Susan Oliveras to Star in Dora The Explorer Live! Comes to Providence February 6-8

New York actress Susan Oliveras has been chosen to portray the world's most famous Latina explorer -- Dora the Explorer -- in the upcoming tour of DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE! SEARCH FOR THE CITY OF LOST TOYS, coming to the Providence Performing Arts Center from February 6 - 8, 2009.

DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE! SEARCH FOR THE CITY OF LOST TOYS performance times are as follows: Friday, February 6, at 7P; Saturday, February 7 at 11A, 2P, & 5P; and Sunday, February 8 at 11A, 2P, & 5P. Ticket in all seating locations for the Friday, February 6 performance at 7P are all $21; prices for all other performances are $40, $28, $19, and $13-all ticket prices include a $3 per ticket restoration charge. Tickets may be purchased by visiting the PPAC Box Office at 220 Weybosset St. in downtown Providence, or by calling (401) 421-ARTS, Monday - Friday 10A - 5P and Saturday, 10A - 2P. Patrons may also visit www.ppacri.org to purchase tickets any time. Discounted admission is available for groups of 10 or more; for more information, contact Paul Hiatt at (401) 574-3162 or via email at phiatt@ppacri.org.

Oliveras is a New York native who attended the city's renowned Fame high school, the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts. In true aspiring actress fashion, after she graduated college, she hit the open call circuit and landed in a tour of FERDINAND THE BULL before being cast as Dora.

"Dora's determination and self-confidence are important in a way that defines who she is as a person," says Oliveras. "I admire that, and it definitely speaks to me as a person. Audiences take away the fact that no matter who they are, if they believe in themselves, it will take them further than they ever imagined."

DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE! SEARCH FOR THE CITY OF LOST TOYS is a culturally-rich theatrical show for preschoolers and their families and features a captivating storyline, as well as all the characters children have come to love: Backpack, Dora's friend Boots, cousin Diego, Map, Swiper the Fox and Tico and Benny. Each step of the gang's journey consists of a problem or puzzle that Dora and the audience must solve together in order to move on to the next challenge.

An international phenomenon, Dora the Explorer is syndicated to TV broadcasters in 125 markets and translated into 24 languages; Dora the Explorer is one of the top rated preschool shows in nearly every major television market around the world across broadcast and cable. Since launching in 2001, DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE! productions have been hugely successful with record-breaking attendance across hundreds of markets in the USA, the United Kingdom, France, Israel, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

For more information about DORA THE EXPLORER LIVE! SEARCH FOR THE CITY OF LOST TOYS, log on to www.nickjr.com or www.broadwayacrossamerica.com.

Photo by Joan Marcus