The Winnie the Pooh legacy was acquired by Disney in 1961, several years after the death of Stephen Slesinger, who bought the rights to the story in 1930 from the original creator A. A. Milne.  Since then, Disney has been handling all productions involving Winnie the Pooh and his friends, including films, direct-to-video productions and merchandising.

Contrary to what you’ve heard though, Winnie the Pooh is not hibernating, nor is he extinct.  In fact Winnie the Pooh was last seen in the summer of 2011 in theaters around the country.  The 2011 film was based on the original writings of A. A. Milne and produced by Pixar powerhouse John Lasseter.  All this plus John Cleese’s narration and a new rendition of the famous theme song sung by Zooey Deschanel, of all people.

However, Winnie the Pooh is not just a superstar of the small screen or the big screen–he is also a Broadway sensation!  Winnie the Pooh has been involved in theater almost since his creation, the first production produced by Sue Hastings Marionettes in 1931.  The latest production for Winnie the Pooh is by the Broadway Theatre of Pitman, and is a children’s production starring all of your famous friends like Pooh, Baby Roo, Piglet, Eeyore Owl, Rabbit and Tigger.

This production is an interactive children’s show, one that blends imagination and education.  There are many creative sets, live actors, and best of all, live music and songs.  Productions are short and last just long enough for toddler-aged children to appreciate what’s happening without becoming scared, bored or distracted.

If you grew up watching Winnie the Pooh and company, then tradition suggests you should give the same learning experiences to your own children.  Winnie the Pooh is such a peaceable and timeless story, that it has been circulated worldwide in a number of different languages.  It is also been used by numerous philosophers as a way to explain some rather complex ideas; just consider how Benjamin Hoff used the characters to explain Taoism, or how Frederick Crews used the characters to satirize philosophical analysis.

It seems as if Winnie the Pooh’s beautiful simplicity inspires children and adults alike!  Come see the event live and relive your childhood!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 28th, 2011 at 7:48 pm and is filed under Musical. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.