WAKE UP, BROTHER BEAR! Returns to Imagination Stage, Now thru Feb 3

Starting today, January 3, Imagination Stage brings back its popular show for the very young: Wake Up, Brother Bear! Called "very entertaining for both kids and adults" by Our Kids, this 45-minute show invites children to enter the world of a young brother bear and his sister as they venture through the seasons of the year.

Wake Up, Brother Bear! runs in Imagination Stage's Christopher and Dana Reeve Studio Theatre today, January 3 - February 3. Shows are Tuesdays-Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. Appropriate for ages 1-5, tickets are $10-12, with a $5 lap seat for children under 12 months. Tickets may be purchased online at www.imaginationstage.org, at the Imagination Stage box office, or via phone at 301-280-1660.

Sitting on the floor around a circular playing area, children interact with Brother and Sister Bear while seeing a waterfall melt, meeting a butterfly, chasing an elusive fish, and skating on an icy pond. In this home grown piece devised by Imagination Stage, children are invited to join in the action with a small bag of props that helps to create magical moments. Actors Tyler Herman, Megan Dominy, and cellist Katie Chambers will bring this story to life.

Tyler Herman made his Imagination Stage debut with Perseus Bayou in 2011 and has played the role of Brother Bear once before. This will also be Megan Dominy's second stint in the role of Sister Bear, having played in the show's summer run. She is an Artistic Associate with Constellation Theatre and has previously performed at the Shakespeare Theatre Company and Folger Theatre.

Wake Up, Brother Bear! is Imagination Stage's first original Theatre for the Very Young creation and was the beginning of the My First Imagination Stage series. Since its debut in 2010, it has returned to the theatre for several short runs and is always a crowd pleaser. As a result, Imagination Stage launched a companion storybook, available in the gift shop of the theatre, and is currently developing a corresponding App.

In addition to performances, the My First Imagination Stage Early Childhood programming at Imagination Stage includes the very popular Sunday Fun-Days and the new Saturday Song Circles. These single session workshops engage children and parents in multi-sensory play. Sessions start at 10:00 am. Tickets and more information are available online.

My First Imagination Stage focuses on ages 1- 5, recognizing "play" is the "work" of this early childhood. Through live performances, workshops, and classes, My First Imagination Stage creates fun and developmentally exciting experiences for the very young and their caregivers. A national leader in Theatre for the Very Young, Imagination Stage began focusing on the youngest of theatergoers in 2010 with the world-premiere of Wake Up, Brother Bear! To date, My First Imagination Stage has produced one North American premiere; welcomed guest artists from Italy, Great Britain, and Germany; and developed two acclaimed world premiere productions (Wake Up, Brother Bear! and Mouse on the Move). Like its audiences, this program plans to keep growing!

My First Imagination Stage shows run about 45 minutes. Performance times are Tuesday-Sunday at 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. in the Christopher and Dana Reeve Studio Theatre.

The theatre is located at 4908 Auburn Avenue, Bethesda, MD. Parking: Metered parking in the adjacent public parking garage; parking is FREE on weekends. Metro: Red Line / Bethesda Station. For Information: 301-280-1660 or www.imaginationstage.org.

Pictured: Megan Dominy as Sister Bear, Jacob Yeh as Brother Bear, and Katie Chambers (cello) from the 2012 production of Wake Up, Brother Bear! at Imagination Stage. Photo credit: Blake Echols / Imagination Stage.

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