New York, NY (October 4th, 2020) – In its 24th season, New York City Children’s Theater (NYCCT) will premiere a mix of live digital productions as well as filmed performances of NYCCT productions. Highlights include a filmed production of our hit holiday show My First Nutcracker as well as an exclusive two-week stream of our critically acclaimed musical, A Band of Angels, directed by Colman Domingo.
Our season kicks off with the premiere of Forest of Feelings. The Forest of Feelings is a magical place filled with a vast landscape of emotions. When two friends discover a lost laugh, with the audience’s help, they must take a physical and musical journey through the forest to return it to its faraway home. Created and performed by Yo Re Mi, Forest of Feeling is an interactive show live on Zoom that teaches your youngest theatergoers about emotions, music, and yoga!
This holiday season, NYCCT will present My First Nutcracker filmed live at Theatre Row, and streamed directly into your home with live special events! In My First Nutcracker, join Clara and the Prince as they travel to a magical kingdom filled with delicious treats, dancing flowers, and a pesky mouse king. My First Nutcracker is an introduction to the classic holiday story you know and love, directed and choreographed by Melissa Riker and written by Barbara Zinn Krieger.
Coming this March, we will present Same, Same, But, Different, an adaptation from Barbara Zinn Krieger and Maximillian Gill of the award-winning book by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw, written for and produced on Zoom! Same, Same but Different follows El, who lives in America, and Kailash, who lives in India, as they become pen pals. When they begin exchanging stories and pictures about their different lives, they quickly learn that although their worlds might be an ocean apart, they are quite similar.
Join us this November for a special presentation of one of our most groundbreaking shows, A Band of Angels. Ella is a pop culture obsessed teenager living in present-day New York City. One afternoon she is transported back in time to meet the Jubilee Singers, a choir still in operation today that was founded shortly after the Civil War at one of the first schools for free slaves, and gains a new appreciation for history and education. See the production that Mommy Poppins called “captivating and thought-provoking,” written by Myla Churchill and directed by Colman Domingo.
And this spring, join us for a filmed presentation of our hit show The Traveler, a love letter to modern-day immigrants who travel thousands of miles in search of a new home and community. From the imaginations of celebrated mime Bill Bowers and director Andrew Frank, comes a silent and whimsical tale of one man’s journey to find a new home.
“This year has been incredibly challenging for New York City and the theater community at large. As the initial epicenter of the pandemic, many have said that it will take years for New York to recover,” says Artistic Director and Founder Barbara Zinn Krieger. “However, true to the fabric of NYC itself, New York City Children’s Theater, is resilient and committed to continuing to serve, educate, and entertain our children and families. This year we are excited to produce a completely virtual season, with shows for children of all ages, some developed and produced specifically for digital platforms. We will also make many of our education programs available virtually, especially for students in our most vulnerable populations. No matter how challenging the times may be, we will continue to be there for our community.”
Membership
New York City Children’s Theater’s Membership program is the best way to see all of this season’s shows. When you become an NYCCT member for $100 or $250, you will receive tickets to virtual productions, special members-only activities throughout the year, access to Creative Clubhouse Stories, a storytime and theater game class, and more!
Want to get more involved? Become a New York City Children’s Theater’s Junior Producer. Junior Producers go behind the scenes with us to find out what it takes to transform an idea into a brand new production for young audiences. With a gift of $500 or $1,000 you and your family will receive the benefits of the highest membership tier and have insider access to engage in NYCCT’s creative process by interacting with our artists, attending rehearsals, and so much more.
As a Junior Producer, your support will help fund virtual field trips for thousands of students in NYC public schools and help us bring vital virtual arts education programs to NYC’s most vulnerable students, including students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and students living in homeless shelters.
New York City Children’s Theater programs cultivate children’s growth in the areas of emotional intelligence, community building, and responsible decision-making. The result is empathetic, creative, and independent thinkers who make a positive impact on their world. We demonstrate that engaging young people in the arts has a positive impact on their cognitive, emotional, and social development, and furthers a lifelong appreciation of the arts.
In 1996, New York City Children’s Theater began as the family theater and education program of the Tony Award-winning Vineyard Theatre. It became an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2001. New York City Children’s Theater accepts original plays and musicals for young audiences that ask big questions, incite curiosity and spark spirited discussions among kids, parents, and teachers. Notable productions include A Band of Angels, directed by Colman Domingo (winner: Off-Broadway Alliance Award for Best Family Show); Interstellar Cinderella, Music and Lyrics by Laurie Berkner and Book by Barbara Zinn Kreiger; Ballerina Swan, Choreographed by Michael McGowen, adapted from Allegra Kent’s children’s book by Barbara Zinn Krieger; Wringer, Book and Lyrics by Rebekah Greer Melocik, Music by Jacob Yandura, Directed by Stephen Brackett, based on the book by Jerry Spinelli; This is Sadie, directed and choreographed by Stephanie Klemons.
For more than 24 years, our local and nationally recognized arts-in-education programs and professional theater productions have served over 375,000 children and adults across all five boroughs and surrounding communities in the tri-state area.