Blue's Clues Welcomes Joe to the Stage In Austin, TX; Tickets for Blue's Clues Live! Blue's Birthday Party on Sale Monday, December 16th at 10:00 a.m

Business Wire, Dec 11, 2002

Entertainment Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2002

Nickelodeon and Clear Channel Family Entertainment have re-teamed to bring the theatrical production of Blue's Clues Live to the Austin stage featuring the new host Joe from Nickelodeon's critically acclaimed and award winning preschool television show "Blue's Clues." Blue's Clues Live! - Blue's Birthday Party, the biggest birthday party ever, is scheduled to perform at BASS Concert Hall from February 26 - March 2, 2003. The national tour officially kicks off February 7, 2003 at the Patriot Theater in Trenton, N.J.

Performances are scheduled for Wednesday, February 26 at 7:00 p.m.; Thursday, February 27 at 7:00 p.m.; Friday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2 at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Tickets for the Austin engagement of Blue's Clues Live! Blue's Birthday Party go on sale Monday, December 16th at 10 am at the UT Performing Arts Center and Frank Erwin Center box offices, by phone at (512) 477-6060, at all HEB stores or online at www.utpac.org and www.texasboxoffice.com. Groups of 20 or more may call (512) 471-0648 for group discounts. Ticket prices are $27.00, $20.00, $16.00. Convenience charges may apply.

Featuring familiar songs, a fun storyline and all the characters children love, Blue's Birthday Party celebrates Blue's birthday with her friends, best-buddy Magenta, next-door-neighbor Periwinkle, Tickety Tock, Slippery Soap, Mr. Salt and Mrs. Pepper and, of course, Joe (played for the first time by Meyer deLeeuw), as they search for clues to discover what Blue wants for her birthday.

"Blue's Clues is one of the most popular preschool shows on television and it continues to grow its audience on Nick Jr. and on CBS on Saturday mornings," says Stuart Rosenstein, vice president of Nickelodeon Theatricals. "Viewers have responded so favorably to the introduction of Joe on air that we jumped at the opportunity to add him to this live stage production. Now fans of the show get to play Blues Clues 'live' in their own hometowns."

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 audience interaction. Each child attending the show receives a free handy dandy notebook and crayon to follow along as Joe finds Blue's clues.

"Blue's Clues Live! is a family touring franchise," says Joanna Hagan, senior vice president, Clear Channel Theatrical Production - Family Entertainment. "With the addition of Joe to the cast, families will get to see their favorite new character live on stage for the first time."

Blue's Birthday Party is a collaboration with co-author Angela C. Santomero and co-author and director Gip Hoppe, who first worked together 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: "Flower Drum Song," "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 and 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!"

Ford Division returns as the title sponsor of Blue's Birthday Party. Ford and Nickelodeon will use the tour to promote the Clue in to Safety national children's safety campaign and the campaign's official Web site www.clueintosafety.com.

The focus of the campaign centers around Safety Blue and Safety Joe educating children on the importance of safety belts and being properly restrained in the back seat. Children also learn about safe behavior outside the vehicle in other every day places. Parents can find important information on a wide range of topics to help keep their family safe.

For more information about the national tour of Blue's Birthday Party log onto www.nickjr.com.

About Blue's Clues

Winner of the 2002 Peabody Award and one of the most watched preschool shows on television, Blue's Clues challenges and empowers preschoolers while making them laugh. In each episode, Joe 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 by educators for its unique interactivity that has changed the way kids watch television. The series, now in its sixth year, has raised the bar in preschool television by exploring advanced subject matter such as sign language, geography, physics, emotions and anatomy.