The Salina Stiefel Theater late Friday afternoon announced three new shows.

Tickets for each will all go on sale Friday, December 11th at 9am. To buy tickets stop by the Stiefel Theatre or call the Stiefel at 785-827-1998. Buy online at ticketmaster.com. 

The shows include:

Goodnight Moon & The Runaway Bunny – Saturday, February 20 @ 2pm
Kids are invited to wear their PJ’s! Cookies and milk will be served.
Mermaid Theatre has earned international acclaim for its unique interpretations of the works of Eric Carle (The Very Hungry Caterpillar ), Leo Lionni (Swimmy, Frederick & Inch by Inch) and Sam McBratney (Guess How Much I Love You). These widely-travelled productions incorporate innovative puppetry, striking scenic effects, and evocative original music to provide very young audiences with an effortless introduction to the performing arts and the excitement of reading. Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny features these same elements.
Few writers have been as attuned to the concerns and emotions of childhood as Margaret Wise Brown (1910–1952). Brown, a former teacher, believed that very young children could be fascinated by the simple pleasures of the world around them. Few had previously attempted to write specifically for children aged two to five, and Brown created some of the most enduring and beloved children’s books of all time as well as developed the concept of the first durable board book.
Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny’s pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security. Mermaid’s staged adaptation will bring a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations. Tickets are: $10, $18 and $23

Lightwire Theatre’s MOON MOUSE: A SPACE ODYSSEY – Saturday, April 9 @ 7pm
“Absolutely Incredible” Rolling Stone
“An eye-popping display of storytelling that is like nothing else you’ve ever seen.” Broadwayworld.com
Lightwire Theater is proud to present MOON MOUSE, a cosmic adventure about celebrating differences.
Marvin the mouse wants to be popular. Constantly bullied and picked on by the “cool” rats, he is labeled as a looser and a geek. To get away from the continuous badgering, he retreats into his science books and a world of fantasy. He longs to have adventures, to be the hero.Join Marvin on the space adventure of a lifetime; a trip to the surface of the moon on his homemade rocket, where he meets a strange cast of misfit creatures, learns of infinite peril and awesome beauty. Will Marvin make his dreams come true and bring him the glory and acceptance he craves?
The process of building Lightwire Theater’s electroluminescent characters starts with the creators and the cast. They build everything themselves from the ground up, with each sculpture taking nearly 200 hours of intensive labor. The foundation begins with a base that includes triggers and armatures. They utilize recyclable materials including aluminum rods, election signs, skate board wheels, dryer ducting, plumbing supplies, PVC pipes, fishing poles, duct tape, zip ties and back packs to help define peaks and angles. These common household items help create durable and pliable sculptures that can withstand the movement of the dancers and multiple performances. Black fabric is added to the sculpture for dimension and then lined with electroluminescent wire known as “el wire” which is soldered everywhere the wire is connected. Unlike black lights, “el wire” can be powered by batteries, requires no theatrical lighting and gives a 360-degree of glowing light. Once the character is “turned on” it can use up to 16 AA or rechargeable batteries per performance. The result…anything your inner-child can dream of including 16-ft. tall birds, dinosaurs, ducks, soldiers, swords and more! Tickets are: $10, $18 and $23

The Glenn Miller Orchestra – Tuesday, April 19 @ 7:30pm
The most popular and sought after big band in the world today for both concert and swing dance engagements is the Glenn Miller Orchestra. With its unique jazz sound, the Glenn Miller Orchestra is considered to be one of the greatest bands of all time. The present Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year all around the world.
Of course, all of the biggest hits are included in a regular program. But so are arrangements of less well-known tunes like The White Cliffs of Dover, Rainbow Rhapsody, Everybody Loves My Baby, and That’s Sabotage. The Miller library features contributions from many fine arrangers including Bill Finegan, Jerry Gray, Billy May, Mort Lindsay, Deane Kinkaide, Joe Cribari, and Dave Wolpe. They have added such numbers as Over the Rainbow, September Morn, The Body Electric from the T.V. series Fame, Up Where We Belong, from the hit movie, An Officer and a Gentleman, and Star Wars/War of The Stars.
The Glenn Miller Orchestra has always been very musical, disciplined, and visually entertaining. And it has its own distinctive “sound.”
That sound is created by the clarinet holding the melodic line, doubled or coupled with the tenor sax playing the same notes; and the harmonies produced by three other saxophones, while growling trombones and wailing trumpets add their oo-ahs. Tickets are: $19, $34 and $44
“A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality.” – Glenn Miller