EUGENE–"Schoolhouse Rock Live!"–the second of two wacky musical comedies for children and families to be presented this summer by the University of Oregon’s Mad Duckling Theatre–will open on Tuesday, July 25, in the amphitheater adjacent to the south side of the Robinson Theatre at Villard Hall, 1109 Old Campus Lane.

All shows will begin at 11 a.m. and will continue daily through Saturday, July 29, and again Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 1—5.

General-admission seating on the lawn will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Free parking with passes available at the Robinson Theatre box office is available nearby in the UO lot at East 11th Avenue and Kincaid Street.

"Schoolhouse Rock Live!" tells the story of a young teacher on the morning of her first day in the classroom. She finds herself cheered and encouraged by five new friends who seemingly appear from her television set.

Representing five very different aspects of her personality–romantic, goofy, sweet, cool and mature–these new friends lead the teacher in a high-energy, fast-paced and fun romp through an updated retelling of the "Schoolhouse Rock" animated shorts originally broadcast to a generation of adoring young fans, now grown, by ABC-TV on Saturday mornings from 1973 to 1985.

"Schoolhouse Rock Live!" is a fun and catchy musical written by the original cast members of the Emmy Award-winning series. It includes such songs as "Conjunction Junction," "Lolly Lolly Lolly," "Sufferin’ Till Sufferage" and "Nouns," all brought to life by the teacher and her friends.

"The wonderful part of this production is that is appeals to so many ages," says director Deborah Greer, a second-year theater arts doctoral degree student originally from Riverside, Calif. "It’s not only fun for all ages but highly educational, too."

"Not only will the catchy and memorable tunes have audience members singing the songs as they leave, but ‘Schoolhouse Rock Live!’ also teaches basic elements of grammar and arithmetic through music, comedy and a massive amount of energy from its talented cast," she says.

"Schoolhouse Rock Live!" is being performed by the accomplished Mad Duckling company that brought "My Emperor’s New Clothes" to appreciative audiences earlier this summer. Each actor in the cast of six plays multiple characters, morphing from scene to scene and from song to song with all the energy and zaniness of the original show.

"This makes for some really fun choreography and character moments in the play," says Greer, now residing in Springfield. "The actors are very enthusiastic about working with the kids and about helping them learn, all at the same time."

Bringing the bright characters from the TV show to life is an exciting challenge for the cast and crew.

"The music is instantaneously recognizable to anyone who watched Saturday morning cartoons in the last 30 years," Greer points out, "and the catchy, upbeat, fun cartoons are a great educational tool. I liked the challenge of bringing them to life."

Formerly part of the Missoula Children’s Theatre, a celebrated touring children’s group, Greer brought her considerable skills to the rehearsal hall to make the cartoon characters of the original show stand out in three sharp dimensions. She says elaborate chorus numbers, loads of fun choreography and rockin’ solos make "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" a treat for kids young and old.

Scene designer Don LaPlant, a theater arts doctoral degree student from Eugene, and costume designer Beth Christensen, a theater arts master’s degree student from San Marcos, Texas, have gone back to the drawing board to come up with wacky, fun designs that compliment the upbeat and bright musical and the actors who perform it.

LaPlant created an amazing TV-like set that transforms to fit the environmental needs of the show, while Christensen has draped the cast in fun colors and groovy styles reminiscent of the original show, with a distinctly ‘90s twist.

The company’s musical director/composer, Curtis Williams, a sophomore undeclared major from Gresham, has professionally mixed and recorded a one-man band soundtrack to back up the show. Comprised of saxophone, drums, keyboard and other instruments, it gives the "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" cast a fully orchestrated accompaniment.

The acting company for "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" is made up of Amanda Dumler, a sophomore pre-journalism major from Beaverton; Sarah Turnquist, a junior music major from Cottage Grove; Jon Sharpy, a sophomore theater arts major from Eugene; Giovanni Bliss, a junior linguistics major from Lake Oswego; Jocelyn Fultz, a sophomore theater arts major from Monmouth; and Lindy Anderson, a junior English major from The Dalles.

Stage manager is Ian Appel, a senior English and theater arts major from Brookings.

Tickets for all seats at all performances of "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" are $4 each or $3.50 apiece for groups of 10 or more. To purchase tickets, visit the theater on performance days or, to buy them in advance, call the Mad Duckling Box Office, (541) 346-4192.

Mad Duckling Summer Theatre is made possible through the support of the UO Summer Session office.

For more information about Mad Duckling Summer Theatre, browse http://play.at/duckling or call GuardLine 24 hours a day, 485-2000, and select Ext. 2287.

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