The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 1pm & 5pm
Presented by The City of Irvine and Irvine Barclay Theatre
This performance is presented without an intermission.
The Magic School Bus and associated logos are trademarks and/or registered marks of Scholastic Inc.
A TheaterWorksUSA Production
Music and Lyrics by Matthew Lee Robinson
Book by Marshall Pailet
Original Direction and Choreography by Connor Gallagher
Scenic Design by Jason Sherwood
Costume Design by Sarah Cubbage
Orchestrations by Frank Galgano & Matt Castle
Kendall Jennings: Stage Manager
Andrew Coopman: Tour Director/ Choreographer (They/He+)
Bruce Degen: Illustrator, The Magic School Bus
Joanna Cole: Author, The Magic School Bus
Back on The Magic School Bus ....... Company
Blast Off ................. Ms. Frizzle, Company
Working Time (Mercury) ...........Students
Lost in Space! ...................Students
Take the Heat (Venus)..............Arnold, Janet, Company
Lost in Space! #2 .................Students
Isn’t it Lovely? (Earth).................Ralphie, Company
Know it When I See It (Mars)............Wanda, Carlos, Company
Lost in Space! Fakeout ....................Students
Flying Through the Asteroid Belt .................Epic Underscore
Lost in Space! #3 ...................Students
Pull Together (Outer Planets) ...................Ralphie, Company
Blast Off Reprise! ..................Ms. Frizzle, Company
Back on The Magic School Bus Reprise (Bows) .....Company
When the class gets lost on the way to the planetarium, Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic interplanetary field trip! But when rivalries both old and new threaten to tear the students apart, our young heroes must learn to pull together or risk getting forever lost in the solar system. Hop on the Magic School Bus for a ride in this new musical adaptation based on the original book series published by Scholastic.
Millions of young people grew up loving The Magic School Bus. What child doesn’t dream of having a teacher like Ms. Frizzle? Marshall Pailet, who wrote the script, was also a super-fan of the books and the television series and couldn’t wait to adapt one of the books for the stage. He knew each plot and each character inside and out, and could quote dialogue from every episode! His collaborator Matthew Lee Robinson, an Australian composer/lyricist, was also a fan of this bestselling series. As you can imagine, bringing the book to life presented many challenges, but one of the biggest was creating a new Magic School Bus theme song to replace the series’ iconic theme song. We hope the musical will inspire you to go on your own science adventure!
Enjoy the show,
Barbara Pasternack, Artistic Director
NATE FRISON (Arnold) is so excited to be making his national tour debut as Arnold! He is a recent grad of Kent State University with a BFA in Musical Theatre and a minor in dance. Favorite credits include Prince Herbert in Spamalot (Woodstock Playhouse), Buddy U/S in Elf (Weathervane Playhouse), and Fyedka U/S in Fiddler on the Roof (Porthouse Theatre), among others. Nate wants to thank his friends, family, and past teachers for supporting his theatrical endeavors. @natefrison
CHRISTIAN CORDOVA (Carlos) born and raised in Elizabeth, NJ, earned his BFA in Theatre Performance at the Kean University Theatre Conservatory. Chris’s credits include Godspell (John/Judas), Into the Woods (Jack), The Tempest (Sebastian), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Chuck / Spokesman / Dave/ ensemble), Sister Act (Ernie / Fantasy Dancer), and Sunday in the Park with George (Man with Horn / Photographer #2). In 2021, he collaborated with New Plays for Young Audiences at New York University Steinhardt in developing Keys: A New Musical (Narrator). Christian can’t wait to get lost in the solar system with you! @christiancord0va
ALEXIS GARDINER (Janet) Alexis is excited to be exploring the country on her first national tour! Favorite credits include TheaterWorks Hartford (Fun Home), Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Musicals, and you can find her performing jazzy renditions of pop songs in cabaret spaces across NYC. Love to her parents, friends, and Dan, and big thanks to the incredible team at TheaterWorksUSA! @alexisjgardiner
OLIVIA BRICE (Ms. Frizzle) is a performer from Bellingham, WA, who has been involved in theatre since childhood. She pursued classical vocal training and earned a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College, while continuing to participate in musical theatre workshops and productions. Olivia recently completed her Master’s degree in Voice at the Boston Conservatory, focusing on contemporary opera. With experience as a soloist, ensemble member, and storyteller across different styles, she focuses on comedic roles that allow her to bring energy and character to the stage. She is thrilled to make her debut with TheaterWorksUSA in The Magic School Bus.
