages, Cherry Lane, LaMama, ETC and others. TV: Falsettos (PBS Great Performances) Sesame Street (seasons 47-54), The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo (Seasons 1-2) Manhunt (Apple TV+) and Tiny Time Travel (PBS/YouTube). 2019, 2020, & 2021 Daytime Emmy Nomination, 2020 Daytime Emmy Winner for Sesame Street. jencaprio.com Instagram: @jencapriocostumedesign

EMMAROSE CAMPBELL (Props Supervisor) is an NYC-based prop designer and performer. Recent designer credits include On Your Feet! (2022-23 National Tour), Merry Wives of Windsor (American Shakespeare Company), and A Charlie Brown Christmas Live (2021 and 2022 National Tours). She currently holds a BFA in Theatre and a minor in Dance from Emerson College (Class of ‘19). She would like to thank espresso and glue guns for getting her here. insta: @emmarosegcampbell emmarosegcampbell.com

KEVIN DEL AGUILA (Book & Lyrics) (he/him) is a multi-Emmy-winning writer and Tony-nominated performer whose musical adaptations include Dog Man, Cat Kid Comic Club, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid, and DreamWorks’ Madagascar. He’s the book-writer of the off-Broadway hit Altar Boyz (Outer Critics Award), and lyricist of Click Clack Moo (Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominations) as well as songs featured in the Disney movie Strange World. Kevin has written for numerous children’s TV shows, including Peg + Cat (PBS), Waffles + Mochi’s Restaurant (Netflix), and as head writer of Blue’s Clues & You (Nick Jr.). Children everywhere have heard Kevin’s voice as a Troll in the Disney movie Frozen.

BRAD ALEXANDER (Music) (he/him) Theatre: See Rock City & Other Destinations (Richard Rodgers Award, Jerry Bock Award, and Drama Desk winner), Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical, Click Clack Moo (TheaterWorksUSA, Drama Desk, Lortel nom), Martha Speaks, Just So Stories, and contributing composer for We The People: America Rocks! (Lortel nom). TV: Peg + Cat (Emmy winner), Clifford The Big Red Dog, and VH1. Current projects: Misty Makes It Better and Bread & Roses, based on the film by Ken Loach and Paul Laverty. Member: NAMT, DGA, SAG-AFTRA, and BMI Workshop. Bradalexander.com

DAV PILKEY (Author) When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. He was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hallway every day. He spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books—the very first adventures of Dog Man and Captain Underpants. Launched in 2016 to critical acclaim, his Dog Man series has more than 60 million copies in print to date and translated in 47 languages. Cat Kid Comic Club, a spin-off of Dog Man, is a pioneering graphic novel series that introduces kids to the art of comic making, encouraging them to unleash their own creativity and imagination, as they see the progress, mistakes, and improvements that come with practice and persistence. Dav Pilkey has created over 75 books for children and was awarded a Caldecott Honor for his picture book The Paperboy. The publication of Dog Man: Big Jim Begins (December 3, 2024) will mark 38 years of Dav writing and illustrating acclaimed and bestselling books for children. Dav's stories are semi-autobiographical and explore universal themes that celebrate friendship, empathy, and the triumph of the good-hearted. A movie adaptation of Dog Man from DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures is coming to theaters worldwide in January 2025.

THE STAGE DIRECTORS AND CHOREOGRAPHERS SOCIETY (SDC), founded in 1959, is the theatrical labor union that unites, empowers, and protects professional stage Directors and Choreographers throughout the United States. SDC’s mission is to foster a national community of professional stage Directors and Choreographers by protecting the rights, health, and livelihoods of all its Members. SDC seeks to facilitate the exchange of ideas, information, and opportunities while educating current and future generations about the role of Directors and Choreographers and providing effective administration, negotiations, and contractual support for over 2,000 Full Members and over 1,000 Associate Members.

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION – (“Equity”), founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers. Equity fosters the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #EquityWorks

THEATERWORKSUSA has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. At TWUSA, we believe that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital for our youth. Since 1961, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals. Acclaimed alumni include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Disney’s Frozen), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Jerry Zaks (The Music Man), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America), and Chuck Cooper (Tony award-winning actor, The Life). twusa.org

TWUSA STAFF

Barbara Pasternack Artistic Director
Jillian Carucci Associate Artistic Director
Donorly Development Department
Kristen Gensinger Marketing and Communications Manager
Michael Gremo Assistant General Manager
Molly Huey Costume Shop Manager
Sylvia Jimenez Office Coordinator
Eliza Johnson Finance and Accounting Supervisor
Steve Lattanzi Director of Systems and Administration
LaShawn Lindsey Human Resources Manager
Tegan Meyer General Manager
Brendan J. O’Brien Tour Operations Manager
Beth Prather Senior Director of Sales
Josh Sherman Director of Sales & Special Engagements
Jacob Stahl Technical Supervisor
Mary St. Angelo Sales Manager, Touring & Education

Seattle Children’s Theatre is a member of TYA/USA, the national center of the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People.

SCT is a constituent of Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national service organization for the nonprofit professional theatre.

SCT is a proud member of International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY).

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 50,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, working conditions, and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. #EquityWorks.

Lighting, sound, staging, property, scenery, scenic art, and costume work at Seattle Children’s Theatre is performed by employees represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts of the US and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC.

Seattle Children’s Theatre works with the Stage Directors and Choreographers society.

The designers at this theatre are represented by United Scenic Artists (Local USA 829) of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

* Indicates members of the Actors’ Equity Association

🔝 Back to Top

Musical Numbers

The End

The Cat Kid Comic Club

Dennis the Toothbrush Lawyer for Dinosaurs

Supa Fail!

The Cute, Little, Fluffy Cloud of Death

Chubbs McSpiderbutt

Worst Dad Ever

All About You

Birds, Flowers, Trees

My Sister, Naomi

The Mega-gigantic, Humonga-normous Comic Club Party!

🔝 Back to Top

Events

Book Donation Drive
September 26 – October 27, 2024
Seattle Children’s Theatre Lobby

Reading Partners Seattle has teamed up with Seattle Children’s Theatre to promote literacy and empower kids to succeed in reading and in life. Throughout the run of Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical, we invite audiences to bring a new or gently used book to contribute to our book donation drive. Reading Partners is accepting new or “like new” books, which are in good condition with no writing inside or on the cover.

Comic Making Workshop
Saturday, October 19, 2024
12:00pm (before 1:30pm show) | 3:30pm (before 5pm show)

Join the comic club and learn how to make your very own comics! Taught by José Alaniz, local comic artist and Comic Studies professor at the University of Washington, and Kristin Tolliver, local educator, this workshop will give you the tools to bring your comic ideas to life in a fun, hands on environment. No experience necessary—just bring your imagination!

This workshop is being held at two separate times on the same day. Be sure to register for the time that works for your family!

Read to Succeed: Book Swap
Sunday, October 20, 2024 before 11:00am and 2:30pm shows
Seattle Children’s Theatre Lobby

Looking for a new favorite book? Before each show, ticket holders can meet representatives from Reading Partners and participate in Read to Succeed: Book Swap. Bring as many children’s books as you would like to swap for books that are in the Reading Partners’ library. Families that qualify can also learn how their young readers can be supported with tutoring programs through Reading Partners.

Community Partner

🔝 Back to Top

Print Edition

🔝 Back to Top

More About Seattle Children’s Theatre

🔝 Back to Top

Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical

In This Program

About the Show

Season Sponsors:

Government Partners:

Seattle Children’s Theatre Presents…