Reservations: (270) 450-4444
For more information on Class Acts, the Touring Companies, Workshops, Summer Programs or other education opportunities, please contact the Education Manager: 270.443.9932, ext. 250 or emillizer@thecarsoncenter.org

Special thanks to the Comcast Foundation ( year-round Class Acts Series partner) and to Jackson Purchase Energy Corporation (2007-08 Class Acts Series sponsor).  Their generosity helps make the Class Acts Series possible.

2007-2008 CLASS ACTS SERIES SHOWS:

The Amazing Adventures of Anna Marie SHOW DATE: Thursday, October 2, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 15, 2008 9:30 am ONLY Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades K - 4 Run Time: 60 minutes The class erupts in laughter and 12-year-old Anna Marie is mocked by her fellow students when she answers that Benjamin Franklin tied bifocals to his kite in order to discover the connection between lightning and electricity. Feeling confused and flustered, she resolves never to return to school. But everything changes when she falls asleep and her dream leads her on an adventure that includes a storm at sea, dancing crickets, a Mad Hatter's riddle-filled Tea Party, a lucky dragon, a magical doorway, and a final, revelatory encounter with Benjamin Franklin himself! A wonderful story produced by Open Dreams Ensemble. A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Literature, Science, Social Studies, Theatre Arts Show Dates: Thursday October 02, 2008 The Red Planet SHOW DATE: Thursday, October 2, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 15, 2008 11:30 am ONLY Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 5 - 8 Run Time: 60 minutes The year is 2158 and Earth's first community on Mars is three years old. Comprised of people from around the world, it is starting to thrive. Now the new "global community" is about to make history. Today, for the very first time, Studio Broadcast Mars will offer Earth a chance to see what life is like on the RED PLANET. It's an action-packed program featuring live music by the Martian colony's first band and a comedy about the adventures and misadventures of a Martian child. Things don't go as planned, so Pete Flick, head broadcaster, thinks on his feet and uses the skills and talents of his friends to discover a creative way to make this first Red Planet broadcast a roaring success! Another performance produced by Open Dream Ensemble, an outreach program of the North Carolina School of the Arts (NCSA). A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, Math Show Dates: Thursday October 02, 2008 Seussical SHOW DATE: Friday, October 24, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 26, 2008 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades K - 5 Run Time: 60 minutes "Oh, the thinks you can think!" when Dr.Seuss's best-loved stories and characters, including Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, and the Cat in the Hat, collide and cavort in an unforgettable musical caper! They hit the stage in this critically acclaimed musical adventure by Stephan Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (two Broadway veterans), adapted from the Broadway version especially for young audiences, and features 12 actors and enhanced production values. Seussical is TheatreworksUSA's biggest show ever! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Literature, Music, Language Arts Show Dates: Friday October 24, 2008 Vote! SHOW DATE: Friday, November 7, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 10, 2008 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 6 - 12 Run Time: 60 minutes Election Day 2008. 18-year-old Nicole Harrison registered to vote when she got her driver's license but has no intention of casting a ballot. Too many other things to do. Suddenly, Nicole slips back through time, back into the midst of the Revolutionary War! Battling to return to her own time, her compatriots battle for the very right she so casually dismisses. Tossed from one historical event to another, standing beside women, minorities and young people, all demanding their rights, Nicole participates in changing the face of democracy as we all learn just how many shoulders we're standing on every time we enter a voting booth. Produced by Eckerd Theatre Company. A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Civics, History, Social Studies, Theatre Arts Show Dates: Friday November 07, 2008 Pan By Storm! SHOW DATE: Thursday, November 20, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 24, 2008 10:00 am ONLY Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades K - 5 Run Time: 60 minutes The Caribbean Sound Steel Band Educational Program is intended to give students an introduction to steel drums and history of the instrument as well as the musical styles from the Caribbean. PAN BY STORM - is an educational and amusing look at the history behind steel drums beginning with the discovery of Trinidad and Tobago by Christopher Columbus in 1498 to the present. Accompanied by a storyteller, the show encounters bottle & spoon bands of the early 1900's, the Tamboo Bamboo bands, metal bands using buckets, tins, and break drums, the Pan Around The Neck steel drums from the 1950's and finally combines all of these historical elements with the modern steel drum, the instrument in use today. This exciting journey also features costumes, stage props, and a parade on stage complete with marching snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, and balloons! