Susan Oliveras Tapped for Lead in Dora The Explorer Live! Tour

Susan Oliveras Tapped for Lead in Dora The Explorer Live! Tour

Tour Will Travel to 50 Cities Nationwide in 2009

NEW YORK, Jan. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- New York actress Susan Oliveras has been tapped 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. The tour kicks off in York, PA on Jan. 27, 2009 and will hit 50 US cities, including a stop at New York City's Radio City Music Hall, April 8 to 12.

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."

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.

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.

For more information about Dora the Explorer Live!, log on to www.nickjr.com or www.broadwayacrossamerica.com. Additional tour dates to be announced soon.

ABOUT NICKELODEON

Nickelodeon Recreation is one of the leading producers of top quality theatrical and touring shows for kids and their families. Strategically leveraging Nickelodeon's hits into high quality Broadway level stage productions that tour both domestically and in international markets, the division has executive produced 14 unique multimillion dollar theatrical stage productions that have grossed in excess of $100 million in tickets sales. Nickelodeon, in its 29th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) .

ABOUT BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA

Broadway Across America: Owned and operated by British theatre producer John Gore (CEO) and led by Thomas B. McGrath (Chairman), Broadway Across America presents first-class touring Broadway musicals and plays, family productions and other live events throughout a network of 43 North American cities. Broadway Across America is also dedicated to the development and production of new and diverse live theatre for productions on Broadway, across America and throughout the world. Current and upcoming productions include the Broadway premiere of Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS, Tony Award-winners BOEING BOEING and SPAMALOT, 13 A NEW MUSICAL, WEST SIDE STORY opening on Broadway in 2009, and DORA THE EXPLORER on tour. For more information or to purchase tickets through an authorized agent go to BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com.

   Dora the Explore Live! Tour Schedule:     DATE                  CITY                     VENUE    1/27-1/28             York, PA                  Pullo Family PAC   1/31-2/1              Richmond, VA              Landmark Theater   2/3-2/4               Toledo, OH                Stranahan Theater   2/6-2/8               Providence, RI            Providence PAC   2/10-2/11             Scranton, PA              Scranton Cultural Center   2/13-2/15             Camden, NJ                Susquehanna Bank Center   2/17-2/18             Norfolk, VA               Chrysler Hall   2/20-2/22             Raleigh, NC               Progress Energy Center   2/25-3/1              Baltimore, MD             Hippodrome   3/3-3/4               Knoxville, TN             Knoxville Auditorium   3/6-3/8               Wallingford, CT           Chevrolet Theatre   3/10-3/11             New Brunswick, NJ         State Theatre   3/14-3/15             Milwaukee, WI             Milwaukee Theatre   3/17-3/18             Omaha, NE                 Orpheum Theatre   3/20-3/22             Pittsburgh, PA            Benedum Center   3/26-3/29             Chicago, IL               Chicago Theatre   4/1-4/5               Washington D.C.           Warner Theatre   4/8-4/12              New York, NY              Radio City Music Hall   4/18-4/19             Buffalo, NY               Shea's Theatre  

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: John Tellem of Tellem Worldwide, +1-310-479-6111, x2; or Thamar
Romero, +1-212-846-7491, thamar.romero@nick.com, or Joanna Roses,
+1-212-846-7326, Joanna.roses@nick.com, both of Nickelodeon

Web Site: http://www.nickjr.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment