Coming alive: Show Me Center event turns Nickelodeon shows into theater experience for children

Story time may bring childhood memories of padded floor mats and favorite blankies, but for the current generation of preschoolers "Storytime Live!" on July 18 at the Show Me Center will bring a world of adventures far more colorful than naptime.

Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America will present "Storytime Live!" with a cast of 12 playing a variety of characters from four of Nickelodeon's top-rated preschool shows: "Dora the Explorer," "The Backyardigans," "Ni Hao, Kai-lan" and "Wonder Pets!" along with Nick Jr. characters Moose and Zee as the hosts of the show. Each segment is about 15 minutes long with a 15-minute intermission, making the show an hour and 30 minutes long.

The production team spent about four months creating the show. Once it was written, the cast was given three weeks to rehearse.

Sam Scalamoni, director of "Storytime Live!", said the production is a real theatrical experience for young people and hopes it can be compared to the excitement of the first-day-of-school experience.

"A lot of children don't get to see live theater," he said.

Francheska Gomez, who plays Dora, Zee and a servant in the show, said the live production is similar to the TV episodes even though it transitions animated characters and worlds into live theater.

"It's amazing how they do it," Gomez said. "You'd be surprised how the kids actually believe it's [Dora] even though I'm 10 times bigger and sound a little different."

The show is interactive. During the "Dora the Explorer" segment the audience is asked to help her become a true princess so she can wake up her monkey friend, Boots, who is in a sleeping spell.

Although Gomez said it gets a little hectic trying to maintain the voice of a 7-year-old, she said the cast tries to stay true to the characters and true to the animation when it comes to the character and the voices.

Scalamoni said the cast members are truly able to bring the characters to life.

"They are great storytellers, dancers and singers," he said. "They are incredibly diverse and talented."

The show has been touring since January and has worked out a few kinks. Gomez said getting into costumes doesn't take as long as it used to.

"I just have regular clothes," she said. "I would say it takes about 10 minutes, for other characters it's a little more time. It used to take a little longer, but since we have it down now, it doesn't take as long."

Scalamoni said the actors have grown and settled into their characters, which makes the show better.

"They're a more cohesive unit now," he said. "The show has hit its stride."

Gomez said the cast sometimes does meet-and-greets before the show, but every city they go to is different. She said sometimes they get children who are shy and quiet and then some who want to jump on the actors and characters.

"I remember this one kid who was terrified [of me] and was crying, but he still came up to me and gave me a hug and put his head on my shoulder," Gomez said. "It was weird but adorable."

After all of the adventures on stage, the entire cast comes together for the finale where they sing and dance.

"You'll see moms carrying their babies while they get up and dance," Gomez said.

The show will be at 4 p.m. July 18 at the Show Me Center. Doors open at 3. There will not be a meet-and-greet session.

Tickets for "Storytime Live!" are $18, $27 and $36 and available at the Show Me Center box office, all Ticketmaster outlets, online at ShowMeCenter.biz or by phone at 651-5000.