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Instrumental Music, World Culture, History OPTIONAL: "Meet the Artist" Workshop at 11:30 am for GT Music Students (SEE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE) Show Dates: Thursday November 20, 2008 Pan By Storm! SHOW DATE: Thursday, November 21, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 24, 2008 10:00 am ONLY Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 6 - 12 Run Time: 60 minutes The Caribbean Sound Steel Band Educational Program is intended to give students an introduction to steel drums and history of the instrument as well as the musical styles from the Caribbean. PAN BY STORM - is an educational and amusing look at the history behind steel drums beginning with the discovery of Trinidad and Tobago by Christopher Columbus in 1498 to the present. Accompanied by a storyteller, the show encounters bottle & spoon bands of the early 1900's, the Tamboo Bamboo bands, metal bands using buckets, tins, and break drums, the Pan Around The Neck steel drums from the 1950's and finally combines all of these historical elements with the modern steel drum, the instrument in use today. This exciting journey also features costumes, stage props, and a parade on stage complete with marching snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, and balloons! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Instrumental Music, World Culture, History OPTIONAL: "Life Beat" Workshop at 1:00 pm for local Elementary students (SEE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE) Show Dates: Friday November 21, 2008 Madeline and the Bad Hat SHOW DATE: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: November 3, 2008 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades P - 2 Run Time: 60 minutes An original musical based upon the much-loved book, ArtsPower captures the blithe yet touching spirit of Ludwig Bemelmans's Madeline series. It traces the adventures of a young Parisian girl who, despite starting off on the wrong foot with a mischievous new neighbor, eventually learns that first impressions aren't everything. This gently amusing tale of enemies-become-friends will charm and entertain children and adults alike! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Literature, Character Education, Language & Communication Skills, Values, Theatre Arts Show Dates: Tuesday November 25, 2008 William Shakespeare's "As You Like It" SHOW DATE: Thursday, December 4, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: November 7, 2008 10:00 am ONLY Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 8 - 12 Run Time: *90 minutes* "All the world's a stage, and the men and women merely players." The National Players, America's longest running classical touring company, presents one of Shakespeare's best loved comedies - The Forest of Arden resounds with mischief, confusion, wit, and romance! When her uncle banishes her from court, Rosalind flees to the forest where she meets an unlikely group of woodland characters - wise fools, malcontent wanderers, lovesick shepherds, and Orlando, the man she loves. In this joyful comedy, identities are revealed, brothers reconciled, harmony established, and romantic happiness triumphs! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Classic Literature, Language Arts, Theatre Show Dates: Thursday December 04, 2008 Beatrix Potter's "The Tailor of Gloucester" SHOW DATE: Thursday, December 11, 2008 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: November 14, 2008 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades K - 5 Run Time: 60 minutes Theatre IV presents one of literature's best loved holiday classics! When a poppycock mayor orders a cherry-colored coat for his Christmas wedding, the poor Tailor of Gloucester works his fingers to the bone. All goes well until the tailor realizes he lacks the piece of twisted silk needed to sew on the final button. He gives his last coin to Simpkin, his faithful pet cat, confident that he will set out into the snow to purchase the much-needed twist. But it is Christmas Eve, that one blessed night when animals are granted the gift of speech. And so, before story's end, we hear not only from Simpkin, but also from all of the mice he has trapped beneath teacups for his holiday feast - well dressed mice that have benefited for years from the tailor's elegant scraps. Natural enemies become steadfast friends, and all work together to complete a coat that leaves the bedazzled Mayor - and Simpkin and his mice - speechless for a miraculously happy ending on Christmas Day! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Classic Literature, History, Folk Tales, Music Show Dates: Thursday December 11, 2008 The Phantom Tollbooth presented by The Kennedy Center's Theatre for Young Audiences on Tour SHOW DATE: Friday, January 30, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 9, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 3 - 8 Run Time: 60 minutes Adapted from Norton Juster's beloved children's book, this inventive musical features a melodious score by Arnold Black and witty lyrics full of wordplay by Pulitzer Prize and three time Tony winner Sheldon Harnick (Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me). Even surrounded by dozens of toys, Milo is bored. Nothing interests him at all. The Demons of Ignorance are certain he will be their next victim, telling him If you get the urge to do anything - don't. It could be dangerous. To the rescue comes the Phantom Tollbooth! In this acclaimed stage version of this much beloved children's book, this is a modern tale of a boy who must save the princesses Rhyme and Reason and reunite the brother Kings who rule over the cities of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis. Aided by a trusty time-keeping dog, Tock, Milo successfully brings harmony to the Land of Wisdom and learns many things about words and numbers along his journey. Perhaps the most important lesson he takes with him, however, is that everything we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone. An enduring show by The Kennedy Center that all ages will find appealing! