A Brief History of The Odd Potato
2005
Tony Award Winners Sing Out for Variety's Kids!
Some of Broadway's best record an all-star CD of The Odd Potato. Variety, Tent 8 of Greater Kansas City takes the lead with hope that all 52 Tents (chapters) of the vast organization will one day benefit from the sale of the album, continuing to invest in the health and welfare of special needs children.
2003
Broadway Sings The Odd Potato, an All-Star concert, debuts in NYC.
Directed & choreographed by two-time Tony Award nominee Randy Skinner (42nd Street), the all-star concert production stars Batman's Frank Gorshin, The Facts of Life's Charlotte Rae, Tony Award Winner Debbie Gravitte, Tony Award nominee Mark Jacoby, and Grammy Award winner BJ Crosby.
A special presentation at The Dramatists Guild introduces the Greater New York Jewish Leadership to The Odd Potato as an annual tradition for Hanukkah. The musical reading stars Tony Award Winners Lillias White and Debbie Gravitte.
2002
The Gallery Players of Columbus, OH produce The Odd Potato. Community productions are also staged in cities around the United States, including Atlanta, Boca Raton, Cleveland, Dayton, Hartford, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Los Gatos, Norfolk, Omaha, Orlando, Phoenix, Providence, St. Louis, Seattle, and West Orange.
2000
The Odd Potato coloring book makes its debut!
Using the original picture book story, The Odd Potato coloring book is sold at performances of the stage musical, in Jewish book fairs, and in stores around the country, including Hallmark's Crayola Store in Kansas City's Crown Center.
For the third consecutive year (1998, 1999, & 2000) the National Council of Jewish Women of Greater Kansas City sponsors a professional production of the musical that tours to more than 10,000 students in Kansas and Missouri.
The Manhattan Theater Company produces The Odd Potato at New York City's Jewish Heritage Museum, and Theatre for Young America produces the show on the City Stage at Kansas City's Union Station.
1998
Hallmark creates The Odd Potato Hanukkah card.
The Tree of Life Division of Hallmark Cards, Inc. creates a Hanukkah card based on the lyrics of "The Dreidel Song" and includes a synopsis of the story on the back of the card.
The Manhattan Theatre Company produces the show at the Brooklyn Children's Museum, and Kansas City's Quality Hill Playhouse produces The Odd Potato at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, sponsored by the Hall Family Foundation of Hallmark Cards.
1996
The Manhattan Theatre Company produces The Odd Potato at The Jewish Museum in New York City, and the Dorset Playhouse presents the show in Vermont.
1994
The Odd Potato makes its professional stage debut!
Nine Pines Productions stages the professional debut of The Odd Potato featuring Jamie-Lynn Sigler (who later became "Meadow" on The Sopranos) as "Rachel" in New York City at the Merkin Concert Hall.
1992 - 1993
The Odd Potato is the featured Hanukkah story on Canadian Public Radio.
1990
The Odd Potato receives an Emmy Award!
The WGN Television adaptation of The Odd Potato receives an Emmy Award as "Best Children's Special" for Chicago Programming.
1989
Super Cable Station WGN produces the television adaptation of The Odd Potato, which is aired annually.
1988
The Odd Potato is adapted for The Magic Door, a children's television series on WBBM-TV, the Chicago CBS television affiliate.
1986
The Odd Potato is first produced onstage.
The first of many community productions of The Odd Potato debuts on stages in Hartford, St. Louis, and Seattle.
1985
The Odd Potato is reprinted in Instructor Magazine.
1984
The Odd Potato is first published.
Kar-Ben Copies publishes The Odd Potato, a picture storybook for young people. The book remains in print for 12 years and can be found in libraries around the world.
