Harris Theater Sets 2016-17 Family Series Performances

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance today announced the performances of its popular Exelon Family Series for the 2016-2017 season. Established in 2008, Exelon Family Series programs provide unique learning opportunities for families to experience world-class performances together at the Harris, at affordable prices. These informal, high energy performances encourage children and families to clap, cheer, and respond to what they see onstage in a judgement free environment. Family Series performances run one hour in length and are designed for children ages 4-12, taking place on Saturday afternoons at 2pm. Purchase your A Level seating subscription HERE and B Level seating subscription HERE.

To further engage families, educational materials and discussion questions are provided at each performance to deepen the experience at the Theater. Special opportunities for behind-the-scenes peeks and interactions between the audience and the artists will also be featured throughout the series including signings and meet & greets after each performance.

"At the Harris, we believe no patron is too young to be inspired - the next generation of art lovers can be created now,"

said Harris Theater President and Managing Director Michael Tiknis. "By fostering the opportunity for exposure to families, accompanied with enrichment activities and materials to deepen the experience, the Family Series is enjoyable and educational for all, and will stay with these families for years to come."

The Harris Theater is committed to promoting access to and appreciation for the performing arts for Chicago residents of all ages and communities. The theater partners with 36 health and human service agencies, schools and community organizations to provide over 1,000 underwritten tickets to family performances each season through its Access Tickets Program. This program allows children and families facing life-threatening illnesses or other challenging circumstances to experience the uplifting benefits of the performing arts. Since 2009, the Access Tickets Program has reached more than 8,000 children and families across 25 diverse Chicago neighborhoods.

Subscriptions are available now starting at $15; single performance tickets start at $10. To purchase tickets, please visit HarrisTheaterChicago.org or call 312.334.7777.

See a full listing of 2015-2016 Exelon Family Series performances below:

STREB

SEA
January 14, 2017

SEA is a product of 30 years of Action Exploration, a celebration of the power and joy that Elizabeth Streb infuses in all her work. Streb and her Action Heroes demonstrate the courage required to travel into uncharted territory with their new show, SEA -- a pure Action-Explosion. Action Magic, not with rabbits and cards, but with human bodies careening through, around, and above invented hardware. With the musical artistry of some of today's best beat producers curated by and with production from Zaire Baptiste, the SEA experience will include an interactive soundtrack. Audience members will contribute to the playlist making each show audibly unique. See some of the incredible work HERE.

Angélique Kidjo

February 4, 2017

Three-time Grammy winner and Angélique Kidjo will be performing an acoustic "storyteller" concert of world music accompanied by her long-time guitarist, Dominic James, and percussionist, Magatte Sow. Kidjo will discuss the origins of the songs, what they mean, and how they relate to significant moments in her impressive career.

Hubbard Street 2 + Manual Cinema
Mariko's Magical Mix: A Dance Adventure

May 13, 2017

It's the not-too-distant future, and the tedium of everyday life is making Mariko restless--until one day when she discovers a crate in her attic, filled with vinyl records that her mother collected. Armed only with a pair of headphones, Mariko is suddenly transported to a vibrant world of music and shadow. Far from the monotony of home, she encounters new friends, navigates inscrutable machines, and evades capture by strange creatures, allowing her to build the inner strength to confront her own demons and discover the extraordinary rhythms of her "ordinary" life. Hubbard Street 2, the acclaimed early-career ensemble of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, follows up its "confident and lovely" (The Washington Post) 2010 Kennedy Center premiere of Harold and the Purple Crayon: A Dance Adventure with the Chicago premiere of this new work devised in collaboration with Manual Cinema, Chicago's innovative company merging shadow puppetry with live performance and filmmaking techniques. Get a peek behind the scenes HERE.

••• All programs, prices, and dates are subject to change. •••

Sponsors
The Exelon Family Series was made possible by the generous support of Exelon, Series Presenting Sponsor. Additional support has been provided by Peter and Shana Ellis, Series Sponsor.

The Northern Trust Company is the Harris Theater's 2016-2017 season sponsor. United Airlines is the official airline of the Harris Theater. The Theater gratefully acknowledges the Irving Harris Foundation for its leadership support of the Presenting Fund. All performances take place on The Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage at the Harris Theater.

Harris Theater for Music and Dance

The Harris Theater's mission is to partner with a wide array of Chicago's performing arts organizations supporting their initiatives for artistic growth and development. Its continuing efforts help build infrastructure and long-term sustainability for many of its resident companies.

Opened on November 8, 2003, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance was the first multi-use performing arts venue to be built in the Chicago downtown area since 1929. Today the Theater continues to host the most diverse offerings of any venue in Chicago, featuring the city's world-renowned music and dance institutions and the Harris Theater Presents series of acclaimed national and International Artists and ensembles.

Imagine: The Campaign for Harris Theater, is a $38.8M comprehensive fundraising effort supporting the Theater's multifaceted mission. The campaign ensures the continued growth and artistic development of the Harris Theater over the next 10 years.

The Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust and Elizabeth Morse Genius Charitable Trust are the lead underwriters of fundraising for Imagine: The Campaign for Harris Theater.

The Harris maintains a strong emphasis on community engagement through unique enrichment activities and their Access Tickets Program, in which the Harris Theater partners with health and human services agencies and community organizations. View our full list of partners HERE.

To learn more about the Harris Theater, please visit HarrisTheaterChicago.org. Call the Box Office at 312.334.7777 to request a brochure or additional information.

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Chicago's state-of-the art 1,525-seat performance venue, can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.

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