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Literature, Language Arts & Sciences, Musical Theatre Show Dates: Friday January 30, 2009 Interrupting Vanessa SHOW DATE: Thursday, February 5, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 13, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 2 - 5 Run Time: 60 minutes When 10-year-old Vanessa comes home from school each day, her mom seems too busy to listen to her stories. She tells Vanessa to do her homework and to clean up that junk in her room. Junk? Her beloved stuff is not junk! Vanessa retreats to her room to share knock-knock jokes with her imaginary Dad and create amazing inventions from the stuff she's collected. But today is different. Today, Vanessa's mom nvited Timmy Fibbins, the boy who throws up every day at school, to visit. No one talks to Timmy Fibbins! The start of this unlikely friendship leads Vanessa to a decision that will change her world forever. Produced by the Eckerd Theatre Company, Interrupting Vanessa takes an imaginative look at how hard it is to make a friend and how hard it is to lose one. It allows us to laugh while confronting difficult issues like bullying and the loss of a parent, and it reminds us that none of us are alone. A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Language Arts, Health, Character Education Show Dates: Thursday February 05, 2009 JazzReach: "Hangin' with the Giants" presented by JazzReach Metta Quintet SHOW DATE: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 16, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades K - 5 Run Time: 60 minutes This is a fun, high-energy multi-media program that aims to promote the inclusiveness and accessibility of Jazz while promoting the legacies and music of some of its central contributors. Staged as a late night talk show, the programs features animated likenesses of jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong, "Duke" Ellington, Miles Davis, and "Dizzy" Gillespie, as show guests along with numerous audience participation segments. A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Instrumental Music, History, Media Arts OPTIONAL: JazzReach Clinic offered at 1:00 pm to Elementary music students (SEE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE) Show Dates: Tuesday February 10, 2009 Stolen Moments-The First 100 Years of Jazz presented by JazzReach Metta Quintet SHOW DATE: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 16, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 6 - 12 Run Time: *70 minutes* This show is a thoroughly captivating multi-media program that introduces audiences to jazz music's rich history and to the names, faces and music of some of its many masters. On a broader level, Stolen Moments also highlights the interplay between the jazz movement and the evolution of American culture throughout the 20th Century, emphasizing the ways in which jazz has (1) acted as a unifying force, bridging cultural, ethnic and economic differences, (2) stimulated cultural fusions and new stylistic idioms, (3) exemplified democratic ideals, and (4) influenced other genres of music, both in the U.S. and abroad. A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Music History, American History, Media Arts OPTIONAL: JazzReach Master Class or Workshop at 1:00 pm offered to a local High School Jazz Band (SEE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE) Show Dates: Wednesday February 11, 2009 The Rainbow Fish SHOW DATE: Tuesday, February 17, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: January 23, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades P - 2 Run Time: 60 minutes With her lovely coloring and shimmering scales, the Rainbow Fish is used to being the most beautiful creature in the ocean. So when the other fish ask her for some silver scales, she refuses. How can she sacrifice the one thing that makes her so unique? Will some good advice from the wise, old Octopus persuade the Rainbow Fish to share her gifts with those around her? ArtsPower has turned Marcus Pfister's bestselling book into a delightful and touching musical about the value of sharing true friendship with others! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Literature, Communication Skills, Values, Music Show Dates: Tuesday February 17, 2009 New York Theatre Ballet: Once Upon A Ballet Series "Carnival of the Animals" & "Sleeping Beauty" SHOW DATE: Thursday, March 12, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: February 13, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 ALL AGES Run Time: 60 minutes The New York Theatre Ballet is the most widely seen chamber ballet company in the country, known for their innovative ballets based on children's literature. In this creative version, the company will perform 30 minutes of two separate ballets giving the audience a unique ballet experience! Carnival of the Animals tells the story of two children who wander into a magical forest ruled by Diana, Queen of the Forest, and her shaggy lion. At first, the children are frightened by the boisterous animals, especially when they come charging out of the woods carrying huge knives, forks and