Discover Live and Virtual Arts Experiences in Our Season for Young People

TAIKOPROJECT’s latest full-length work shatters gender stereotypes and challenges notions of femininity and masculinity in the taiko world. Channeling the Japanese goddess Benzaiten, their new concert blends percussive power and strength with consummate grace and movement. Featuring edgy and opulent new costuming by kimono couture master Sueko Oshimoto and visionary compositions by Artistic Director Masato Baba, BENZAITEN unites Japanese tradition with modern American innovation. Instruments featured are authentic taiko drums, bamboo flutes, marimba, koto (Japanese harp), voice, and the group’s 350-pound mother drum.

Run Time: 60 minutes

In this heartwarming and spectacular production of A Christmas Carol, Nashville Repertory Theatre artistic director Micah-Shane Brewer brings Charles Dickens’ classic story to life on stage. Join the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future as they lead the miserly prosperous curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge on a journey of transformation and redemption. Through these encounters, Scrooge learns the true meaning of Christmas and the importance of kindness and generosity. The production features stunning sets and costumes that transport the audience to Victorian England and the timeless story is sure to be loved by audiences of all ages.

Run Time: 165 minutes with one intermission

Discover the history and explore the stories of the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers’ original nine members in this choral performance under the direction of Dr. G. Preston Wilson. The current singers of the ensemble reflect on their roles as students and preservers of the group’s legacy during this blissful experience of beautiful storytelling through song.

Run Time: 60 minutes

This show introduces audiences to stepping through both a traditional and contemporary lens. Step Afrika! blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities; traditional African dances; and an array of contemporary dance and art forms into a cohesive, compelling artistic experience. Performances are much more than dance shows; they integrate songs, storytelling, humor, and audience participation. The blend of technique, agility, and pure energy makes each performance unique and leaves the audience with their hearts pounding.

Run Time: 60 minutes

In Walk Together Children: The 150th Anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers®, former director Dr. Paul T. Kwami and his students pay tribute to the original nine members of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who were organized as a choral ensemble in 1871 to perform and raise money to support Fisk University. As today’s singers explore the personal stories of the trailblazers who paved the way for future generations in Walk Together Children, they reflect on their roles as students and preservers of the world-renowned choral group’s rich legacy. Inviting viewers to share in their unique bond and learn the significance of the Negro Spirituals and their value in today’s culture, the film is a dual concert event celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and a call to action for the bright future ahead for Fisk University and all of Nashville.

Created in collaboration with Dr. Kwami and director Jon Royal, the film is produced by Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC).

Run Time: 55 minutes

Described as “part Mr. Wizard and part Mr. Rogers,” Doktor Kaboom uses the excitement of rocketry to present Newton’s Laws of Motion in multiple, over-the-top, demonstrations. Each of Newton’s 3 laws is clearly explained, comically demonstrated, and followed by a DIY project that students can do as a class, in groups, or individually. 3 Laws, 3 lessons, 3 projects!

Run Time: 32 minutes

It’s Jack and the Beanstalk with a modern-day twist. In this reimagined world, Jack and his mother struggle to live happily ever after. When his farm can’t feed him, his community can’t support him, and his mother can’t take care of him, Jack takes matters into his own hands. After climbing the beanstalk and stealing the giant’s goose, Jack flees home and discovers the goose’s golden eggs have a mysterious, intoxicating power that turns his world upside down. Directed by Jamie McKittrick, Metro Theater Company’s Jacked! fuses storytelling and poetry with nonstop hip-hop and break-beat music by Jackie “Jackpot” Sharp in this fresh, energetic virtual production that uses hand-drawn animation based on visuals by artist Nick Kryah.

Run Time: 40 minutes

A mischievous duo starts to doodle… and ends up creating a whole imaginative world! They invite us along on their sea adventure with a tiny little turtle. What will happen as we follow their vivid drawings into this beautiful watery world, and will they return the turtle to the sea safely? This touching and playful non-verbal show by BRUSH Theatre uses live musicians who perform the accompanying score and sound effects, stunning interactive animation projections and live whiteboard drawings, and an abundance of theatrical imagination.

Run Time: 52 minutes

Return to Horace B. Smedley School where the Smedley Tornadoes have never won a football game. In fact, they have never even scored a single point! With such a poor record and a team that is out of control, kind-hearted Miss Nelson comes to the rescue when she enlists the help of her alter ego, the ill-tempered Miss Viola Swamp, to coach the team and whip them into shape. Considered by all to be “the meanest substitute teacher in the whole world,” Coach Swamp applies her trademark discipline to the players’ training, demanding tough exercises and no back talk. In the end, the team changes their attitude, pulls together, sharpens their skills, and manages to win the biggest game of the year.

Run Time: 65 minutes

History in 50 minutes—seven actors, two feet off the ground, share 21 square feet of space and recreate the entire American fight for independence from Lexington to Yorktown. Using only the actors’ bodies, voices and (pantomimed) cannons, this production by Theater Unspeakable evokes an epic time period in American history. Combining tongue-in-cheek humor with a dash of derring-do, the American Revolution displays the company’s rowdy brand of bare-boned and imaginative physical theatre.

Run Time: 50 minutes

Millions of young people around the world have adored the multi award-winning picture book, Diary of a Wombat. Now this iconic work, written by Australian Children’s Laureate (2014 – 2015) Jackie French and illustrated by Bruce Whatley, comes to the stage. Meet Mothball, the naughtiest wombat in Australia. Bored with her daily routine, Mothball goes in search of shelter and food, creating chaos in the lives of the humans around her. Doormats, trash bins, and washing lines are no match for this mischievous marsupial. Between a packed schedule of scratching, sleeping, and eating, Mothball discovers that with a bit of persistence, humans are quite easily trained! This delightful non-verbal adaptation by Monkey Baa Theatre Company features puppetry, movement, and live cello music from a team of revered artists.

Run Time: 45 minutes