The Tale of Despereaux

We are beyond thrilled to announce our next theatrical adventure will be a stage adaptation of "The Tale of Despereaux" by Kate DiCamillo.

When we first read “Despereaux”, we were enchanted by its wit and wisdom. It’s a story about the perks and pitfalls of heroism - a story that surprises its audience and reimagines the very idea of "the classic hero". It was also impossible to ignore all the stunning imagery which seemed tailor-made for our style of theatre. The book is filled with light and shadow, story and music, scale and scenery. We immediately began imagining how it might come to life on the stage: a glowing, exuberant, painterly spectacle of a musical. Since that first read we’ve continued to live under the spell of this wonderful story, and we can’t wait to share our own version of it soon. After all; the world can seem dark, but stories are light.

Thank you to all the folks at Universal Theatrical who have guided and supported us over the years it's taken to get the show ready for its first public reading.

Thank you to all the folks at The Old Globe for inviting us back into your lovely home and hosting that reading on January 14th, 2018.

Here's to spending some time together in the Kingdom of Dor.

Enjoy the holidays and stay warm.

With Love,

PigPen

A Surprise in Store...

Happy Holidays!

Tons of new merch. All available online.

Friends, we'll keep this short and sweet. The PigPen online store is NOW OPEN for business! With hundreds of products and color variations to choose from - the perfect PigPen gift is just a few clicks away. To celebrate the launch of the store and the upcoming holiday season, we're providing free shipping on all orders above $45 now through Dec 15th. We've included some of our very favorite artwork in the launch line - so let us know what you like best and what you'd like to see next!

Visit the store: https://pigpentheatreco.threadless.com

It's been an incredible year. But stay tuned! We've still got one last surprise for you before it's over. And this one is really something...

With Love,
PigPen

Witch Magic Dispatches

The 2017 Fall Tour: Cities & Dates Announced!

Artwork by: Derek Eads

We're off! And on the road again. Sharing stories with old friends. Playing concerts. Singing songs. Some you've heard. Some you've not. Sometimes it's tough to be a band. So bring your friends! Lend us a hand! Amidst our travels we met a witch, who metered rhyme in perfect pitch, we stole a tune and thus were cursed, and now must get this curse reversed! See if you promise to attend, these awful rhymes can finally end. But miss this chance to get together and we may be stuck rhyming forever...

The 2017 Fall Tour
For tickets click here.

9/27 - Center Stage - Vinyl - Atlanta, GA, US*
9/28 - The Evening Muse - Charlotte, NC, US*
9/29 - Jammin' Java - Vienna, VA, US*
9/30 - Garfield Center for the Arts - Chestertown, MD, US*
10/1 - World Cafe Live - Philadelphia, PA, US*
10/3 - Rough Trade NYC- Brooklyn, NY, US*
10/4 - BAR - New Haven - New Haven, CT, US*
10/14 - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts - Bethel, NY, US
10/17 - ONCE Somerville - Boston, MA, US*
10/18 - Daryl's House Club - Pawling, NY, US*
10/20 - The Ark - Ann Arbor - Ann Arbor, MI, US*
10/21 - Evanston SPACE - Evanston, IL, US*
10/22 - The Frequency - Madison, WI, US*
10/23 - First Avenue & 7th St Entry - Minneapolis, MI, US*
10/25 - Hi-Fi Indy - Indianapolis, IN, US*
10/26 - Rumba Cafe - Columbus, OH, US*
 
11/11 - 12/7
"The Old Man and The Old Moon"
City Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, US
 
11/20 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA, US
12/4 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA, US

*Our opener is really stunning, the one and only David Luning!

And so our plea comes to an end, please send help

With love,

PigPen

West Coast Premiere: THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON

"The Old Man and The Old Moon" makes its West Coast DEBUT!

PigPen Arrives in California!

Playing "Old Man" at The Old Globe in San Diego - now through June 18th.
Playing CONCERTS at The House of Blues San Diego - June 5th and 19th. 
and The Bootleg Theater Los Angeles  - June 21st.
Get your tickets here.

We're so thrilled to be performing our original musical folktale, "The Old Man and The Old Moon", in California for the very first time. Having played New York City (twice), Chicago, and Boston - finally performing it at The Old Globe is a dream come true! We invite you to join us for an evening of storytelling, music, and shadow puppetry that you can enjoy with the whole family.

"The playful layering of fable and campfire yarn in this new musical folk tale from PigPen is a big part of its fun, although amid the show’s gentle laughs come some wistful moments that might also send you fishing for a tissue... 'Old Man' manages to jab at the heart."  - The San Diego Union-Tribune

"The gifted young actors bring to this wholesome tale a perfect combination of original bluegrass-style music, stunning shadow puppetry, and vigorous physical comedy. It’s like watching child geniuses at play.”  - The New Yorker

“This is a story of time and tides and quests, the sort of fable on which mythologies and religions are founded.”  - Ben Brantley of The New York Times

Don't miss out on the rock club experience featuring music from our albums, other plays, and some of our favorite covers. Playing The House of Blues in San Diego on June 5th and 19th and The Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles on June 21st.

With love, 

PigPen

Photos by Jim Cox and Rafi Letzter

World Premiere: THE HUNTER AND THE BEAR

Our new show is a hit in Chicago!

"On a whole different level. Strikingly intense. Your attention, I guarantee, will not wander for a moment. PigPen has greatly matured." - Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune

There are only a handful of tickets left for certain performances.
Click here to get yours now.

Our new musical folktale, "The Hunter and The Bear", has world premiered at Writers Theatre in Chicago and we are truly blown away by the response. Thank you to every person who has supported this show on its decade long journey to the stage.  Thank you to the incredible Chicago audiences for the insightful talk backs and lobby chats. Telling this story has been one of the great privileges of our time together as a company.

The CRITICS say THE HUNTER AND THE BEAR is...

"Mining new emotional depths. Goes to admirably darker and scarier places in its storytelling. You shouldn’t miss the chance to see this." - Kris Vire, Time Out Chicago, #10 Best Play of 2016
 

"A tragic psychological thriller. An enthralling, ingeniously spun tale. This richly theatrical ballad ... easily taps into a deep vein of American life." - Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun Times
 

"Simple, superb storytelling. Honest, unvarnished performances. An emotional whimsically absorbing tale.” - Daily Herald
 

"A ghost story like no other. One of the best theatre productions of 2016. It’s really that simple.” - Buzz News Chicago

"The highlight of my theater going experience this year. This entire team of creators consists of the smartest and most innovative talent the theater world has to offer." - PerformInk

"At home within an American literary tradition stretching from Melville’s 'Moby-Dick' through Faulkner, Toni Morrison and Cormac McCarthy.” - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Truly remarkable. Moments are so spellbinding that the audience was almost too enthralled to breathe. This is an absolute must-see." - Splash Magazines
 

"A masterwork of creativity... that will chill theatergoers to the bone." - Chicago Theatre Review
 

"An engrossing work of complexly ingenious folk, mythological storytelling enriched by terrific folk music and smart staging. One of the best shows of the year!" - Chicago Critic

We could think of nothing better than to be telling a ghost story by a campfire in the dead of winter in Chicago. Enjoy the show.

With love, 

PigPen


Photos by Michael Brosilow and Lydia Fine