New York: Acclaimed creators of family entertainment TheaterWorksUSA will bring Dog Man: The Musical back to New York, beginning its limited eight-week run on March 4 through April 30 at New World Stages (350 West 50 Street). It will celebrate its official opening night on Monday, March 13, at 7 PM. Tickets are now on sale; for tickets and more information visit DogManTheMusical.com.

 

A hilarious heartfelt family adventure, the NY Times Critic’s Pick, Dog Man: The Musical has been called an “Epic musical” (New York Family) that is “Non-stop enjoyment from beginning to end” (Plays to See). Dog Man follows the chronicles of a canine superhero who loves to fight crime and chew on the furniture. But while trying his best to be a good boy, can he save the city from Flippy the cyborg fish and his army of Beasty Buildings? Can he catch Petey, the world’s most evil cat, who has cloned himself to exact revenge on the doggy do-gooder? And will George and Harold finish their show before lunchtime?? Find out in this epic musical adventure featuring the hilarity and heart of beloved characters from Dav Pilkey, the award-winning and worldwide bestselling author and illustrator of Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club. An all-new Dog Man book, Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, will be published by Scholastic on March 28, 2023.

 

 

 

Dog Man: The Musical is based on the #1 bestselling Dog Man book series by Dav Pilkey, it has an original book and lyrics by Kevin Del Aguila (Two-time Emmy Award-winning writer of the PBS show Peg + Cat), and music by Brad Alexander (Drama Desk Nominated See Rock City & Other Destinations) with orchestrations by Lloyd Kikoler and will be directed and choreographed by Jen Wineman (NY: Less Than 50%). It debuted as part of TWUSA’s celebrated Family Summer Theater program in 2019 where it received raves from audiences and critics alike. 

 

THEATERWORKSUSA (Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director; Michael Harrington, Executive Director) has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. At TWUSA, we believe that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital for our youth. Since 1961, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award-winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals. Acclaimed alumni include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Disney’s Frozen), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Jerry Zaks (The Music Man), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton), Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America), and Chuck Cooper (Tony award-winning actor, The Life). WWW.TWUSA.ORG

 

BRAD ALEXANDER (Music) TV credits include Lead Composer for “Clifford The Big Red Dog” (Scholastic/Amazon/PBS Kids), five episodes of PBS’s Emmy Award-winning “Peg + Cat,” and VH1’s “Celebreality” campaign. Theater: See Rock City & Other Destinations (Richard Rodgers, Jerry Bock, Drama Desk Awards), TheaterWorksUSA’s Click Clack Moo (Drama Desk, Lortel nom), Just So Stories and Martha Speaks; contributing composer for Duck For President, Fly Guy and We The People (Lortel nom). Current projects: Misty Makes It Better (lyrics by Jill Abramovitz, book by Erik Forrest Jackson) and Bread And Roses (lyrics by Jill Abramovitz, book by Jill Abramovitz and Melissa Crespo, based on the film by Ken Loach and Paul Laverty). Brad is a member of NAMT, The Dramatists Guild, SAG-AFTRA and BMI Workshop. bradalexander.com

 

KEVIN DEL AGUILA (Book & Lyrics) is an Emmy-winning writer and acclaimed performer, currently playing Osgood in Some Like It Hot on Broadway. He is the book writer of the off-Broadway comedy Altar Boyz (NY Outer Critics Award) and lyricist of Click Clack Moo (Lortel and Drama Desk noms). Other writings include musical stage adaptations of the DreamWorks film Madagascar and the wildly popular book series Diary Of A Wimpy Kid. He's written for numerous children's television shows, including “Peg + Cat” (PBS), “Waffles + Mochi’s Restaurant” (Netflix and the Obamas' Higher Ground), and was head writer of “Blue’s Clues & You” (NickJr) and “Clifford The Big Red Dog” (Amazon/PBS). His lyrics can be heard in songs featured in the Disney animated movie Strange World and children everywhere have heard Kevin’s voice as a Troll in the Disney movie Frozen.

 

JEN WINEMAN (Director) is a director and choreographer based in Brooklyn. Selected NYC credits include: Retraction (TheatreRow); Dog Man: The Musical (Lucille Lortel Theatre/TheatreworksUSA); Less Than 50% (59E59); Surfer Girl (Animus); My Heart is in the East (La Mama); Fable (NYMF), The King’s Whore (Walkerspace); F#%king Up Everything (Elektra Theater). Selected regional credits include: As You Like It (Upcoming: American Shakespeare Center); Tiny Beautiful Things (Merrimack Rep); Game On (Pittsburgh CLO); Shakespeare in Love (Virginia Rep); Into the West (Tantrum Theater); Baskerville (Dorset Theatre Festival); The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (Asolo Rep & Miami New Drama); Sweeney Todd (Playmakers Rep); The 39 Steps, Shipwrecked (Triad Stage). Touring productions include Dog Man: The Musical (TheatreworksUSA); Twelfth Night and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Asolo Repertory Theatre). Jen is currently in post-production for her short film, Battle Rattle, written by Gardiner Comfort. Education: B.A. Vassar College, M.F.A. Yale School of Drama. jenwineman.com

 

Published by Scholastic under its Graphix imprint in August 2016, Dog Man received multiple starred reviews and was an instant bestseller, appealing to kids and critics alike. With more than 50 million books in print and translations available in 42 languages, the Dog Man books explore universally positive messages including empathy, kindness, and striving to become a better version of one’s self, while it also tackles more complex themes including loss, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. The publication of the highly anticipated eleventh installment, Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, on March 28, 2023, marks Dav Pilkey’s 35 years of writing and illustrating award-winning and bestselling books for children. DreamWorks Animation is currently developing a movie adaptation of Dog Man. When Dav Pilkey was a kid, he was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia. Dav was so disruptive in class that his teachers made him sit out in the hallway every day. Luckily, Dav loved to draw and make up stories and spent his time in the hallway creating his own original comic books – the very first adventures of Dog Man and Captain Underpants. In college, Dav met a teacher who encouraged him to write and illustrate for kids. He took her advice and created his first book, World War Won, which won a national competition in 1986. Dav made many other books before being awarded a Caldecott Honor for The Paperboy (1996). In 2002, Dav published his first full-length graphic novel for kids The Adventures of Super Diaper Baby which was an instant national bestseller. He has published more than seventy books for children, including the bestselling Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club graphic novels. Dav's stories are semi-autobiographical and explore universal themes that celebrate friendship and the triumph of the good-hearted. For more about Dav Pilkey and his books visit http://mediaroom.scholastic.com/davpilkey.