FEB 4 - FEB 26

book by MO WILLEMS & MR. WARBURTON
music by DEBORAH WICKS LA PUMA & lyrics by MO WILLEMS

directed by RANDY WHITE
choreographed by MATTHEW WEIDENBENER
musical direction by SAM SHANKMAN
stage managed by JORDAN LARGE

POOR PIGEON! HE NEVER GETS TO DO ANYTHING!

ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE BY MO WILLEMS FROM HIS OWN 2004 CALDECOTT HONOR AWARD-WINNING BOOK, DON’T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS IS THE STORY OF AN IRREPRESSIBLE PIGEON WHO LETS EVERYONE KNOW THAT HE NEVER HAS ANY FUN! 

BUT WHEN THE BUS DRIVER IS RUNNING LATE (GASP!), PIGEON BELIEVES HIS DREAM TO DRIVE THE BUS MIGHT ACTUALLY COME TRUE!  

BUT… CAN PIGEON ACTUALLY DRIVE A BUS?? 

AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, SHOULD WE LET PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS

WILLEMS’ INNOVATIVE AND HIGH-SPIRITED THEATRICAL ADAPTATION OF HIS OWN NY TIMES BESTSELLING BOOK IS AN INTERACTIVE ROMP ABOUT FINDING YOUR OWN SPECIAL, FEATHER-FILLED PLACE IN LIFE!

YPT’S PRODUCTION FEATURES AVENUE Q-STYLE HAND-AND-ROD PUPPETS, DESIGNED AND HANDMADE BY RICK LYONS, THE CREATOR OF THE ORIGINAL AVENUE Q PUPPETS ON BROADWAY! 

MEET THE CAST

  • Brade Bradshaw

    Pigeon

  • Marquis Bundy

    Teenager / City Worker

  • Tamsen Glaser

    Bus Engine

  • Marcus Jackson

    Business Man / Hot Dog Vendor

  • Chamaya Moody

    Little Old Lady / Duckling

  • Karla Serrato

    Bus Driver

  • Chloe Belongilot

    u/s Bus Driver, Ensemble

  • Alex Slade

    u/s Pigeon, Ensemble

Brade Bradshaw [he/him/his] (Pigeon) is a Chicago-based actor, director, and writer, and is thrilled to be making his Young People’s Theatre of Chicago debut! Some recent theatre credits include: Creede Repertory Theatre, Second City, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, Children’s Theatre of Madison, and About Face Theatre. Brade received his BFA in Acting with a minor in Directing from Oklahoma City University and completed the EPR Program at Milwaukee Rep post-graduation. Special thanks to his steadfast support system of friends, family, and all-star team at Paonessa Talent Agency. bradebradshaw.com

Marquis Bundy (Teenager / City Worker) is beyond excited to be in this show! His journey with YPT began with Knuffle Bunny last year! A couple of his other Chicagoland credits include Little Shop of Horrors and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Citadel Theatre Company), Godspell and Little Women (The Home Creative Co.), and A Christmas Sonata (Sigman Brother’s Productions.) He is from Des Moines, Iowa, where he has done additional theatre work, including choreographing and assistant directing. Marquis loves video games, being a barista, and being a lava lamp enthusiast.

Tamsen Glaser (Bus Engine) is making her YPT debut! Chicago credits: Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Victory Gardens, Northlight Theatre, Haven Chicago, Red Tape Theater, & Ghostlight Ensemble Theatre Company. Regional credits: Seattle Repertory Theatre. TV credits: Shining Girls (Apple TV), neXt (Fox), Chicago Med & Chicago Fire (NBC). Film credits: A Christmas Winter Song (Lifetime). She holds an MFA from the University of Washington’s Professional Actor Training Program and degrees in Acting & Vocal Performance from Western Michigan University. She is proudly represented by DDO Chicago.

