May 4-19, 2024
Bee Present: a musical
Book and Lyrics by Kate Swenson
Music by John Allman
Birdie the Bee is so busy micromanaging the hive that she forgot the queen's birthday. Now she's on an impossible quest to find a gift the queen has never received before. And if she fails to surprise and delight her monarch---Birdie is out of the hive forever. With the help of a distractible hummingbird, a merry meadow, some crafty crows, and the infamous Sloth Thought Collective, this overly busy bee might find more than the perfect gift, she just might learn to stop stressing and Bee Present. RUNNING TIME: 55 minutes. Perfect for children ages 5 to 9 but has a little something for everyone.
 
MEET THE CAST
Izzy Murphy is thrilled to return to SSR! Since the last time she was on the SSR stage in Freckleface Strawberry, Izzy has been involved with various theater projects throughout the Seattle area. Previous credits include Indy Jones (Seattle Public Theatre), One Horse Town (Annex Theatre), Fun Home (Ballyhoo Theatre), and The Tempest (Seattle Shakespeare Company). When not on stage, Izzy enjoys exploring the PNW, baking, and crocheting.
 
Leslie Youngblood is absolutely buzzing to bee a part of this pun new musical! She’s bee-n lucky enough to perform with SSR's Theater for Young Audiences four times before—most recently “The Runaway Bunny”. Other Seattle-area credits include "The Addams Family" with Burien Actors Theatre, "Mary Poppins" with Kitsap Forest Theater, "Godspell" with Twelfth Night Productions, and "Urinetown" and "Les Miserables" with Balagan Theater. Meow to Drew & Kit.
 
Graham Arthur Blair is absolutely buzzing to bee back at SSR! His last appearance at SSR in a show for young audiences was as Squirrelkovski, in Kate Swenson and John Allman's previous children's theater masterpiece: The Fluffy Tale of Adventure. He appeared most recently in the SSR mainstage shows Merrily We Roll Along and Sunday in the Park with George. You may have also seen him as the Snail in A Year With Frog and Toad (Twelfth Night Productions). He’d like to thank his fellow cast and crewmates for all their hard work and for being awesome. He would also like to wish much love to his family; his friends; his four-legged, furry amigos; and his partner, Val. Bee kind to every kind!
 
Miki Murray is excited to be performing in her first SSR TYA show! She has perviously been seen on the SSR stage in She Kills Monsters, The Flick, and Steel Magnolias. Like Hyacinth she is easily distracted by her love of learning and experiencing new things, which has included acting in short films, sword stage combat, Dungeons and Dragons, and reading as many books as she can make time for. 
 
Jackie Alves is delighted to take a break from prancing around her living room in order to prance around the stage at SSR! This is her third show with SecondStory Rep - previously she was seen in Starmites and Phantom Tollbooth. Other Seattle Area credits include Beauty and the Beast (Bainbridge Performing Arts), Beauty and the Beast (Kitsap Forest Theater), Little Shop of Horrors (SCC), Company (SCC), and Monstrous Regiment (Latitude Theater). She'd love to thank Kate, John, Mark, and her castmates for buzzing together and making some magic! Love to John Christopher, Mom, Dad, Susan, JT, Jenny, Marcus and Peter! 
 
MEET THE PRODUCTION TEAM
 
Kate Swenson is a writer, director, actor, and designer working throughout the Seattle area. Most recently at SSR she directed She Kills Monsters on the mainstage and wrote/directed A Fluffy Tale of Adventure with John Allman for the TYA series. Other SSR directing credits include: The Last Starfighter and Fancy Nancy. She has also appeared on stage as Berte in Boeing Boeing and as Poppy in Noises Off!  Check out Kate's other plays at www.pinkllamadrama.com (share with your favorite drama teacher!) She could not BEE more grateful for this experience, much love to the cast, John, Mark, Jen, Annie, and The Bee Team for bringing her strage little brain to the stage. And extra shout-out to her HONEY for his endless support.