Greg Silverman’s Stampede To Produce Mo Willems ‘Don’t Let The Pigeon Do Storytime’ Live Comedy Special, Bobcat Goldthwait Directs

September 13, 2019

EXCLUSIVE: Entertainment media company Stampede, founded by former Warner Bros. Pictures president Greg Silverman, announced today that they are producing the live one-hour special of Mo Willems & the Storytime All-Stars present Don’t Let the Pigeon Do Storytime at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Actor-comedian-director Bobcat Goldthwait will helm the live one-of-a-kind family special that will take place in Washington, D.C. on July 13.

Best-selling author, illustrator and six-time Emmy winner Willems of Sesame Street fame is the Kennedy Center’s first ever Education Artist-In-Residence. This special marks the start of Willems’ two-year residency and will feature actors, comedians, and celebrity guests performing live readings of Willems’ work and musical numbers inspired by his world. The performances will invite audiences of all ages to laugh, sing, and draw along.

“Mo has created a world of characters which generations of children and parents alike will never forget. As a writer and artist, he personifies imagination and play. We are so excited to help bring his Kennedy Center performance to a worldwide audience of kids and families,” said Silverman.

“This awesome opportunity to jump up and down and perform my favorite stories as a sketch in a venue as grand as the Kennedy Center is a career high, and I’m excited to be partnering with Greg, Jay, and the Stampede team to make this event come to life,” said Willems.

He continued, “Embarrassment is a learned behavior and becoming the grown-up in a kid’s life is a chance to unlearn it. Hopefully, watching all the comedy, singing, and drawing will entertain everyone and help spark grown-ups to get up and perform their favorite books with the kids in their lives. Reading with your kids has a myriad of educational advantages, but mostly it’s fun!”

Stampede will have exclusive rights to produce the special which is an expanded version of sold-out performances of Willems’ work at the yearly San Francisco Sketchfest.  Stampede’s Jay Judah will produce while Presser Well will cast the special.

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