From Mirror staff reports

Altoona native Michael Kooman is part of a creative team for “Finn,” a Kennedy Center-commissioned children’s musical that had its world premiere Nov. 23 and runs through Dec. 22 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

From the creator of “Doc McStuffins” and “Vampirina,” this new work showcases the talents of writing duo Kooman (music) and Christopher Dimond (playwright/lyrics), in partnership with Emmy award winner Chris Nee (playwright/lyrics) and director Adrienne Campbell-Holt. Choreography is by Billy Bustamante, music direction by Nathan Beary Blustein and orchestrations by August Eriksmoen.

“Finn” chronicles the coming-of-age journey of Finn, a young shark who dreams of following in his family’s footsteps by joining the prestigious Shark Guard. As Finn faces the challenges of growing up and following his heart, the musical takes audiences on a magical journey of self-discovery, friendship, and adventure.

Filled with quirky sea creatures and catchy tunes, the cast of this underwater adventure includes Dylan Toms (Finn), Kalen Robinson (Seasil), Kara-Tameika Watkins (Auntie), Caelyn D. Williams (Aggie), Jamie Goodson (Ensemble/Lola), Ben Ribler (Ensemble/Bruce, Finn u/s) and Deimoni Brewington (Ensemble/Roscoe).

In a release, the creative team stated: “We are so excited to be premiering an original musical at the precise moment our world seems to need it most. We’re thrilled to be working with people who feel as strongly as we do that theater for young audiences should be a priority and as fully realized and entertaining as theater for adults. The Kennedy Center gave us everything we needed to be able to achieve a show that is working on all levels. This show is a joy bomb. And we can’t think of anything we’d rather be premiering right now.”

Tickets for the production are available via the Kennedy Center website, kennedy-center.org, at the box office, or by calling 202-467-4600.