spoons! But Queen Diana makes her animal subjects show the children kindness and respect, gifts that should be given to everyone by all creatures. The music was written in 1886 by the French composer, Camille Saint Saens (1835-1921). Sleeping Beauty is the beloved fairy-tale of the beautiful princess, Aurora, who has an evil curse placed upon her by Carabosse that she will one day prick her finger and die. Luckily the Lilac Fairy intervenes with a gift that declares, although she will prick her finger, she will not die. Instead she will fall into a deep sleep for 100 years from which she will be awoken by the kiss of a handsome prince! Sleeping Beauty was the first successful ballet written by the great composer Peter Tchaikovsky. "AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL" - A 60 Minute production of Sleeping Beauty will be offered at 6:00 PM to the Public A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Classic Dance, Theatre, Music, Literature OPTIONAL: NYTB Master Class offered at 1:00 pm to all GT Dance, local studio, and collegiate dancers (SEE WORKSHOP SCHEDULE) Show Dates: Thursday March 12, 2009 Magic Tree House: The Musical SHOW DATE: Tuesday, March 17, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: February 20, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades K - 5 Run Time: 60 minutes What happens when an entire Kingdom's fate depends on the courage and imagination of two kids? Based on Mary Pope Osborne's (author of the award-winning MAGIC TREE HOUSE series) books, Magic Tree House: The Musical transports Jack and Annie's adventures onto the stage to create a wonderful theatrical event. To restore joy and magic to King Arthur's kingdom, the brother and sister team must travel to Camelot's dreaded Otherworld and return with water from the mythical Cauldron of Memory & Imagination. If they fail, Camelot will be lost and forgotten forever - and the Magic Tree House will be destroyed! Rising to each new challenge with courage, humor, and resourcefulness, Jack and Annie discover that memory and imagination are gifts we can all use to fill our lives with magic. An enchanting blend of song, story, and stagecraft makes this Broadway-style musical a breathtaking spectacle. Complete with Irish Step Dancers, this is a great way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day! "AFTER SCHOOL SPECIAL" - An 85-Minute production of Magic Tree House: The Musical will be offered at 6:00 PM to the Public A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Literature, Folklore, Musical Theatre Show Dates: Tuesday March 17, 2009 Mad Science Productions presents CSI: Live! SHOW DATE: Friday, March 27, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: February 27, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 5 - 8 Run Time: 60 minutes Mad Science does it again! This is an exciting, interactive journey through the fascinating world of crime scene investigations. Based on the popular television series, CSI: Live! incorporates cutting-edge forensic science, unparalleled audience interaction and amazing visual effects into a fast-paced, mind-blowing show that will educate it's audience like no other production! With the help of the latest crime-fighting technology, and an entire audience of witnesses, our CSI investigators take on the task of solving a baffling crime. Audience members get to become part of the CSI team and together recreate the crime scene and analyze the results. The audience will have to be on their toes to help solve the crime before it's too late! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: Scientific Inquiry, Physical science, Life science, Earth science, Technology, History & Nature Show Dates: Friday March 27, 2009 Kahurangi Maori Dance Theatre of New Zealand SHOW DATE: Thursday, April 2, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: March 10, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 ALL AGES Run Time: 60 minutes Come visit the Islands for Spring Break! People of the Pacific takes audiences on a colorful and exciting journey through the islands of Polynesia, including visits to Tahiti, Hawaii, Samoa, the Cook Islands, and ending in Aotearoa, New Zealand where the company hails from. They retell the story of the migration of the Maori from their ancestral homeland of Hawaiki. The Kahurangi program features songs and dances from the islands, along with narrations for each island, audience participation, healthy doses of humor, and ends with a Q & A session. This is a show that is highly educational and brilliantly entertaining! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: World Culture, History, Music, Dance, Art Show Dates: Thursday April 02, 2009 Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters: An African Tale SHOW DATE: Thursday, May 8, 2009 REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 10, 2009 9:30 am & 11:30 am Ticket Price: $5.00 Grades 1 - 7 Run Time: 60 minutes This African story from Zimbabwe tells about a great African king who desires a wife, but only the most worthy and beautiful maidens in the land are invited to meet him. Mufaro's pride and joy, his two daughters of very different dispositions, travel across a river and half a day's journey to go before the king. With traditional chanting and African song, this show celebrates goodness, generosity and love, based on the book by John Steptoe. Dallas Children's Theatre proudly presents this gorgeous Caldecott Award winning Cinderella tale! A Note for Teachers: Curriculum Connections: World Culture, Folklore, Music, Theatre Arts Show Dates: Friday May 08, 2009