Nickelodeon sensation takes on the stage

Dora Explores Pittsburgh

May 12-16 7pm

Tickets (412) 456-6666

She’s 7, sassy and quite… Dora Explores Pittsburgh

May 12-16 7pm

Tickets (412) 456-6666

She’s 7, sassy and quite the charmer. With a curious personality, latte-colored skin and huge brown eyes, Dora, the Latina heroine stars in “The Search for the City of the Lost Toys.” In this show, Dora has lost her favorite teddy bear and goes on a quest to find it.

Dora is a superhero, exploring and solving puzzles with her sidekicks, Boots and Swiper. And she is not only able to solve mysteries. Dora is bilingual and multi-cultural, and she sings Spanish and English melodies that are lovely to the ear and warm to the heart.

“Dora the Explorer” made its debut in August 2000 on Nickelodeon. The show became a hit, featuring bilingual sing-a-long songs for the preschool age group. Dora became an educational tool, showing youngsters how English and Spanish traits blend together. It introduced a confident young girl, Dora, who was eager to explore her interesting heritage and learn more about herself. As a Latina heroine with a lot of spunk, Dora went from the children’s network Nickelodeon to a theater, traveling across the United States this spring.

Visually, the stage mimics the television show with its computer screen, bold lights and technological advancements that bring the animals and characters to life.

“Characters look exactly like the ones on TV,” says Christina Bianco, who plays Dora. “If I didn’t look exactly like Dora, even down to the clothes — pink top, orange shorts, yellow bracelet and socks — the kids would notice. And our songs are the same as the ones on the television show, too. The kids just get up and sing along.”

As Dora continues to search for her teddy bear, she gets lost in her travels. Lost amid a jungle of vines, Dora turns to the audience for help out of her dilemma.

“I ask the kids if they see the bush, for example, and they scream out the answer,” Bianco stated in a past interview.

The beauty of the Dora show is that all children — English or Spanish speaking — are able to learn something new and be proud of their customs. English speakers learn a new vocabulary, and Spanish speakers leave with a newfound pride in their Latina friend, Dora.