Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences Presents 'Naked Mole Rat'

NORTHBROOK, IL — For the third time, the Northbrook Theatre for Young Audiences will present a show featuring the work of popular children's author Mo Willems. "Naked Mole Rat" will be the first production of the season for the Northbrook Park District theater group.

The show, which runs from Jan. 27 through Feb. 11, will be performed at the Leisure Center, 3323 Walters Ave.

According to the district, "Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience," tells the story of the endearing mole rat, Wilbur, who discovers he'd much rather wear stylish clothing than run around naked like all his buddies. The show is intended for audiences aged 3 and up.

"We always try to impart a good message to our young audiences, and this is about expressing yourself and being comfortable with being different," said Drew Kambach, manager of visual and performing arts for the Northbrook Park District. "In fact, it’s a wonderful message at any age."

In the past, the NTYA staged two musicals basd on books by Willem with "Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical" and "Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!"

"For a lot of our audiences, we are their first exposure to the theater, and we are tapping into that even more with our 'Theater for the Very Young' performances, which we’ve been offering since last year," Kambach said. "We want to keep expanding our scope so we can continue captivating the interest of our community and inspiring them to make theater a lifelong passion — or even a career. That is the vision."

According to the district, NTYA offers weekday and weekend performances with a running time of an hour or less, no intermission. After weekend shows, the actors make an appearance in the theatre lobby for a meet-and-greet with the audience. School booking performances feature a Q&A with the actors following the shows.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit here or call 847- 291-2995.