'BROWN BEAR', ROCK THE PRESIDENTS and More Set for The Orpheum's 2016-17 Family Series
By: BWW News Desk Aug. 15, 2016
The Orpheum Theatre Group is proud to announce the lineup for the 2016-2017 Family Series. This season features exciting adaptations of beloved literary classics and performances that will both challenge and enlighten the entire family. The series runs October through February, with performances in both the historic Orpheum Theatre and the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education.
"The Family Series is an excellent way to introduce kids as young as three to Live Theatre and this season, we're thrilled to bring our audiences a diverse and exciting line-up of shows, including old favorites as well as brand new works," said Alice Roberts, Vice President of Programming & Education.
This six-show season brings a varied offering of live performance for every age -- from electric light wiring bringing to life two timeless tales in The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise & the Hare to a hypothetical meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. in Hattiloo Theatre's The Meeting. Venture into space with Celeste through a special sensory-friendly performance as she journeys to find connections that are out of this world. "Who in the World is Millard Fillmore?" Learn the answer and so much more from the versatile cast of Rock the Presidents as they use original pop, rock, and folk songs to examine the lives of the 44 men who have served as President of the United States.
Tickets are on sale now and available for purchase online at the official Orpheum Theatre website, www.orpheum-memphis.com, The Orpheum Box Office (901.525.3000), the ticket counter at The Booksellers at Laurelwood, and Ticketmaster (901.743.ARTS). The Orpheum Theatre is located at 203 South Main Street and the Halloran Centre is located right next door at 225 South Main Street.
Individual tickets are $15 per person. $20 VIP tickets are available for Orpheum Theatre shows. Broadway Season ticket holders can enjoy a special discounted rate of $12 per person. Group rates are also available by calling 901.529.4226 or emailing groups@orpheum-memphis.com.
The Orpheum Theatre Group's 2016-2017 Family Series:
CELESTE
October 28, 2016 6:30 PM
Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education
Recommended ages: 5+
Celeste is having a hard time at school; she can't seem to make any friends in her class, so she decides she must be from outer space. Celeste knows there is a whole world of people who are like her up in the stars, so she starts building a spaceship to bring her back to her home planet. That's when Celeste meets Martin, a new boy at school, who wants to help build the rocket, and the adventure takes a new turn. Celeste explores the world of a young girl with a big imagination and her struggle making social connections. As we see the world through her eyes, we realize that seeing things differently can be a wonderful gift.
BROWN BEAR BROWN BEAR AND OTHER TREASURED STORIES
Sponsored in part by First Tennessee Foundation ArtsFirst
November 11, 2016 6:30 PM
Orpheum Theatre
Recommended ages: 3+
First published in 1967, this classic Eric Carle story comes to life onstage with imaginative puppetry and striking scenic effects. "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See" is joined by the ever popular "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and the poignant story of a young girl's unusual quest in "Papa, Please Get the Moon For Me."
RHAPSODY IN BLACK
November 18, 2016 6:30 PM
Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education
Recommended ages: 13+
Written and performed by Leland Gantt and developed at NYC's Actors Studio by Estelle Parsons, Rhapsody in Black is a one-man show that explores LeLand's personal journey to understand and eventually transcend racism in America. We follow his spellbinding life story: from an underprivileged childhood in the ghettos of McKeesport, PA to an acting career that lands adult LeLand in situations where he is virtually the only African-American in the room. Recounted in remarkable and exquisitely moving detail, guaranteed to leave lasting impressions.
ROCK THE PRESIDENTS
February 3, 2017 6:30 PM
Orpheum Theatre
Recommended for all ages
Take a journey through the history of US Presidents told through original rock, pop, and folk music. This high octane, multimedia-filled musical revue looks at the lives of the 44 people who have held the highest elected office in America. By revealing the humanity behind these larger- than-life individuals, Rock the Presidents creates a curiosity about our executive leaders and empowers young people with the belief that they too can get involved in civic life.
HATTILOO THEATRE PRESENTS THE MEETING
February 3, 2017 6:30 PM
Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education
Recommended ages: 11+
An eloquent depiction of a hypothetical meeting between Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr., The Meeting illuminates the ongoing debate between the two most towering figures of the civil rights movement: how to achieve the same goal -- equality for their people - through very different means. King's unflappable commitment to nonviolent civil disobedience is repeatedly challenged by Malcolm's belief that only provocation and retaliation can fundamentally shake the foundations of America's racist society.
THE UGLY DUCKLING AND THE TORTOISE & THE HARE
February 24, 2017 6:30 PM
Orpheum Theatre
Recommended for all ages
Lightwire Theater and Corbian Visual Arts and Dance bring new life to a pair of classic tales, Hans Christian Andersen's "The Ugly Duckling" and Aesop's fable, "The Tortoise and The Hare." Lined with electroluminescent wire, these well-known characters continue the Corbian tradition as they illuminate the darkened stage and wind their way into audiences' hearts.
The mission of the Orpheum Theatre Group is to enhance the communities we serve by utilizing the performing arts to entertain, educate, and enlighten while preserving the historic Orpheum Theatre and the Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education. For more information, visit www.orpheum-memphis.com.
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