A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant Returns to NYC

By Ernio Hernandez
September 15, 2006

A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant returns to the Gotham stage as New York Theatre Workshop presents the Les Freres Corbusier musical with kids playing Tom Cruise, John Travolta and more.

Conceiver Alex Timbers directs the musical — featuring a book, music and lyrics by Kyle Jarrow — which begins Nov. 29 for a run through Jan. 7 at the downtown Manhattan company's 4th Street Theatre. Gabriel Kahane is musical director.

The Obie-winning A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant is a self-proclaimed "bizarre new holiday classic — part avant-garde performance art, part children's theater — based on the actual principles of Scientology and the seriously unbelievable life story of founder L. Ron Hubbard."

The work debuted in November 2003 with a run at The Tank on 42nd Street then transferred Off-Broadway to The John Houseman Theatre. Following its Special Citation by the OBIE Awards to creators Jarrow and Timbers, the work made its west coast debut in October 2004 at Los Angeles' Powerhouse Theatre.

The design team includes David Evans Morris (set), Juliet Chia (lighting) and Jennifer Rogien (costumes).

The cast recording of the work is currently available on Sh-K-Boom Records.

Tickets to A Very Merry Unauthorized Children's Scientology Pageant at the Fourth Street Theatre, 83 East 4th St., will be available by calling (212) 239-6200. For more information, visit www.lesfreres.org.