Kennedy Center Announces 2021-2022 Season for Performances for Young Audiences

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts has announced its 2021 - 2022 Performances for Young Audiences season with eight world premiere Kennedy Center commissions and co-commissions. In honor of the Center's 50th Anniversary, the upcoming season celebrates how the arts extend an invitation to share characters, experiences, and wonder across-and despite-differences, with exciting works that encourage audiences to grow, learn, and explore together.

The Kennedy Center's new Education Artist-in-Residence, Jacqueline Woodson, and her award-winning books have connected people, art, and stories for decades. Winner of many Newbery Honors, National Book Awards, Coretta Scott King Awards, the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, and the MacArthur "Genius" Grant, Woodson embarks on a residency that will feature both on and off stage programming across genres and spaces, including two of her acclaimed works adapted for the stage. The Newbery Honor-winning Show Way, about a tradition passed down by the women in Woodson's family, comes to the stage as a moving "book in concert" with music and lyrics by Tyrone L. Robinson and direction by Schele Williams. The Other Side, a tale of two girls who begin a friendship across the fence separating their segregated town, comes alive in a staged co-commission with HopeBoykinDance. Then in June of 2022, Woodson will collaborate with Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz, Jason Moran, on Summer Picnic, an all-ages event at the REACH to kick off the summer with live music, shared stories, conversation, and more.

"Aside from the absolute joy of seeing the works of friends like Kwame, Mo and Elizabeth come to life on stage, it's been so much fun reimagining my own books in other forms," said Woodson. "As I begin working with dancers, singers, projectionists and musicians to reshape my narratives, I have to say I'm beyond excited for what is coming."

"I have the great fortune of being a long-time fan and friend of Jackie Woodson." stated current Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems. "Her work inspires both audiences and creators to be more authentic, more thoughtful, and more joyful. Jackie's residency will reverberate well beyond the halls of the Kennedy Center and the REACH."

Education Artist-in-Residence since 2019, Willems wraps up his residency in celebrating the Center's 50th Anniversary, working with select local community groups on October 9, 2021 to create a large-scale public art "playscape" on the REACH Plaza that will remain installed for a significant portion of the season. We Are All Connected, consisting of interconnected colored dots and lines showing how we are all connected in unexpected ways, will be paired with live music, activities, and more. Commented Willems, "I wanted to end my Artist-in-Residency with a house party for everyone. We Are All Connected is predicated on the simple fact that we are all connected and the singular hope that those connections can be healthier, happier, and more empathetic. Also, party."

In the spring, Willems and illustrator Amber Ren's Because, a moving tale of chance, discovery, persistence, and magic, chronicling a young girl's journey to center stage, comes to life in a National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) world premiere Family Concert with a score by acclaimed composer and violinist Jessie Montgomery. Additionally, The Helen Hayes Award-winning Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical!), which premiered at the Kennedy Center in 2019, will go on tour across America beginning January 2022.

More out of this world theatrical premieres will delight audiences of all ages in a season that kicks-off in September with the world premiere Kennedy Center co-commission stage adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's thrilling sequel to A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, brought to life by playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger and director Nicole A. Watson. The Kennedy Center world premiere commission that inspired the recent book of the same title, Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume by Newbery Medalist Kwame Alexander, New York Times bestselling author Mary Rand Hess, and celebrated composer Randy Preston, brings a young girl from the city together with a jazz loving rooster for a barnyard benefit concert to help save a farm from being sold. Based on a collection of folkloric poems by New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo, Beastgirl, the final Kennedy Center world premiere commission by playwright C. Quintana and composer Janelle Lawrence, explores the mythological and geographic adventures of three first generation American sisters.

The NSO will take families on further exciting musical adventures beginning with Sleepover at the Museum, a National Symphony Orchestra Family Concert with music from and based on the book by Karen LeFrak that takes audiences on a scavenger hunt through the many exhibits that make any museum special. NSO assistant principal timpanist Scott Christian will explore the rhythm, magic, and storytelling possibilities of percussion instruments with I Dream of the Moon and Xavier's New Friends. In Super Cello!, a world premiere co-commission from the NSO and Teller Productions, Scottie Rowell of Atlanta's Teller Productions and NSO cellist David Teie unite to tell a fantastic story using puppets, props, and plenty of music to help a very super musician save the day. The season concludes with Philharmonia Fantastique, written by former Kennedy Center Composer-in-Residence, Mason Bates, and co-created with Academy Award® nominees Gary Rydstrom and Jim Capobianco, in which a dynamic concerto meets animated film.

