2016-2017 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

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We are proud to celebrate the 2016-2017 Season of our Beyond the Classroom program, enhancing curriculum through the arts!

Beyond the Classroom's daytime performance series features outstanding national and local performing arts companies, as well as supplemental study guides, resource materials, and outreach programming that will vividly enrich students’ classroom experiences.

The 2016/2017 Beyond the Classroom Series for Students is made possible by the Kinder Morgan Foundation, US Bank, Greater Milwaukee Foundation Mary L. Nohl Fund, Green Bay Packers Foundation, Lynn Chappy, Lynn Sprangers, and Carrie Matteson & Friends.

Ailey II
The Next Generation of Dance

October 21, 2016 @ 10 AM
The Harris Theater

This special matinee performance by one of the most dynamic dance companies in the nation, led by Troy Powell, Artistic Director, includes excerpts from the company’s repertoire in full costume and lighting. Narration provides background on Alvin Ailey and the company’s mission. The performance will end with excerpts from Ailey’s signature work, “Revelations,” considered one of the great American artworks and a profound expression of African American history.

Recommended for grades K-12.

Subjects: Dance, Social Studies (American History), Music, Multi-Cultural

Click here to download the Study Guide.

ArtsPower's production of
Chicken Dance

October 28, 2016 @ 10 AM
The Harris Theater

ArtsPower’s newest musical portrays the colorful story of Marge and Lola, two barnyard chickens on a mission to win the barnyard talent contest first prize of two tickets to see the great Elvis Poultry in concert! But first, they must present a performance that will score higher than a flock of very talented ducks who seem to have the contest locked up. Can Marge and Lola face their challengers, against all odds, and win the talent contest?

Chicken Dance has been cited with the following honors:

* 2009 National Parenting Publications Gold Award
* 2009 ABC Best Books for Children
* 2009 Book Choice for Oklahoma Celebration of Reading
* 2010 Winner of the Oklahoma Book Award
* 2010 Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
* 2010 Book Choice for Read Across Oklahoma
* 2010 Nominee for the Wyoming Library Association Best Book
* 2011 Nominee for the Grand Canyon Reader Award
* 2011 Winner of the Donna Norvell Award

Recommended for grades PreK-2.

Subjects: Page to Stage, Language Arts, Animals, Music, Literacy, Social Emotional Learning

Click here to download the Study Guide.

“Brown Bear, Brown Bear” and Other Treasured Stories by Eric Carle
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia

February 15-16, 2017 @ 10 AM & Noon
The Harris Theater

First premiered in 2011, Brown Bear, Brown Bear” and other Treasured Stories by Eric Carle brings together old favorites and new friends. Showcasing the imaginative blend of innovative puppetry and striking scenic effects, this production has won international acclaim for the Nova Scotia-based theatre. "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" joins a whimsical menagerie drawn from the pages of "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?"  The heartwarming father-and daughter quest for an unusual plaything, "Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me" offers a splendid introduction to the wonderment of the lunar cycle.

Recommended for grades PreK-2.

Subjects: Page to Stage, Visual Art, Imagination, Literacy, Animals, Science, Creativity, Author Study

Click here for Study Guide information.

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters
Holden & Arts Associates

March 28, 2017 @ 10 AM & Noon
The Harris Theater

When a great African king desires a wife, only the most perfect maidens in the land are invited to meet him. Mufaro’s pride and joy, his two daughters of very different dispositions, travel a half-day’s journey through a mystical jungle to be presented to the king. Along the way, the two girls encounter a number of extraordinary situations designed to test their kindness, compassion and strength of spirit. Told with authentic African drumming, colorful staging and powerful choreography, Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters unmasks the true meaning of beauty and celebrates the mystery and splendor of the African continent.

Recommended for grades K-6.

Subjects: Page to Stage, Multi-Cultural, Literacy, Dance, Storytelling, Social Emotional Learning, Music

Click here to download the Study Guide.

The Billy Goats Gruff
presented by Florentine Opera Company

March 29-31, 2017 @ 10 AM & Noon
Dawes Studio Theater

An after-school game of hide-and-seek is ruined for three billy goat friends when a big bully blocks a bridge, preventing them from returning home. As each goat chooses how to deal with the conflict, all three learn how compassion can turn a would-be adversary into a new friend. Based on scenes from the operas of Mozart, Donizetti, and Rossini, this operatic version of The Billy Goats Gruff performed by Florentine Opera Company reminds students that kindness is contagious, while introducing them to the beauty of opera. Educators will also have an opportunity to explore the issue of bullying with their students.

Recommended for grades PreK-3.

Subjects: Page to Stage, Music, Imagination, Literacy, Creativity, Social Emotional Learning

The Wilson Center presents Childsplay in
Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat

April 4, 2017 @ 10 AM & Noon
The Harris Theater

From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears at their door, Sally and her brother know that the Cat in the Hat is the most mischievous cat they will ever meet. Suddenly the rainy afternoon is transformed by the Cat and his antics. Will their house ever be the same? Can the kids clean up before mom comes home? With some tricks (and a fish) and Thing Two and Thing One, with the Cat in The Hat, the fun's never done!

Recommended for grades PreK-3.

Subjects: Page to Stage, Language Arts, Imagination, Literacy, Social Emotional Learning

Click here to download the Study Guide.