The Tennessee Performing Arts Center presents The Backyardigans Live! Tale of the Mighty Knights, a brand new, national touring production from Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America, as part of the TPAC Presents series. 

The Backyardigans Live! will be making a stop in Nashville on August 23-24 for five performances.

The show is based on the primetime Nickelodeon special which premiered Jan. 14 and follows Nickelodeon’s backyard friends, Uniqua and Tyrone, as they become Knights and embark on a quest to protect King Pablo’s unpredictable egg. Along the way, Grabbing Goblin Austin and Flighty Fairy Tasha join the medieval mayhem as the runaway egg hatches feet and makes an unexpected dash all the way up to Dragon Mountain. The Backyardigans will need the audience’s help to face a mighty dragon and return the egg to the king. The Backyardigans Live! will have the entire family singing, dancing and laughing along to songs of courage, friendship and the power of imagination.

“The Backyardigans Live! is perfect for the youngest of audience members, so what a wonderful way to introduce little ones to the magic of live theater at TPAC,” said Kathleen O’Brien, TPAC’s president and CEO.  “The characters they know and love on television will come to life on stage – live and in person.  The songs and the story are delightfully engaging, so much so that I think the children won’t be the only ones singing along.  The performance times are convenient for a weekend treat, so get your tickets early for the best possible seats.”

“We’re excited about our latest live theatrical endeavor for families,” said Stuart Rosenstein, Senior Vice President, Resorts and Theatricals, Nickelodeon Recreation.  “The Backyardigans has proven to be a huge hit with Nickelodeon families, and based on the enormous success of the Dora and Diego live shows, we’re confident The Backyardigans Live! will have the same fantastic response from kids and parents across the country.”

“We are incredibly proud to be partnering again with Nickelodeon on this new tour of The Backyardigans Live!,” said Jennifer Costello, Senior Vice President Theatrical - Production, Broadway Across America.  “Combining a top-notch creative team with one of the highest-rated shows on children’s programming, we are excited about producing another smash-hit with this production.”

The Backyardigans Live! includes some of the same creative team that produces The Backyardigans for Nick Jr. television, including Emmy-nominated writer, Adam Peltzman, and choreographer, Beth Bogush.  Drama Desk Award-nominated director, Lou Jacob, also has signed on to direct the production.

On Tuesday, Jan. 22, Nickelodeon and Sony BMG released the ultimate playtime playlist when "The Backyardigans: Born to Play" CD hit retailers nationwide.  The third CD from the hit series features 22 new tracks, with six songs from “Tale of the Mighty Knights” including Adam Pascal performing the Zepellinesque rock-opera ballad “Not an Egg.”  The CD will also be available digitally on iTunes, with a special deluxe-edition that includes four bonus exclusive tracks and a digital folder. Additionally, beginning Feb. 26, "The Backyardigans Tale of the Mighty Knights" one-hour television movie will be available on DVD at retailers nationwide.  

Since its debut on Nickelodeon’s preschool weekday lineup, The Backyardigans has become the number-two-rated preschool show on all of commercial TV among the target audience of preschoolers.  

Nickelodeon and Broadway Across America’s most recent project, Go, Diego, Go Live! The Great Jaguar Rescue, has sold more than 600,000 tickets and has set the bar for touring family shows as the top-grossing touring family show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.  Go, Diego, Go! Live will travel to 40 markets across the U.S. and Canada in 2008.  For more information, visit www.nickjr.com.

Tickets for The Backyardigans Live! range from $20 to $40, depending on performance time and seat location.  For tickets, visit www.tpac.org, the TPAC Box Office (Downtown or at Davis-Kidd Booksellers in The Mall at Green Hills), or any Ticketmaster outlet.  Tickets may also be purchased by calling Ticketmaster at 615/255- 2787.  Group discounts for 20 or more are available by calling (615)782-4060.   

The Backyardigans Live! is part of the TPAC Presents series.  Institutional sponsors for TPAC include American Airlines and Coca-Cola.  Bank of America and Nissan are Sustaining Partners for TPAC.