August 25, 2005

Ahoy! Dora the Explorer sets sail

‘Dora the Explorer Live—Dora’s Pirate Adventure’ comes to Flint Center this weekend

By Jeanne Carbone Lewis
Staff Writer

From pre-schoolers to adults, everybody loves Dora. First as an award-winning TV show on Nickelodeon to franchise merchandise and now coming to a theater near you: the stage play.

The cast of “Dora the Explorer Live—Dora’s Pirate Adventure” with some of their animal friends. Photo courtesy of Jam Theatricals

“My daughter loves Dora,” said Sonia Pineda who plans to take her whole family to see the lavish production. “She has everything with Dora on it. She can’t wait to see the play.”

Dora is a 7-year-old Latina who is proud of her heritage and speaks Spanish. The born explorer is brought to life by actress and singer Danay Ferrer who also adventured to America from her native land of Cuba.

Ferrer brings Dora’s determination, intelligence and positive thinking to the stage creating a great role model for her audience, young and old alike. Dora and her friends adventure to Treasure Island and visit an imaginative, tropical world of jungles, beaches and rainforests. The youngsters meet talking squirrels, bulls, foxes and even a chicken as big as a house. And Dora’s best friend is a furry, fuzzy monkey named Boots.

Dora’s cousin, Diego, a nature and science expert, also joins her on the adventure. He is trilingual; besides English and Spanish he talks to the many animals on their journey. He’ll hoot to an owl in an emergency, can summon an eagle or an anaconda to come to their aid.

For Gip Hoppe, directing “Dora’s Pirate Adventure” was a dream come true.

“I grew up in Wisconsin and when I was eight I created a theater in my garage,” said Hoppe in a phone interview from his home in Cape Cod, Mass. “We’d do pirate plays and now I’ve actually directed one.”

Hoppe, an actor and playwright, was also the director of the first Dora tour—“The Search for the City of Lost Toys.” He has authored more than 15 plays. He is best known as the author of the amusing “Jackie: An American Life,” which questions Americans’ fascination with celebrity. He is a founding member and co-artistic director of the Wellfleet Harbor Actor’s Theatre in Massachusetts.

Dora presented a departure from such adult entertainment but Hoppe likes “to keep it interesting.”

“I have a fear of boredom,” said the 49-year-old Hoppe about his prolific career. “I liked doing Dora because it is Broadway for kids. It’s a chance to let your imagination run wild. It’s a high quality play with professional actors, singers, dancers and designers. And the parents will enjoy it as much as the kids.”

Through familiar songs and dance, Dora’s world navigates over Music Mountain, singing bridges and confronting the pirate piggies. But along the way, the audience uses their map-reading, counting, musical and Spanish language skills to help the heroine reach the treasure. It’s a rip-roaring adventure. No wonder kids and adults alike love Dora.

“Dora the Explorer Live—Dora’s Pirate Adventure” will be appearing at the Flint Center in Cupertino Saturday, Aug. 27 at 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 5 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 28 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tickets are $19 to $38 and may be purchased at the Flint Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations and online at tickmaster.com or by calling (408) 998-8497.