Blue's Clues Returns to the Stage With Brand New Musical Blue's Birthday Party; Nickelodeon and Clear Channel Entertainment Re-Team For Follow-Up to Smash Tour of Blues Clues Live!

Business Wire, Nov 29, 2001

Feature Editors & Entertainment Writers

LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Nov. 29, 2001

After the incredibly successful two year national run of Blue's Clues Live!, Nickelodeon and Clear Channel Entertainment have re-teamed to bring a brand new theatrical production to the stage of Nickelodeon's top-rated preschool television show "Blue's Clues."

Blue's Birthday Party, the biggest birthday party ever, is scheduled to perform in 40 markets across the United States beginning in January 2002.

Featuring brand new songs, story line and characters, Blue's Birthday Party returns to the stage to celebrate Blue's birthday with her friends, Tickety Tock, Slippery Soap, Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper and, of course, Steve (played for the first time by Roger Kraus), as they search for clues to discover what Blue wants for her birthday. The stage production marks the stage debut of several new characters such as Blue's next-door-neighbor Periwinkle, best buddy Magenta and Baby Cinnamon.

The live theatrical presentation transforms the television show by challenging kids' imaginations and senses while celebrating the wonder of learning. Blue's Birthday Party invites kids to be entertained while enjoying an unprecedented level of interactivity. Each child attending the show receives a free handy dandy notebook and crayon to follow along as Steve finds Blue's clues.

"Blue's Birthday Party continues Nickelodeon Theatricals exceptional standards of translating Nickelodeon properties into live productions," says Stuart Rosenstein, Co-Executive Producer and VP Nickelodeon Theatricals and Recreation. "This show brings the Blue's Clues property to life for children in their hometowns."

"Blue's Clues Live! represented a benchmark for live family theatre," says Co-Executive Producer and President, Clear Channel Family Entertainment, Jonathan Hochwald. "All of our creative talent has returned to Blue's Birthday Party, and we've created an even more amazing experience with this brand new stage production."

Blue's Birthday Party marks the return of co-author Angela C. Santomero and co-author and director Gip Hoppe, who first collaborated on Blue's Clues Live! Santomero also serves as the co-creator, co-executive producer and head writer of the television show. Hoppe wrote and directed the Broadway play Jackie: An American Life. He is a founding member and co-artistic director of the Wellfleet Harbor Actor's Theatre.

Blue's Birthday Party features set designs by David Gallo, recently represented on Broadway by You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Lion In Winter, Little Me and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He also was production designer for Jackie: An American Life. Costume Designer Gregg Barnes' Broadway credits include: Side Show, Rugrats-A Live Adventure, Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show and Madison Square Garden's The Wizard of Oz. Traci Paige Johnson, the TV Series' Co-Creator, Co-Executive Producer serves as the visual consultant for the tour. Yvette Helin, whose credits include significant contributions to The Lion King on Broadway, The Wizard of Oz National Tour and Toy Story on Ice, is the puppet designer. Mike Rubin and Nick Balaban of Murmur Music, composers of the "Blue's Clues" television series' music, collaborate on the original score of Blue's Clues Live!

One of the most watched preschool shows on television, the Blue's Clues mission is to challenge and empower preschoolers while making them laugh. In each episode, Steve invites young viewers into his computer-animated storybook to help him and Blue solve the day's puzzles. Blue's Clues continues to draw acclaim for its unique interactivity that has changed the way kids watch television. The series, now in its third season, has raised the bar in preschool television by exploring advanced subject matter such as sign language, geography, physics, emotions and anatomy.

Blue's Clues airs Monday through Friday at 10:00 am and 12:30 pm (ET/PT) on Nick Jr. and was created by Traci Paige Johnson, Todd Kessler and Angela C. Santomero. Kessler serves as Executive Producer, Santomero is Co-Executive Producer and Head Writer, and Johnson is Co-Executive Producer and Director of Design.

Ford Motors returns as the title sponsor of Blue's Birthday Party. Ford and Nickelodeon will use the tour to promote ClueIntoSafety.com, the official Web site of the "Clue Into Safety" national child safety campaign. The focus of the campaign centers around Blue and Steve educating children on the importance of safety belts and being properly restrained in the back seat. Children also learn about safe behavior inside and outside of vehicles, while parents are educated about the proper use of car and booster seats.

In selected cities across the country, Nickelodeon and Ford will present "Ford & Blue's Clue-Into-Safety Auditions" where one child will get an opportunity to perform on stage with Blue, Steve and the entire cast.

For more information about national tour of Blue's Birthday Party and Ford & Blue's Clue-Into-Safety Auditions, log onto www.nickjr.com.