Seatbelts, Everyone! The Magic School Bus

Seatbelts, Everyone! The Magic School Bus™ Live! Zooms into Stephens Auditorium on Friday, March 2 at 7 p.m.

What: The Magic School Bus Live! The Climate Challenge – Supported by the Ames Kiwanis Club

When: Friday, March 2 at 7 p.m. (NOTE START TIME)

                        Special School-time matinee at 12:30 (see pricing under “Education” link at center.iastate.edu)

Special Pre-Show Activity: Family Green Fest! FREE activities begin at 6 p.m., include a Toy Swap, displays about how to help the environment, hands-on activities and "green" prizes

Where: Stephens Auditorium, Ames

Tickets: $20 for subscribers; $23 for non-subscribers; $18 for 18 & under; $20 for ISU students

America’s favorite bus zooms to the stage with an all new 25^th anniversary musical adventure! The Magic School Bus Live! The Climate Challenge, based on the best-selling and award-winning Scholastic book series, will be presented by Maximum Entertainment Productions in association with Bay Area Children’s Theatre and Oregon Children’s Theatre. Scott Elmegreen’s catchy music, lyrics and witty book shine under the direction of Tracy Ward in a show that will become an instant favorite with kids and adults alike. The musical takes the audience on an exciting journey from the arctic to the equator to examine what affects the Earth’s climate every day. The Magic School Bus Live! is sure provide audience members with a fun and educational theater experience that will have them shouting “Wahoo!” with Ms. Frizzle and the gang.

This refreshing musical interpretation focuses on one of the most important environmental issues facing the Earth today: climate change. Doing research for their class play about climate change, Ms. Frizzle’s students hop on the Magic School Bus to learn how recycling, alternative energy, and conservation can make a difference in the world. Jessica Payne leads the cast as the fun-loving Ms. Frizzle, with Kyle Payne, Catherine Gloria, Jaqueline Goalwin, Brian Conway, and Calia Johnson as her beloved students. Beginning in Berkeley, California, the seven-month tour includes stops in more than 60 cities. The Brad Simon Organization serves as exclusive booking agent for this musical production.

Based on the Scholastic book series written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen, The Magic School Bus is an Emmy Award-winning animated television series produced in more than 39 countries and 16 languages. It currently airs on the Qubo Channel in the U.S. With more than 58 million books in print, the brand has won numerous industry excellence awards, including two Emmys for Lily Tomlin (for her portrayal of Ms. Frizzle in the TV series), five CINE Golden Eagles, a Parents Choice Gold Medal, a National Conservation Achievement Award, an Environmental Media Association Award, and an Annenberg Public Policy Center Award. The series has been a favorite venue for guest celebrity voices as well, including those of Dolly Parton, Wynonna Judd, Dabney Coleman, Bebe Neuwirth, Tyne Daly, Swoozie Kurtz, Rita Moreno, Ed Asner, and Tony Randall, among others.

PRE-SHOW EVENT: Begins at 6 pm in the Celebrity Café: Before you hop on the bus, stop by our Family Green Fest! Families can bring an outgrown toy to swap, discover new ways to help the environment, learn through hands-on activities and register to win “green” prizes! Free to ticket holders.