Regional Premiere of The Dinosaur Musical at Aurora Theatre is Rooted in Many of the Same Issues Facing Our Nation Today

Lawrenceville, Ga., (February 27, 2008) – Don't let the title of Robert and Willie Reale’s The Dinosaur Musical fool you into thinking this play has anything to do with a purple singing dinosaur for preschool children. The Dinosaur Musical is a jazzy madcap musical that is fun for the entire family, and we do mean the entire family because of the many underlying themes that speak to adults and older children too. The Dinosaur Musical considers the relationship between single parents and their children as well as learning to overcome our fear of developing friendships with people who appear to be "different" from us by embracing diversity. The Dinosaur Musical addresses issues like leadership and the environment. In the play, the dinosaurs are faced with the challenges of food and water conservation, making it very apropos for an election year. The play celebrates democracy while it also takes a not-so-subtle jab at monarchy and dictatorship. There is plenty of silliness to make the kids giggle. However, there are also numerous jokes for the adults, like A Year with Frog & Toad an Aurora Theatre smash hit that enjoyed a three year holiday run for Synchronicity Performance Group.

   Aurora Theatre has made two significant changes for the run of The Dinosaur Musical to better accommodate families. First, we have changed the curtain time to 7:00 PM for our Thursday evening performances; after all it is a school night. And we are offering a Family 4 Pack that will include 4 tickets and 4 drinks for only $48. The Family 4 Pack is for any Thursday or weekend matinee. As a special added bonus, Fernbank Museum of Natural History has come on board as a marketing partner for The Dinosaur Musical, and they will have a dinosaur artifact on display in the Aurora Theatre lobby during the run of the show. Additionally, Aurora Theatre has been inspired by this play to become a more “green’ work place and we have contacted Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful for an audit of the business to see how we can become more environmentally friendly. You will even notice Aurora Theatres use of recycled materials in the construction of the scenery and costumes. The Dinosaur Musical features many Aurora Theatre favorites including, Felicia Boswell (Christmas Canteen 2007), Luis Hernandez (Annie Get Your Gun), and Rachel White (Chicago). Possibly the most recognizable face on the stage will be that of Bart Hansard from Food TV’s Good Eats and Tyler Perry’s House of Payne proudly making his Aurora Theatre debut.