More exciting performances include an exploration of the musical roots of Black and Indigenous Americans with Washington, D.C. native, singer, banjoist, and fiddler Jake Blount, "Sweet" Cherie Mitchell-Agurs sharing the rhythm and funk of go-go music, two pieces displaying the inventiveness and creativity of Emmy Award®-winning producer and accomplished musician Pierce Freelon, and a concert by renowned master of the guzheng-the 21-string Chinese zither-Wu Fei.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kennedy Center has invited young people on "Virtual Field Trips"-virtual performances that can be enjoyed from home-which will continue into the new season as acclaimed jazz musicians Riza Printup (harp) and Marcus Printup (trumpet) present I Have a Song Inside My Heart, empowering young people in self-expression through jazz. Additional programs, in September and early October will also be filmed and made available as virtual offerings for school groups.

Throughout the season, families are invited to explore the artistic process more deeply through education and engagement resources such as creative conversations with the artists following select performances and hands-on activities at the Moonshot Studio at the REACH.

To ensure patrons' health and security, as well as the safety of performers and staff, beginning September 1, 2021, the Kennedy Center is requiring proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 to attend all indoor performances and events at the Center. Children under 12 years of age and patrons with a medical condition or a closely-held religious belief that prevents vaccination must provide proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test to attend an indoor performance. Masks are required at all times for all patrons and visitors regardless of vaccination status in all indoor spaces at the Center. For further details, please see here.

A Wind in the Door

September 2-11, 2021 in the Family Theater

One of literature's favorite heroines, Meg Murry, is back to join forces with her brother Charles Wallace and friend Calvin O'Keefe for a fantastical adventure. Playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger and director Nicole A. Watson bring the exciting sequel to Madeleine L'Engle's beloved book A Wrinkle in Time to the stage. When an extraterrestrial creature recruits the trio to fight an evil force, they'll travel across a galaxy-and through the cells of a human body-to stop it. This thrilling sci-fi story reveals that love and kindness are the best antidotes to evil. A Wind in the Door will be captured and distributed virtually later in the fall for school audiences.

We Are All Connected

October 9, 2021 on the REACH Plaza

Ongoing after the 9th

As part of the Center's 50th Anniversary season celebration, Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems will work with local community to create a "playscape" on the REACH Plaza! This exciting public art piece is inspired by one of Willems' abstract works of dots and lines and will show how we're all connected in unexpected ways. More details will be released closer to the event.

Jake Blount

October 17, 2021 in the Family Theater

Washington, D.C.-native Jake Blount fell in love with the banjo a decade ago after stumbling upon a performance in an Ethiopian restaurant on D.C.'s U Street. Now, the banjoist, fiddler, singer, and scholar is a specialist in the folk traditions of Black and indigenous Americans-and a recipient of the prestigious Steve Martin Banjo Prize. Blount blends his "charismatic and limber" voice (The Guardian) with blues, bluegrass, and spirituals for an awe-inspiring musical experience. Virtual performance options to be announced later.

NSO Family Concert: Sleepover at the Museum

October 31, 2021 in the Concert Hall

The Museum of Natural History is Mason's favorite place to visit and he can't wait to celebrate his birthday with a sleepover there, but first he has to scout for the best place to spend the night. Audiences are invited to join Mason and his friends for a musical and scientific scavenger hunt through the many exhibits that make any museum special in this concert based on the book of the same name by Karen LeFrak.

Acoustic Rooster's Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume

November 18-27, 2021 in the Family Theater

In this mashup of Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band and Indigo Blume and the Garden City, New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander brings two of his beloved children's books to the stage in a world premiere Kennedy Center commission. Alexander teams up with his writing partner Mary Rand Hess and long-time musical collaborator Randy Preston to tell a story about being scared, being brave, and believing in yourself. With special guests like Duck Ellington and Ms. Dairy Parton-plus Preston appearing as Acoustic Rooster-this musical adaptation will have children (and families) dancing in their seats.

Show Way

January 27-February 20, 2022 in the Family Theater

Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson's Newbery Honor-winning book of history, love, and resilience becomes a world premiere stage adaptation with new music by Tyrone L. Robinson. This moving, lyrical account based on Woodson's own family pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters' lives-from slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches, and the fight for literacy.

I Have a Song Inside My Heart

February, 2022 Virtual Field Trip

Jazz musician, composer, arranger, and educator Riza Printup (harp) has performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Paquito D'Rivera, and Lady Gaga. She is joined by her husband, jazz artist, composer, arranger, and educator Marcus Printup (trumpet) who is also a 28-year member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Together they present I Have A Song Inside My Heart to help young audiences identify their personal truth, embrace their unique and beautiful individuality, and become empowered in self-expression through the music of Jazz.

