Read It and See It: Timeless Tales Adapted For Theater

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The Bay Area offers many choices for kids of all ages to enjoy live theater based on beloved classic stories. Don't miss these classic tales come to life and work their magic to all who Read It and See It. Support your local theater and independent booksellers! Tickets and books are on sale now.

Read It: Peter and the Starcatcher, Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
See It:

A fast-paced, adventure awaits as the young orphan Peter and his mates are dispatched to an island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. They set sail aboardthe Never Land, a ship carrying a precious and mysterious trunk in its cargo hold, and the journey quickly becomes fraught with excitement and danger.

Read It: Seussical, The Musical, Dr. Seuss

See It:

  • Freight & Salvage, Berkeley Oct 8-Nov 6
  • The Creativity Theater, San Francisco, Nov 19-Dec 11
  • Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center, San Ramon, Nov 12-13

Brought to you by the talented Bay Area Children's Theater. The wonderful world of Dr. Seuss springs to life in this imagination-infused musical! Horton the Elephant discovers a dust speck is actually an entire planet, Gertrude McFuzz wishes she had a flashier feathered tail, and Jojo the Who's elaborate thinks keep getting him into trouble! The Cat in the Hat is your magical master of ceremonies in this sensational smorgasbord of Seuss stories.

Read It: Jungle Book, Rudyard Kipling

See It: Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley, Oct 29-Nov 6

When a tiger named Shere Khan wants to make a defenseless young boy his next meal, a family of wolves steps in to save the child, who they call Mowgli. It's up to Balou the bear and Bagheera the panther to teach Mowgli how to live in the jungle and protect himself from the vengeful Shere Khan, who hates all of humankind, and it's up to Mowgli to to figure out where it is he truly belongs.

Read It: Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, Sherri Duskey Rinker

See It: Bay Area Children's Theatre (BACT) Performance Hall, Oakland Nov 8-17

Bedtime is approaching, and this team of construction vehicles needs to get their rest. Preparing for bed is a job in itself! Other great performances for 6 month-4 years by BACT include "Splish Splash" at Children's Fairyland and "The Wheels on the Bus" at Children's Creativity Museum Theatre Annex.

Read It: Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens

See It:

Be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas as you watch the transformation of the stingy Ebenezer Scrooge into a man who awakens on Christmas morning with love and generosity in his heart!

Read It: Velveteen Rabbit, Margery Williams

See It: Yerba Buena Theatre, San Francisco, Nov 25-Dec 11

Nursery magic is very strange and wonderful, and only those playthings that are old and wise and experienced like the Skin Horse understand all about it. Like the Skin Horse, Margery Williams understood how toys--and people--become real through the wisdom and experience of love.

Read It: The Snow Queen, Hans Christian Anderson

See It: Marin Theatre Company, Mill Valley, Nov 26-Dec 4

The story of an evil mirror that turns beauty to ugly, and good to bad. The story of Gerda and Kai, best friends with an unshakeable bond. The story of the Snow Queen, indifferent to all she freezes in her path. A group of intrepid narrators bring all these and more to life in Mike (The Little Mermaid) Kenny's adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's fairytale about people learning to do good in an often-wicked world.

Read It: Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas, Jane O’Conner

See It: Osher Studio, Berkeley, Nov 26-Dec 29

What could be fancier than Christmas? Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles - and who could forget the tree? This year, Nancy bought a brand-new sparkly tree topper with her own money and can't wait to decorate the Christmas tree. But when things don't turn out the way Nancy planned, will Christmas still be splendiferous?

Read It: Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

See It: Young Performers Theatre, Fort Mason, San Francisco, Dec 3-18

Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole and finds herself in a curious and strange wonderland! She meets the White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, The Red Queen and many more strange folks!

Read It: Wonka, Roald Dahl

See It: PAAM, Mill Valley Golf Clubhouse, Dec 10-11

The timeless story of the world-famous candy man and his quest to find an heir is a golden ticket to adventure brought to you by Performing Arts Academy of Marin (PAAM). 

Read It: Cinderella, Brothers Grimm

See It:    Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, Dec 22-24

A timeless and enchanting tale brought to you by the African-American Shakespeare Company about Cinderella, a young girl,her fairy godmothers, cruel stepmother, pumpkin coaches, glass slippers and a handsome prince.