DALLAS CHILDREN'S THEATER TO PRESENT 43rd SEASON OPENER: NAKED MOLE RAT GETS DRESSED: THE ROCK EXPERIENCE
DALLAS, Texas - Nationally recognized Dallas Children’s Theater (DCT) will kick off its 2026-2027 season, "Brave Enough to Be Yourself," with Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience, directed and choreographed by Alli Betsill, with music direction by Adam Wright. Public performances will run October 3 to 18, 2026 at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts.
Based on the beloved picture book by Mo Willems, this rollicking rock musical follows Wilbur, a naked mole rat who dares to do the unthinkable in his community. He puts on clothes. As his newfound love of style shakes up life underground, Wilbur has to decide whether to shrink back to fit in or turn up the volume on being himself. Packed with electric-guitar anthems and infectious humor, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed asks audiences a simple, joyful question. If it makes you happy, then why not?
"In this production, a colony of naked mole rats steeped in tradition and uniformity grows into one of color, self-expression, and high fashion," said Betsill. "When Wilbur decides to get dressed, he steps out of 'what has always been done' and into 'what could be.' His journey, told through rock songs and naked puns, shows the colony, and the audience, that the best thing any of us can be is the truest version of ourselves."
Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience features a script and lyrics by Mo Willems and original music by Deborah Wicks La Puma. It is licensed through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). The cast includes Henri Sudy (Wilbur), Brian Gibson (Venti), Karrington Sneed (Grande), Via Rubio (Tall), Jonah Moon (Grand-Pah), Elena Rosales (Secret Service/Weather Mole), and Logan Rafanelli (Swing). The artistic team includes Leah Mazur (Scenic Designer), Adam Chamberlin (Lighting Designer), Marco Salinas (Sound Designer), and Kristina Miller (Costume Designer).
All performances will be held at the Rosewood Center for Family Arts, 5938 Skillman St., Dallas, Texas 75231.Free parking is available. Tickets start at $36 and are available for purchase at www.dct.org/show-details/naked-mole-rat-gets-dressed-the-rock-experience or by calling the box office at 214-740-0051.The box office is open 9 AM - 5 PM, Monday to Friday and weekends during performances.
ASL performance: October 11, 2026 at 4:30 PM
Sensory Friendly performance: October 3, 2026 at 1:30 PM.
Tickets for sensory friendly performances are $10 per person, general admission. The production is recommended for children ages 4 and up. For updates and more information, visit DCT on Instagram and Facebook at @dallaschildrenstheater.
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Alli Betsill is a Dallas/Fort Worth-based director, choreographer, and actor. Recent credits include: Something Rotten! (Choreographer) at Utah Shakespeare Festival; Pete the Cat (Director/Choreographer) and the World Premiere of The Pigeon Gets a Big-Time Holiday Extravaganza (Director/Choreographer) at Dallas Children’s Theater; Cabaret (Director) at University of North Texas; The Sound of Music (Assistant Director/Understudy), Clue (Assistant Director/Understudy), and Into the Woods (Associate Director) at Dallas Theater Center; Seussical (Cat in the Hat) and Charlotte’s Web (Wilbur) at Casa Manana; Manic
Monologues (Co-Choreographer/Associate Director) and Mary Poppins (Dance Captain) at Watertower Theatre; Broadway Our Way ‘24, ‘25, ‘26 (Choreographer) and Star of Wonder (Choreographer) at Uptown Players; Bright Star (Choreographer) and Sister Act (Choreographer) at Texas Christian University; A Chorus Line (Judy Turner) and Black Comedy (Carol) at Theatre Arlington; The Addams Family (Director/Choreographer), Beauty and the Beast (Associate Director/Choreographer), Legally Blonde (Associate Director/Choreographer) and Matilda (Acrobat/Dance Capt) at Firehouse Theatre; and Puffs (Sally/Others) at Imprint Theatreworks. She choreographed Six Flags' Holiday in the Park, as well as completed Frantic Assembly's TRAIN movement program. Other credits include: Circle Theatre, Amphibian Stage, Garland Summer Musicals, and Prism Movement Theatre. Alli has a BFA in Theatre with an Acting Emphasis from TCU, where she focused her honors thesis on Musical Theatre Dance and Choreography. allibetsill.com @alli.betsill
ABOUT DALLAS CHILDREN’S THEATER
Founded in 1984 by Robyn Flatt and Dennis Vincent, Dallas Children's Theater is the largest professional family theater in the Southwest. It performs for an annual audience of 150,000 young people and their families and serves as a forum for artistic collaboration, a vital educational resource for metropolitan schools, and a vehicle of enrichment for the greater Dallas community. Each season is thoughtfully curated to present plays that are engaging, enriching, and educational, drawing from original works, world premieres, literary classics, and contemporary drama. Recognized by both American Theater magazine and TIME magazine as one of the leading professional family theaters in the United States, DCT's mission is to inspire young people to cultivate creative and productive lives through the art of theater.
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