School-Time Matinee Series
2023-2024 School-Time Matinee Season
Updated Order Forms will be available online August 8, 2023!!
Each Matinee has a curriculum based study guides and teacher handouts for teachers to incorporate into their classes. All matinee tickets are $7. We have a limited number of grant-funded, $1 scholarship tickets to distribute to area public school students, please inquire if you are interested as supplies are limited.
Upcoming Matinee Performances:
Collage Dance Collective
Thursday, October 5, 2023 at 11:00 AM
Bologna Performing Arts Center presents the mesmerizing “Dance Fusion: Bluff City Blues,” a special matinee performance where student tickets are provided free of charge to all public schools in the 18-county Delta region, featuring a unique blend of ballet inspired by the music of Mississippi Delta legends like B.B. King and Muddy Waters.
Collage will offer a free masterclass for local dance students at Griot Arts Center, a local community organization in Clarksdale, MS. Students attending the masterclass will be given coupons for free admission and parents will receive half off adult tickets for the Thursday evening public performance.
Scholarship tickets will be provided to all public schools in the 18-county Delta region, making student tickets FREE.
Age Suggestion: ALL AGES
Tomás and the Library Lady
Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM
Book, Music and Lyrics by José Cruz González
Music Arranged and Performed by Adam Jacobson
Adapted from the book Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora
Produced by Childsplay
Tomás loves stories. As the young son of migrant farm workers, he spends the summer with his family following the crops north from Texas to Iowa, passing long days in the fields listening to his grandfather tell stories. Before long, Tomás knows all of Papa Grande’s tales by heart… When a chance encounter brings him to the local Carnegie Library, he meets the “Library Lady” who recognizes his thirst for knowledge and encourages him to read. His delight in books is equaled by his pride in teaching Spanish to the Library Lady, trading knowledge and respect between generations and cultures. By the end of the summer, Tomás has great pride in becoming his family’s new storyteller, the guidance of a colorful mentor, and a lifelong love of reading.
Based on the beloved book about the true story of the Mexican-American author and educator Tomás Rivera, who became the first minority Chancellor in the University of California system. This inspirational production shows how reading and education — and self esteem — can make anything possible.
Presented by Childsplay Theatre
Age Suggestion: Ages 5 and up
Grades: Kindergarten and up
Book: Tomás and the Library Lady by Pat Mora for ages 5 and up
Cat Kid Comic Club
Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 9:30 AM and 11:30
Cat Kid and Molly Pollywog have started an epic club to teach 21 rambunctious baby frogs how to make their own comics! Their fishy father Flippy is overjoyed that his kids will learn to unleash their creativity, but when the frogs’ constant bickering and outrageous imaginations send their comics comically off the rails, Flippy flips out!
Will the club survive? Will the frogs ever get along? And will creativity finally save the day?
All will be answered in this madcap musical based on Dav Pilkey’s irreverently hilarious book series. This hilarious musical adaptation of Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man spin-off series, Cat Kid Comic Club, is written by Kevin Del Aguila and Brad Alexander.
Age Suggestion: All ages
Book: Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey for ages 6 and up
A Christmas Carol
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Steve Perigard
Music and Lyrics by Paul Deiss
Perhaps the best loved holiday story of all time, our adaptation of Dickens’ classic is particularly suited to children. Watch Mr. Scrooge have a change of heart from stone to gold as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas. All the joy, sentiment and meaning are here, without being too scary for young audiences.
Appropriate for Grades K – 5
School Curriculum: Family Ties, Language Arts, Literary Classic, Music, and Reading
$2 Book options for students and teachers attending the performance: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Age Suggestion: ALL AGES
Books Available: Mickey’s Christmas Carol by Walt Disney for ages 2 to 8
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens for ages 8 and up
Giraffes Can’t Dance
Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM
Based on the award-winning book by Giles Andreae and illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees.
All the animals in the jungle know their own special dance, but Gerald the Giraffe can’t seem to move without a clumsy step. But with the help of a wise cricket, he finds his own song, and dances to the beat of his own drum! In this stage adaptation of the beloved children’s book, with puppets, African rhythm, and lots of dancing, Gerald learns that his differences are what make him special.
Age Suggestion: AGES 2-9
Grades PreK – 3rd
Book: Love from Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees for ages 2 and up
Lightwire: The Ugly Duckling
Thursday, February 29, 2024 at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM
A classic tale gets a modern twist in an unforgettable theatrical experience by Lightwire Theater—NBC’s America’s Got Talent semi-finalist and winners of Tru TV’s Fake Off. Lined with electroluminescent wire, the beloved story of The Ugly Duckling plays out on stage through a cutting-edge blend of puppetry, technology and dance.
