Once upon a time, there were three hungry Dinosaurs: Papa Dinosaur, Mama Dinosaur…and a dinosaur who happened to be visiting from Norway! That’s just the beginning of this hilarious, fractured, symphonic take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears, as retold by MO WILLEMS. This new classic is presented by favorite performers and the National Symphony Orchestra, featuring original music by indie pop icon and NSO Artistic Advisor BEN FOLDS.
Author & Director Mo Willems | Composer Ben Folds
Cast & Creative Team
Mo Willems, author, director
Ben Folds, composer
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Montego Glover, Goldilocks
Tony Yazbeck, Norwegian Dinosaur
Andrew Ross Wynn, Papa Dinosaur
Erika Rose, Mama Dinosaur
Evan Casey, narrator
Justine Icy Moral, understudy
Benjamin Lurye, understudy
Megan Alrutz, dramaturg
Erik Teague, costume designer
AJ Guban, lighting designer
Julia Singer, stage manager
Kyla S. Mermjo-Varga, assistant stage manager
The 2021–2022 season marks the National Symphony Orchestra’s 91st, and Gianandrea Noseda’s fifth as its music director. The Italian conductor serves as the Orchestra’s seventh music director, joining the NSO’s legacy of distinguished leaders. Its artistic leadership also includes Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke and Artistic Advisor Ben Folds.
Founded in 1931, the Orchestra has always been committed to artistic excellence and music education. In 1986, the National Symphony became an artistic affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, where it performs year-round. The NSO’s community engagement projects are nationally recognized, including NSO In Your Neighborhood, an annual week of approximately 50 performances in schools, churches, community centers, and other unexpected venues; Notes of Honor, which offers free performances for active, veteran, prior service, and retired members of the military and their families; and Sound Health, a collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its affiliated organizations. Career development opportunities for young musicians include the NSO Youth Fellowship Program and its tuition-free Summer Music Institute. For more information, visit nationalsymphony.org.
The National Symphony Orchestra thanks the following donors for supporting this performance:
Wells Fargo
The Kimsey Endowment
Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather
The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation
The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
This event is not presented by Strathmore.