TIMOTHY JACOB BROWN (Ralphie) is a NYC based performer, writer, lyricist, and a graduate of Boston Conservatory (BFA Musical Theater) who loves to expand his artistic world. After many small film credits and original shows in NYC, visiting the North Pole in the Polar Express (Rail Events Productions), and touring internationally in Italy (Bell Beyond, Italian Branch), Timothy is thrilled to bring his career to the cosmos with The Magic School Bus! Thank you to TheaterWorksUSA for this opportunity. Up next, he will continue sound-engineering/producing, songwriting, acting of course, and his own musical,“Where the Sun Sets.”
YUMEKO STERN (Wanda) is excited to make her TheaterWorksUSA tour debut in the role of Wanda in The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System! Yumeko recently received her BM in Vocal Performance Musical Theatre from NYU Steinhardt. Previous credits include Carrie Pipperidge in Carousel (Ohio Light Opera), Marcy Park in 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Lucy in Heartbreakers in Hell: A Staged Workshop (NYU Steinhardt), and Sheila Franklin in Hair (Hawaii Performing Arts Festival). Gratitude to About Artists Agency, Justin John Moniz, and TheaterWorksUSA!
KENDALL JENNINGS (Stage Manager) is thrilled to be making her tour stage management debut with TheaterWorksUSA on The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System. A passionate advocate for arts education and live theatre, Kendall is excited to bring this beloved story to audiences across the country. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with such a talented team and looks forward to the adventure ahead. Her recent stage management credits include The Wizard of Oz with Ramsey Theatre Company, as well as Frozen, The Addams Family, and White Christmas with Gateway Playhouse in Long Island.
ANDREW COOPMAN (Tour Direction & Choreography) (they/he+) is thrilled to be returning to TWUSA again! A Directors Project FutureNow Directing Fellowship alumnus and current Drama League Artistic Associate, their work as a director and choreographer has been seen on stages in Chicago, Dallas, Milwaukee, Ithaca, New York City, and more. Credits include: The Apollo of Bellac (Hangar Theatre), Cinderella Eats Rice & Beats (Hangar Theatre), Head Over Heels (Lakewood Playhouse), Bryony Lavery’s Frozen: A Play (Cabaret Theater), Body Awareness (Jones Playhouse), The Wizard of Oz (Tacoma Little Theater), Little Women (Seattle Musical Theater), Cinderella (Village Theatre), Orfeo y Euridice (Seattle Opera), Georgia & The Butch (World Premier, The Tank, NYC) and Alan Turing & The Queen of the Night (World Premier, Players Theater, NYC). Upcoming: HOLIDAY: An Immersive Crafternoon (Judson Memorial Theater). MFA Directing, University of Washington and MA, Educational Theatre, New York University – Steinhardt. Proud SDC member.
MATTHEW LEE ROBINSON (Music & Lyrics/ Tour Music Direction) New York based Australian composer/lyricist. Robinson is the composer/lyricist of ATLANTIS (Virginia Repertory Theatre), The Magic School Bus (TheaterWorksUSA national tour), the five-time Helpmann nominated musical Metro Street, and creator of a recently acquired DreamWorks Animation musical feature film. He has contributed songs to the Emmy-nominated television series Dance Academy, to live events for Coca-Cola, Nintendo and the Australian Open Tennis Championships, and his original works have been presented in concert at Carnegie Hall, Broadway’s Future Songbook Series, and the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Robinson is a Churchill Fellow, recipient of the Australia Council Music Fellowship, and winner of the UTAS Stephen Schwartz Songwriting Award. As Co-Founder of New York-based performing arts training company, EQ Endeavours, he has led vocal workshops for the Arthur Miller Foundation Fellows Program, Broadway Dreams, Voice Academy NYC, FOX 8 TV’s The Singing Office, and Musical Theatre programs throughout the globe.
MARSHALL PAILET (Book) loves reading, writing, and embarrassing his son. To all the teachers and parents who brought their kids to the show today: thank you for helping to keep theater alive! And to all the kids out there: if you think watching this play is cool, you should try making one!