With dazzling visuals, poignant choreography and the creative use of music ranging from classical to pop, this production brings the story into a new and brilliant light. Praised by audiences all around the world—this is a must see event for all ages!
Recommended for grades: Pre-K and up
Books Available: The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Anderson and Adapted by Jerry Pinkney for ages 2 to 7
Hans Christian Anderson’s Fairy Tales retold by Naomi Lewis for ages 8 and up
Rosie Revere, Engineer & Friends
Tuesday, April 9, 2023 at 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM
Based on the books by Andrea Beaty with illustrations by David Roberts.
Ms. Greer’s classroom includes three inquisitive out-of-the-box thinkers. Rosie Revere has big dreams, Iggy Peck has a relentless passion for architecture, and Ada Twist’s curiosity can lead her to solve any problem. On a field trip gone awry, they are faced with the ultimate test of their problem-solving skills that can only be conquered with teamwork.
A fun musical based on the books Rosie Revere, Engineer; Iggy Peck, Architect; and Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty, which spotlights the STEM curriculum (focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math).
Recommended for grades: PreK-5
Books Available: Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty for ages 3 to 8
Junk Drawer Engineering by Bobby Mercer for ages 7 and up
HOW TO ORDER
To purchase tickets for our School-Time Matinee Series shows, please fill out our ticket order form found HERE. Submit the form to the BPAC Arts Ed Office or email Holly Senter. You can also fill out our GOOGLE REGISTRATION FORM HERE, and someone from the Arts Education Office will contact you to complete your reservation.
Please make all checks or money orders payable to Delta State University. Payments must be made in full before your reservation will be submitted unless you are paying by purchase order. The arts education office accepts cash, checks, purchase orders, money orders, and credit cards. Please note there is a $10 processing fee for every order placed for the STMS performances. Also note, if paying by purchase order, note that our offices will bill out the PO to your school’s central office after the performance date. Parents wishing to purchase tickets must be included in your school group ticket order. You must provide us with the correct billing address and email to ensure prompt payment. For questions, please contact the arts education office at 662-846-4844.
The BPAC Arts Education Office proudly introduces the fifth year of our year-round arts and literacy initiative, Read It, See It, Be It. Thanks to funding from Bulkbookstore.com, we’re excited to provide discounted books at just $1-$2 for students and teachers attending matinee performances. These books, directly related to the matinee shows, enable a deeper exploration of narrative and artistic adaptation. Please note that book availability follows a first-come, first-served approach.
Complementary study guides are accessible on our website to align with the curriculum, and we’re also offering free performance workshops on a first-come, first-served basis to coincide with the program. While books usually become available to students the week prior to the show, due to ongoing mail challenges and increased gas prices, many books will now be distributed on the day of the performance. These books will be delivered to your buses on the performance day. For homeschool groups and individual buyers, book pickup will be available at lobby tables before or after the performance.
If you are interested in receiving your books prior to the show, contact the arts education office at 662-846-4844 to arrange shipping details.
FREE PERFORMANCE WORKSHOPS
Arts education workshops will be available as part of our Read It, See It, Be It program. These workshops will run for approximately 30 minutes to one hour in length and are free for students who attend the School-Time Matinee Series performances, but reservations MUST be made ahead of time as there are limited capacities and age restrictions on workshop activities. Please check bolognapac.com/education for detailed information on the performance workshops for the 2023- 2024 School-Time Matinee Series season.
SCHOLARSHIP TICKETS AVAILABLE
Funding from the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi and the Mississippi Arts Commission provides $1 scholarship tickets to public schools in select counties. Please note that due to high demand for tickets, caps have been placed on the allotted number of scholarship tickets available per school per performance. Scholarship tickets are limited and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Please contact the Arts Education Office to request the scholarship form and to check the availability of remaining scholarship tickets.
HOMESCHOOL AND FAMILY GROUPS POLICY
Organized homeschool groups are invited to reserve their tickets by form just like public and private school groups. Please note that the School-Time Matinee Series’ primary service audience are school groups, so individual tickets for family groups might not always be available to matinee performances. If there are remaining tickets for STMS performances, they will be available to families no earlier than two weeks prior to a performance. Contact the arts education office at 662-846-4844 or email at hsenter@deltastate.edu to check ticketing availabilities or for more information.
CLICK HERE FOR DOWNLOADABLE PDF REGISTRATION FORM FOR YOUR SCHOOL
SCHOLARSHIP TICKET ORDER FORMS
