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A stage adaptation of a widely popular children’s show is navigating its way to Wilkes-Barre Township.
“Paw Patrol Live!: The Great Pirate Adventure” will sail into the Mohegan Sun Arena for six performances today through Sunday.
The production, like the Nick Jr. show, features beloved characters like 10-year-old Ryder and his ambitious team of rescue dogs in training.
The story line follows Ryder, along with pups Marshall, Skye and Chase as they rescue Cap’n Turbot from a cavern that has him trapped during a typical day in Adventure Bay. When they do, the team finds a pirate treasure map, and the Paw Patrol embarks on a mission to find the loot for Mayor Goodway’s Pirate Day celebration before the grumpy Mayor Humdinger finds it first.
Actress Kelsey Krull portrays pup Skye, and she said the stage production is very much based off the TV show kids see every day.
“It’s great because children get to identify with all the different pups,” Krull said. “These are their best friends, heroes they see every day, and it’s great to see their expressions when they see these characters on stage.”
Krull said the show, which take the audience on adventures with Ryder and company as well as infamous pirate Long John Larry, is full of audience participation, asking children to learn pirate dance moves and help the Paw Patrol as they hunt for hidden treasure.
“It’s not only entertaining but also educational,” Krull said. “We learn about citizenship, social skills; there’s a lot of problem solving. Marshall is pretty clumsy, so there’s a lot of work with that. We get to work as a team, not only the pups but the audience.”
The production, Krull said, is full of fun songs and exciting choreography.
“It’s really a musical,” she said. “It’s very mature in the way that these are great songs that adults will love and, of course, kids will love. Some are jazzy for adults in the audience, and there are great dance numbers.”
Also featured is a Japanese style of puppetry known traditionally as Bunraku, which allows an actor and a puppet to be viewed as a single character.
“It’s one entity to the audience,” Krull said. “Actor and costume really get to become one.”
Krull’s character, Skye, is the pilot pup among the rescue dogs.
“She’s one of the oldest pups in the Paw Patrol,” Krull said. “She gets to be a leader in a sense, along with Chase and Ryder. She’s the smallest, but she’s the spunkiest. She gets to use her special skills to help out the group. She’s also the only female pup, so it’s fun to bring her to life and give her a voice.”
Krull said each pup gets to showcase unique abilities, which shows children that, whatever their skills, they can be helpful and useful to a team.
“There are a lot of surprises,” Krull said. “I encourage kids to come and see the show live. You get to see some new characters, and some fun stuff happens.”
After each show, a meet-and-greet takes place for VIP ticket holders.
“It’s another way to hang out with your favorite pups,” Krull said.
