The Bushnell Announces 2009-2010 Bushnell Children's Theatre Season
Bushnell Children’s Theatre provides educational entertainment for kids Pre-K through high school.
July 20, 2009 – HARTFORD, CT – The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts has a lot of fun entertainment for kids of all ages in store for the 2009-2010 season! This year, even more than before, special attention was paid to providing a wide range of programming – from young children on through teenagers. Please see the event descriptions below for more information about what is available.
For information about tickets please call The Bushnell’s Group Sales Department at 860-987-5959 or send an email to groups@bushnell.org. Bushnell Children’s Theatre is sponsored by Dominion Resources and People’s United Community Foundation.
Letters Home
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
10:30 a.m. (Bushnell Children’s Theatre)
7:00 p.m. (Robinson & Cole Family Series)
Belding Theater
War letters are, by their nature, intensely emotional, heartfelt and honest. While making no political statement, this eloquent production reveals a poignant and powerful oral history of the American soldier currently fighting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Appropriate for: Teens 14 years of age or older
The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon
Thursday, October 15, 2009
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
One evening, four-year-old Harold decides to go for a walk. With no path on which to walk and no moon to light the way, Harold uses a purple crayon to draw the world he wants to explore. And so his adventure begins. Resourceful and brave, he joins a circus, flies to Mars, meets a king in an enchanted garden, and encounters a dragon. Based on the picture books by Crockett Johnson.
Appropriate for: Pre-K through Grade 3
Curriculum connections: Literature, visual arts, creative writing as storytelling with a focus on imagination, creativity, problem-solving
Runt of the Litter
Tuesday, October 27 & Wednesday, October 28, 2009
10:30 a.m.
Belding Theater
Written and performed by Bo Eason and directed by Larry Moss, Runt of the Litter opens in the final hour of Bo's lifelong dream. Only one thing stands in his way -- his older brother. The play looks at what happens to two brothers in a family of over-achievers. When their parents assure their older son he is destined for football superstardom, and tell their younger son he is too small to compete, a line in the family sand is drawn that colors the rest of their lives. Public performances will also be held at 7:30 p.m. both evenings.
Appropriate for: The BCT performances listed above are appropriate for grades 3 through 8. A longer and more graphic version of the show will also be performed at 7:30 p.m. on both October 27 & 28. These evening performances, which are part of the Edwards Angell Palmer and Dodger Marquee Series, contain mature content and are for ages 18 and up. For more information about tickets to the evening performances visit www.bushnell.org.
Curriculum connections: character counts, family relationships, sports science
Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe
Monday, November 9, 2009
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Poe stands alone in the flickering darkness, trying desperately to convince himself that he’s not mad. Three brilliant tales spring from his troubled mind, tales that Poe himself considered among his best: The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Tell-Tale Heart.
Appropriate for: Grade 6 and up
Curriculum connections: Theater arts, language arts, social studies
Lily’s Crossing
Monday, December 7, 2009
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Based on the Patricia Reilly Giff’s Newbery Honor Book: It’s 1944. Although Lily Mollahan expected a spectacular summer at her family’s bungalow on the Atlantic Ocean, she never planned for what World War II brings right to her doorstep—a Hungarian refugee. Is Lily brave enough to forge new relationships and follow her heart?
Appropriate for: Grades 3 through 8
Curriculum connections: Family relationships, history, literature, values
Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona: The Musical
Thursday, January 28, 2010
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Based on the book by Tomie dePaola, here is a musical tale of Strega Nona, a friendly magical witch who strives to cure the ills of her tiny Italian town of Calabria. The town faces real problems when a local lug named Big Anthony sneaks a peek at Strega Nona’s magical book and uses the information for selfish means. The magical pasta pot overflows!
Appropriate for: Pre-K through grade 3
Curriculum connections: Performing arts, language arts, creative storytelling, imagination, problem-solving
The Little Engine That Could
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Powered by its well-known refrain "I think I can, I think I can," Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could is one of the greatest tales of motivation ever told. In this well-loved classic featuring songs, dance and dazzling costumes, the Little Engine overcomes seemingly impossible odds to carry a train full of toys over an imposing mountain. This entertaining, inspirational and interactive show offers a valuable lesson about the power of positive thinking.
Appropriate for: Pre-K through Grade 2
Curriculum connections: Reading, visual imagination, character counts
Most Valuable Player: Jackie Robinson
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. (Bushnell Children’s Theatre)
7:00 p.m. (Robinson & Cole Family Series)
Belding Theater
Ebbet’s Field, Brooklyn, New York, 1947. Before a crowd of 26,623 Americans, an African-American baseball player suits up in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform and takes second base. On that day, despite hisses, walkouts and even death threats, Jackie Robinson heroically breaks the “color” barrier for the National Baseball League and forever changes the world of sports!
Appropriate for: Grades 4 and up
Curriculum connections: History, character counts, civil rights
About The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
The Bushnell is Connecticut’s premier performing arts center, hosting more than 350 events yearly, including major Broadway tours, symphony orchestras, family presentations, local arts and community events. The Bushnell is home to two theaters- the historic 2,800-seat Mortensen Hall, and the 907-seat Belding Theater, a state-of-the-art performance hall that opened in 2001. The Bushnell’s nationally recognized, award-winning, arts-in-education program, PARTNERS® (Partners in Arts and Education Revitalizing Schools), now in its 17th year, is a cross-community educational effort serving 21 schools and educational organizations in 8 districts across Connecticut. The Bushnell opened in January 1930 and is a non-profit organization. For more information, call The Bushnell at (860) 987-6000, The Bushnell Box Office at (860) 987-5900 or visit our website at www.bushnell.org.
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With support from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.