Elmwood Park Zoo And The Centre Theater Partner To Support The Arts
Elmwood Park Zoo has partnered with the Centre Theater to produce all of the cultural exhibitions and theater productions to be hosted and performed at the historic building, located in the heart of Norristown.
The partnership was forged when the zoo played an integral role in opening the Charles L. Blockson Exhibition at the theater in 2022, and it is set to continue through 2023 and beyond, with stage musicals that include Tuck Everlasting, which debuts Friday, March 3.
“We believe this collaboration between the zoo and the theater is a crucial piece in the revitalization of Norristown,” said Al Zone, Elmwood Park Zoo’s Executive Director and CEO. “Like the zoo, the Centre Theater is a destination for guests to learn and have fun. We hope that through the zoo’s support, the theater will attract more visitors and increase support of the arts in Montgomery County.”
The Charles L. Blockson Exhibition opened at the theater in June 2022, and featured selections from Charles Blockson’s private collection of over 700,000 items and artifacts that are related to the global Black experience. The theater’s staging of Tuck Everlasting begins on March 3, with additional select dates running through March 19. Tickets are available on the theater’s website at www.thecentretheater.com.
The Greater Norristown Society for the Arts owns the Centre Theater, which has been the anchor of Norristown’s Arts Hill since 1996. Elmwood Park Zoo currently leases the theater space and runs its daily operations. The zoo has begun including the theater in various promotions and benefits it offers to its visitors, and it has plans for a shuttle service that will whisk guests from the zoo to the theater and back via a vintage trolley car.
ELMWOOD PARK ZOO PARTNERS WITH CENTRE THEATER FOR NEW PERFORMANCE SERIES
NORRISTOWN, PA – Elmwood Park Zoo is pleased to announce a new partnership with The Centre Theater in Norristown that will combine zoo visits with admission to the iconic theater’s exciting new performance series.
Centre Theater and its resident company, Theatre Non-Conforming, will kick off its new Family Series in April with a four week run of the beloved children’s classic “Pinocchio.” It will be followed in the summer by a run of “Tarzan™” (Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. & Disney, All Rights Reserved), and conclude during the holidays with Charles Dickens’ timeless “A Christmas Carol.”
“Pinocchio” performances begin April 16 and run through May 10. All shows are recommended for ages 5 and up. For guests with sensitivities to sound and light, two autism-friendly shows will be available on April 25 and April 30.
Each ticket to “Pinocchio” will also include free Single Day Membership admission to Elmwood Park Zoo. The Zoo’s Yearly Members will receive exclusive discounts to the performances.
In addition to the partnership with Centre Theater, the Zoo has purchased a vintage trolley that it plans to use to transport its guests to and from the theater for the performances throughout the year.
The trolley, a reconditioned 1980 Boyertown Trolley Bus, was purchased from American Trolley Tours in Philadelphia. The 22-seat trackless vehicle will initially travel between the Zoo and Centre Theater, with the intention of adding stops at other Norristown institutions in the near future.
“We are so excited to support the arts and the amazing work being done by Centre Theater,” said Al Zone, Elmwood Park Zoo’s Executive Director and CEO. “I think the performances that Theatre Non-Conforming are planning will be fantastic and inspiring to children and adults of all ages.”
Tickets for “Pinocchio” are on sale now at theatrenon.com/family-series.