California's Pasadena Playhouse will present the world premiere of a new family musical adaptation of Bernard Waber's book series Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, with performances running February 15-March 16, 2025 at The Colony Theatre in Burbank.
The new work, based on Waber's books Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile and The House on East 88th Street, features a book by Timothy Allen McDonald (James and the Giant Peach) and Sara Wordsworth (In Transit). As for a score, the stage musical has reassembled the various songwriters who contributed songs to the franchise's 2022 movie adaptation, including EGOT winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Ari Afsar, Emily Xu Hall, Joriah Kwamé, and Mark Sonnenblick. The score will include the songs from the movie in addition to new songs newly written for the stage musical.
Nina Meehan is directing the world premiere, being presented in partnership with The Colony Theatre. Both theatres are also working with the Pasadena Unified and Burbank Unified school districts to bring thousands of students to see the show free of charge. The production will also feature vocal arrangements and incidental music by Daniel Mertzlufft (Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical), with further creative team members and casting to be announced.
The musical is the brainchild of McDonald's iTheatrics, the youth theatre company known for developing editions of Broadway musicals designed for young performers and annual youth theatre convention Junior Theater Festival.
Tickets are available at PasadenaPlayhouse.org.