I Dream of the Moon and Xavier's New Friends

March 5-6, 2022 in the Family Theater

Audiences will discover the range of percussion instruments through two imaginative stories featuring assistant principal timpanist of the NSO, Scott Christian. I Dream of the Moon tells the story of a young boy's journey from his own backyard to the furthest reaches of the moon in a non-verbal performance on the vibraphone with projected images of original artwork. Xavier's New Friends introduces the main percussion family instruments through Xavier the Xylophone as he searches for percussion friends to join his band. Local musicians will join Scott and other NSO percussionists to tell this story and highlight the rhythmic and melodic facets of the percussion section.

"Sweet" Cherie Mitchell-Agurs

March 11-12, 2022 in the Family Theater

"Sweet" Cherie Mitchell-Agurs presents a performance for young people and families combining high-energy concert style presentation and dynamic musicianship. Mitchell-Agurs is Music Director of the Washington D.C.'s own exciting all-female go-go group, Be'la Dona Band, and a six-time "Instrumentalist of the Year" for the Washington Area Music Association.

Pierce Freelon

March 18-20, 2022 in the Family Theater

Emmy Award®-winning producer and accomplished musician Pierce Freelon brings two projects to the Kennedy Center displaying his inventiveness and creativity. Following his critically acclaimed debut children's album D.a.D. in 2020, Pierce's 2021 Black to the Future features elements of Afrofuturism, Black history, and archival voices to touch on imagination, arts, science, and technology through a Black lens. Pierce is joined by his mother, jazz singer and six-time Grammy Award® nominee Nnenna Freelon. Then in a vibrant performance adapted from the musical animated series that premiered on PBS in 2020, The History of White People in America examines how skin color has come to define race in our country, capturing the truth of what it means to be American.

NSO Family Concert: Because

March 20, 2022 in the Concert Hall

Because Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems wrote a powerful story of how chance, discovery, and persistence changed the life of a young girl, he needed an illustrator to bring it to life. Because illustrator Amber Ren related to the hero of the story, she created magical illustrations. Because the book moved them, the NSO wanted to turn it into an orchestral piece. Because cclaimed composer, violinist, and recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation Jessie Montgomery was also changed by music as a young person, she composed the score.

Beastgirl

April 7-22, 2022 in Studio K at the REACH

In this exciting world premiere for young adults based on the work from New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo, playwright C. Quintana and composer Janelle Lawrence bring this collection of folkloric poems to the stage with live music. The play explores the mythological and geographic adventures of three first generation American sisters. From the border in the Dominican Republic to an apartment rooftop in New York City, Beastgirl considers what it means to walk the world as "beastly" beings and how the myths that make us can be both blessing and birthright.

Super Cello!

April 9-10, 2022 in the Family Theater

The city is safe with the help of a unique cellist: professional musician by day, superhero by night. Scottie Rowell of Atlanta's Teller Productions and NSO cellist David Teie unite to tell a fantastic story using puppets, props, and plenty of music to help a very super musician save the day.

The Other Side

April 21-30 in the Family Theater

Clover's mom says it isn't safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But when the two girls strike up a friendship, they'll find a clever way to get around the grown-up rules together. Twenty years after its first publication, Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson's simple yet powerful book The Other Side comes to life with movement from choreographer and Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor for Dance Education Hope Boykin.

Wu Fei

April 30, 2022 in Studio K at the REACH

Wu Fei is a renowned master of the guzheng, the 21-string Chinese zither. She plays in the guzheng's language-almost 2,000 years old-by mixing Western classical and Chinese traditions with a contemporary sound. The classically trained composer and vocalist has taken her music around the world to venues such as the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and New York's MoMA, and collaborated with renowned artists across disciplines and genres.

NSO Family Concert: Philharmonia Fantastique

May 15, 2022 in the Concert Hall

Dynamic concerto meets animated film in Philharmonia Fantastique. Through a mesmerizing hybrid of animated and live action filming, follow a magical Sprite as it embarks on a musical journey through the inner workings of an orchestra. Violin strings vibrate, brass valves slice air, and drum heads resonate like you've never seen before-all set to live music from members of the National Symphony Orchestra. By the film's end, the orchestra comes together in a spectacular finale. Philharmonia Fantastique was written by former Kennedy Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates, and co-created with the Academy Award®-nominated team of director/writer Gary Rydstrom and animator Jim Capobianco.

Summer Picnic: Hosted by Jason Moran and Jacqueline Woodson

June 5, 2022 at the REACH

Even though summer isn't quite here yet, let's break bread together and kick it off with live music, shared stories, conversation, and more....

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