ORLANDO — It would make perfect sense to most of us that if we had a choice between an experienced, licensed bus driver and a pigeon to operate our city buses, we’d all have good reason to be skeptical of the bird.

And that becomes a sad reality for the Pigeon, which becomes enamoured with the city bus as it rolls up to the bus stop that it is perched on. True, the pigeon has wings rather than hands and tiny feet that can’t reach the gas or break petals, but wasn’t the nation founded on the pursuit of ambitious, lofty dreams?

Then again, the bus driver becomes the voice of reason here: a Pigeon behind the steering wheel? Nah. Ain’t gonna happen.

Rounding out a vibrant season of both adult and children’s theater, the final 2025-2026 production at Orlando Shakes is a delightfully comical adaptation of Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus, the kind of show that our youngest (and fussiest) kids should happily enjoy, without the story feeling burdensome on the parents’ attention span. Anchored by two highly engaging performances by Will Sippel as the pigeon and Nyeshia Naomii as the bus driver, this play truly has wings.

The show is being performed now through May 9.

What is Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus?

This musical is based on the 2003 award-winning children’s picture book by Mo Willems, who also wrote the script, with new songs added by Deborah Wicks La Puma. Even though our protagonist is a pigeon, the play has a universal message about taking the time to discover what your true gifts are.

That’s a lesson our pigeon learns, but it doesn’t come easy. Bored that he does nothing more than hunt for seeds on the ground, this pigeon feels even more disadvantaged than most because it never learned to fly.

Then he notices that bus pulling up to the bus stop, and the pigeon can’t help but admire how proud that bus driver is to be handling the important task of ensuring that local folks get where they need to go. Pretty soon a businessman going to an important meeting, a little old lady eager to visit the hospital where her new granddaughter was born, and a teenage boy rushing to catch a concert are climbing into that bus.

What a great job, the pigeon thinks to itself, and offers to do the driving. Not a chance, the bus driver scoffs. Pigeons don’t drive buses! It’s unheard of!

Then calamity strikes when the bus breaks down. As the bus driver tries to fix it, the pigeon is in complete despair. With the bus no longer operational, its dreams of being the driver seem to be fading fast.

Then the bus driver, close to fixing the vehicle, realizes there is a way for that pigeon to help save the day …

And yes, it’s a charming story.

How is the Orlando Shakes Production?

The 60-minute show moves as a fast pace, there are some catchy songs that involve audience participation, and the six cast members have fun with some snappy dance moves.

But the real pleasure here is watching Sippel as that wide-eyed, always-a-dreamer pigeon, and Naomii as the proud bus driver smart enough to keep that wily pigeon at bay. The fact that she not only saves the day, but also gives the pigeon a surprise triumph, makes the show even more more appealing.

I also enjoyed the bus that Shakes created; watching it glide across the stage is a lot of fun. I could tell the kids in the audience were captivated every time the bus started moving, and their excitement was just as much fun to watch.

Where Can I See Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus?

Don’t Let The Pigeon Drive the Bus is being staged at the Orlando Shakespeare Theatre, 812 E. Rollins St. in Loch Haven Park. The show is being performed in the Margeson Theater, and is 60 minutes long with no intermission.

Call (407) 447-1700 for tickets and more information.

Michael Freeman is an Orlando journalist, playwright, and author of the book “Bloody Rabbit”. Contact him at Freelineorlando@gmail.com.