FRANK GALGANO & MATT CASTLE (Orchestrations) are multi-faceted theater artists who are partners in creativity and partners in life. Recent projects include Madame Clicquot: A Revolutionary Musical (Studio Cast Recording), Disney The Little Mermaid and Disney Seas The Adventure (Disney Cruise Line), Scotland, Pa (Roundabout), Found (Atlantic, Philadelphia, IAMA), Into The Woods (Roundabout/Fiasco), String (Village Theatre), Chick Flick, The Musical (off-Broadway), Once Upon A Mattress (Transport Group), A Dog Story (off-Broadway), Disney Beauty And The Beast (Disney Cruise Line), The Elf On The Shelf and American Girl Live! (Mills Entertainment), Up And Away (Pittsburgh CLO), Kris Kringle (Town Hall, Proctors), The Donner Party and A Little Princess (Sacramento); and many new works for TheaterWorksUSA, Kennedy Center, and George Street Playhouse. Browse their work at brainstormtheatrics.com.
CONNOR GALLAGHER (Original Direction and Choreography) Broadway: Beetlejuice. Other: The Big Gay Jamboree (Lortel Award); Moana (Disney Live Entertainment); The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout, Astaire Award); Beauty and the Beast (Disney Dream, Brass Ring Award); Walter Paisley (La Mirada, world premiere); Found (Philadelphia Theatre Company); Elf (Kennedy Center); The Twelve (Denver Center); Tangled (Disney Magic, world premiere); and productions at The Public Theater, Shakespeare Theatre Company, ACT, Two River, Westport Country Playhouse, TheatreWorks and Northern Stage. Connor is a graduate of CCM, where in 2021 he received the Young Alumni Award, and right after college spent a year on Broadway as a dancing rug.www.connorgallagher.com @connorga
BRUCE DEGEN (Illustrator, The Magic School Bus), is a children’s literature author and illustrator, with over forty books to his credit. He is probably best known as the illustrator of THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS series of books, by Joanna Cole. He has collaborated with Nancy White Charstrom on the popular series by Jane Yolen. Degen has authored Jamberry, Daddy Is a Doodlebug, and Shirley’s Wonderful Baby. He was encouraged by an elementary school teacher to become an illustrator, and pursue his primary love for art found in children’s books. Humor is one of his key values, as expressed by a quote comparing children’s illustration to traditional fine arts: “You don’t see many people walking around a gallery are chuckling. And I realized that I wanted a chuckle.” His career has included such diverse activities as advertising design, teaching art, teaching children’s book illustration to adults, painting scenery for opera productions, and running a lithography studio in Israel. Mr. Degen currently lives in Connecticut.
JOANNA COLE (Author, The Magic School Bus), who also writes under the pseudonym B.J. Barnet, is an author of children’s books who teaches science. She is most famous as the author of THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS series of children’s books. Joanna Cole has written over 250 books ranging from her first book Cockroach to her famous series THE MAGIC SCHOOL BUS. Cole was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up in nearby East Orange. She love science as a child, and had a teacher she says was a little like Ms. Frizzle. She attended the University of Massachusetts and Indiana University before graduating from the City College of New York with a B.A. in psychology. After some graduate education courses, she spent a year as a librarian in a Brooklyn elementary school. Cole subsequently became a letters correspondent at Newsweek, and then a senior editor for Doubleday Books for Young Readers.
ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers in the U.S. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. www.actorsequity.org.
THEATERWORKSUSA (Barbara Pasternack, Producing Artistic Director; Tegan Meyer, Managing Director) has led the Theater for Young and Family Audiences movement in New York City and across North America for over half a century. TWUSA believes that access to art—and theater, in particular—is vital. Since 1967, the 501(c)3 not-for-profit has captured the imaginations of 100 million new and veteran theatergoers with an award- winning repertoire of over 140 original plays and musicals. Acclaimed alumni include Daphne Rubin-Vega (Rent), Kathleen Chalfant (Angels in America), Miguel Cervantes (Hamilton); Tony Award nominees Nell Benjamin and Laurence O'Keefe (Legally Blonde: The Musical), Robert O’Hara (Slave Play); Tony Award winners Sam Pinkleton (Oh, Mary!), Will Aronson (Maybe Happy Ending), Alex Timbers (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Tony award-winning writers, Ragtime, Once on This Island), Jerry Zaks (Guys and Dolls), Chuck Cooper (The Life); Grammy Award winner Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Disney’s Frozen); EGOT recipients Robert Lopez (Disney’s Frozen), Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land). TheaterWorksUSA is the recipient of the Lucille Lortel Special Award, Drama Desk Special Award, Medal of Honor from The Actors Fund (Entertainment Community Fund), and a variety of awards highlighting the quality productions produced throughout its history. WWW.TWUSA.ORG