Show changes tune when astronomers change facts

Look! Up in the sky! There are nine planets … or is it eight? Members of the Three Story Players of Ocean County College (OCC) will teach children how many planets there really are when they present the musical presentation of “The Moon and Mars and Super Stars” Jan. 5 at 1 p.m. The show will be held at the Fine Arts Center on OCC’s main campus, College Drive, Toms River.

“The Moon and Mars and Super Stars” includes a trio of stories, “Skylar Sunshine and Luna Moon,” “Timmy and the Tale of the Telescope,” and “Mother Earth and the Milky Way.” This original entertainment for children is written and directed by Beth Willetts-Brierley, who found herself in a cosmic dilemma when Pluto got the boot.

“Our show was all about the ‘nine’ planets, and we had a song called “Nine Planet Polka,” explained Willett’s-Brierley. “Well, thanks to NASA’s announcement that Pluto is no longer considered a planet, we had to change our tune, literally! We performed the show in the summer and just a few weeks later NASA made the announcement. So, I worked in a new bit to change the song and the dance,” she added.

Tickets are available for $8 each at the OCC Fine Arts Center box office. Details: (732) 255-0500.