Disney Junior channel bringing live show here

For one day only, some television characters children have watched on Disney Channel will come to life, and they are coming to the Show Me Center.

On Oct. 25, Feld Entertainment Inc., producer of Disney On Ice and Disney Live!, is bringing to the stage the show "Disney Junior Live On Tour! Pirate and Princess Adventure," the top-performing cable TV series for preschoolers.

The show is centered around the Disney pirate Jake and Disney's first little girl princess, Sofia.

"It's one of the biggest blockbusters, the three hottest properties," Jenifer Maninger, senior global public relations manager at Feld Entertainment, said. "It's a great show ... the show is set for preschool age [children], but I do think there's something for everyone."

In its first year, Disney Junior, the 24-hour channel dedicated to children age 2 through 7, ranked as the No. 1 network each week in total viewers and children ages 2 to 5, according to a Feld Entertainment news release. Disney Junior's "Sofia the First: Once Upon a Princess" remains the No. 1 telecast in cable television history in children ages 2 to 5 and the No. 1 preschool cable TV telecast of all time in total viewers and women ages 18 to 49.

For the eager theatergoer, the show begins with a preshow, 15 minutes before the start time, Maninger said.

In the setup is Doc McStuffins, a 6-year-old doctor to toys and stuffed animals. Children and parents will be invited to sing the "I Feel Better" song along with Doc as she attends to her stuffed patients.

"It's really an interactive, fun preshow," Maninger said. "Doc McStuffins talks about how excited she is, and she asks the audience to help shake the wiggles out."

Maninger said she thinks all children will love the show, and it's a way to introduce children to theater and live entertainment because they don't have to sit quietly the entire time. Throughout the performance, participation is encouraged. Jake and Sofia ask for the audience's help in a variety of instances, from learning manners to finding hidden treasure.

The first act focuses on Princess Sofia, who takes the audience to the magical world of Enchancia. There, Sofia and her stepsiblings, Amber and James, and the entire kingdom prepare for the annual friendship festival.

Act Two takes families back in time to the original Never Land, where Jake and his pirate friends, Izzy and Cubby, search to find a mysterious, treasure-filled volcano. However, some original Disney characters haven't been forgotten in this new Disney tale -- classic characters such as Cinderella, Captain Hook and Peter Pan make guest appearances in the show, Maninger said.

This show is a one-day stop for the traveling acting troupe. After premiering last fall, the show has traveled around the United States. Since beginning their latest tour this summer, they plan to visit 107 cities in nine months.

"Cape's been a local stop for us," Maninger said of the Disney Live tour.

Tickets are on sale for two 90-minute shows, scheduled for 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. Oct. 25 at the Show Me Center. Prices are between $20 and $50, and are available at the Show Me Center box office, by phone at 651-5000 and online at showmecenter.biz.

smaue@semissourian.com

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