Marcus Jackson (Business Man / Hot Dog Vendor) is ecstatic to be bringing this wild and fun musical to Chicago! Past credits: Joey (Sister Act) and Jimmy (Priscilla...) both at Mercury Theatre, George (Sunday in the Park...), Hot Blades Harry (Urinetown), Lotte (The Lady in Question), and Big Jule (Guys and Dolls). Marcus is fresh off of receiving his BFA in Musical Theatre Performance from Western Michigan University. He would like to thank his parents, his partner, Big Mouth Talent, and of course, his cats, Bubba and Dot. MarcusSanderJackson.com Insta: @Marcus_Jackson09

Chamaya Moody (Little Old Lady / City Worker) THEO: 8-Track, Godspell. CHICAGO: Sweeney Todd (Kokandy Productions), Into the Woods (Big Noise Theatre) The SpongeBob SquarePants Musical (Surging Films and Theatrics), The Black Monologues (Victory Gardens Theatre), and All Shook Up (Williams Street Repertory Theatre). Chamaya graduated with a Theatre degree from Northwestern University as well as from the Musical Theatre Certificate Program. Chamaya has also performed live for the Obamas. Other than performing, she likes making TikToks and speaking about disability rights. Represented by Shirley Hamilton Talent. IG: @chamayamoody

Karla Serrato (Bus Driver) is delighted to work with the talented artists at Young People's Theatre of Chicago! Recent credits include A Christmas Carol (Goodman Theatre); Somewhere Over The Border (Teatro Vista); Deck The Hallmark (The Second City); and In The Heights (UAC Theatre).  Karla appears on NBC’s Chicago Fire, Season 7, Ep. 5 in the role of Sarah.  She has been nominated for Best Leading Actress in the 2018 New York City International Film Festival. Follow her @Karla__Serrato.

Chloe Belongilot (u/s Bus Driver, Ensemble) is a Chicago-based actress and teaching artist represented by Big Mouth Talent, and she is excited to be making her Young People’s Theatre debut! Chloe has her BFA degree in Musical Theatre from Coastal Carolina University. Since recently moving to Chicago, she has performed in Timeline Theatre’s Trouble in Mind, Porchlight Theatre’s New Faces Sing Broadway, and the world premiere of Red Summer with MPAACT. She is an active performer with the ABLE Ensemble of Chicago and the co-founder of the DoReMi Club Chicago.

Alex Slade (u/s Pigeon, Ensemble) is a newly-based Chicago performer and is ecstatic to be making his Young People's Theatre of Chicago debut with this show! He was recently seen as Declan Weir in the world premiere of MPAACT's Red Summer and he holds a BFA from Northern Kentucky University. Other recent credits include Lefty Williams (Black Sox on Trial), Joe Pitt (Angels in America), and Jason/Tyrone (Hand to God). When he's not on stage, he's behind the camera- you can find some of his work at shotsbyslade.com. Alex sends all of his love to his family in Utah!

MEET THE CREATIVE TEAM

  • Randy White

    Director

  • Matthew Weidenbener

    Choreographer

  • Sam Shankman

    Music Director

  • Mo Willems

    Script | Lyrics

  • Deborah Wicks La Puma

    Music

  • Mr. Warburton

    Script

Randy White [he/him] (Director) was founding Artistic Director of Cardinal Stage in Bloomington, IN., where he inaugurated the “Cardinal for Kids” series. In NYC, he directed Theatreworks USA’s Max and Ruby, (off-Broadway/national tour), Glen Berger’s Underneath the Lintel, assisted on Disney’s The Lion King, etc. He has directed at many regional theaters and universities. In Chicago, Randy directed The Wizard of Oz at the Children’s Theatre of Winnetka, and Curious George and Knuffle Bunny at Northbrook Theatre. For the Greenhouse, he directed Truman and The Birth of Israel and was nominated for an Equity Jeff Award for his critically acclaimed production of Midsummer (A Play with Songs). He also directed YPT’s inaugural production of Knuffle Bunny.

Matthew Weidenbener [he/him] (Choreographer) is thrilled to be joining Young People’s Theatre! Matthew is a Chicago-based performer and choreographer. Chicago credits include Mike in A Chorus Line (Porchlight Music Theatre), Elf (Drury Lane Theatre), Hello, Dolly! (Marriott Theatre), Young Bernadette in Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (Mercury Theater), White Christmas (Theatre at the Center), Hanna in La Cage aux Folles and Choreographer for The Little Mermaid (Music Theatre Works). Regional credits: Grease, Man of La Mancha (STAGES St. Louis), William Barfée in Spelling Bee, Our Town (Indiana Summer Rep), West Side Story, Hairspray, Mary Poppins (Cardinal Stage). Matthew is a graduate of Indiana University. Endless love to his family and friends for their immense support and to Randy for over a decade of guidance and trust. Don’t let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!!! mweidenbener.com

Mo Willems (Script / Lyrics) #1 New York Times Bestseller Mo Willems began his career as a writer and animator for PBS' Sesame Street, where he garnered 6 Emmy Awards for his writing. During his nine seasons at Sesame Street, Mo also served as a weekly commentator for BBC Radio and created two animated series, Nickelodeon's The Off-Beats and Cartoon Network's Sheep in the Big City. While serving as head writer for Cartoon Network's #1 rated show, Codename: Kids Next Door, Mo began writing and drawing books for children. His debut effort, Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! became a New York Times Bestseller and was awarded a Caldecott Honor in 2004. The following year Knuffle Bunny: a Cautionary Tale was awarded a Caldecott Honor. The sequel, Knuffle Bunny Too: a Case of Mistaken Identity garnered Mo his third Caldecott Honor in 2008. In addition to picture books, Mo created the Elephant and Piggie books, a series of "Easy Readers", which were awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal in 2008 and 2009 and a Geisel Honor in 2011. For older audiences he has published an illustrated memoir of his year-long trip around the world in 1990-91 entitled You Can Never Find a Rickshaw When it Monsoons. Mo's drawings, wire sculptures, and ceramics (done in collaboration with his father) have exhibited in numerous galleries and museums across the nation and his graphic story about his family experiences during 9-11 for DC comics resides in the Library of Congress' permanent collection. Mo has been heard on NPR's All Things Considered where he occasionally serves as the broadcast's 'Radio Cartoonist'. While no longer working in television, Mo voices and produces animated cartoons based on his books with Weston Woods studios. The animated Knuffle Bunny was awarded Best Film during the New York International Children's Film Festival in 2008 and received the Andrew Carnegie Medal in 2007. The animated Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! garnered Mo his second Carnegie Medal in 2010. Mo wrote the script and lyrics for Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, commissioned by the Kennedy Center for its 2010 season. Mo lives in Massachusetts with his family.

Mr. Warburton (Script) is the executive producer of Disney Jr's hit series Muppet Babies, which has introduced Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Animal and a brand-new Muppet named Summer Penguin, to a whole new generation of kids. But Mr. Warburton is best known as the creator of the action-packed original series Codename: Kids Next Door which ran on Cartoon Network for six seasons and inspired kids to start their own KND sectors worldwide. Over the years Mr. Warburton has helped produce, design and direct many other animated shows including Disney's Fish Hooks , The 7D and Pepper Ann as well as Cartoon Network's Sheep in The Big City, Nickelodeon's Doug and MTV's Beavis and Butthead. He's also worked on tons of animated commercials, episodes of Schoolhouse Rock and Saturday Night Live's TV Funhouse. Mr. Warburton also likes to make books. His first picture book, 1000 Times No was published by HarperCollins to sooper nice reviews and an animated version was made for Nick Jr. Recent projects include collaborating with his best pal, children's book author Mo Willems, on a musical based on Mo's best-selling book Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus for the Kennedy Center as well as an animated production of Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Opera Experience.

Deborah Wicks La Puma (Music) A composer, music director and orchestrator, Deborah Wicks La Puma is one of the most produced Theatre for Young Audiences artists working today. With bestselling children's author Mo Willems she has created Elephant and Piggie's: We Are In A Play; Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience; and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus: The Musical . Her many and diverse works with playwright Karen Zacarías include Ella Enchanted (based on the book by Gail Carson Levine), Olivério: A Brazilian Twist, Frida Libre, Looking for Roberto Clemente and Einstein Is a Dummy. With playwright Adam Tobin she created She Persisted (based on the book by Chelsea Clinton), and the upcoming What Do You Do With An Idea? (based on the book by Kobi Yamada). Her adult works include the lyric opera Dakota Sky and the Mexican folk musical Perdita (based on Shakespeare's Winter's Tale) with Kathleen Cahill. She received her MFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, her bachelor's degree from Stanford University, and studied folk music with ethnomusicologist Alfredo López Mondragón. Her honors include the Jane Chambers Playwriting Award, an NEA New American Works Grant, two Parents' Choice Awards, and a Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Musical Adaptation. A proud Mexican-American and "Navy brat" who grew up in Brazil, Portugal and California, La Puma is a member of TYA USA/ASSITEJ, ASCAP and The Dramatists Guild. Mother to three daughters and Mimi the Cat, La Puma lives in Southern California with her PR agent and loving husband, Chris.