Curtains Up For Kids

 

 

 

Over 10,000 students visit the Basie every year as part of its Curtains Up for Kids school show program — and for many, it’s their only opportunity to experience live performing arts. From classical music with modern twists, to the diversity of Asian and African artistry or historical plays like I Have a Dream, the Basie inspires students to dream forward through culture and artistic expression.

 

Interested in seeing a performance in person? Click here for a reservation form.

IN PERSON ATTENDANCE

  • Live performance at Count Basie Center for the Arts
    • Reservations will be honored first come, first served.
  • Teacher study guide and materials
  • Optional Pre and Post show workshops

TICKET PRICING:

  • $12 each – Individual Sales
  • $10 each – Education Groups of 10 or more students
  • One complimentary chaperone ticket for each 10 student tickets purchased.

Financial assistance is available. Please fill out our reservation form for more information.

The Basie is very grateful to the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey, Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners, New Jersey State Council on the Arts, and Roma Bank Community Foundation for their support of Curtains Up for Kids.

For tickets or more information, call 732-224-8778 x 151 or email [email protected]

 Applicants will receive an email confirmation within one week of your reservation. In the event you do not receive a confirmation, email [email protected].
Download the guide and FAQ. (PDF)

 

UPCOMING SCHOOL SHOWS

Performances have grade recommendations listed beneath each title, however teachers and administrators are encouraged to research and ask questions before booking to ensure content is age appropriate. School shows are designed to be approximately one hour long (*some exceptions apply.)

 

Mayhem Poets

IN-PERSON PERFORMANCE: May 3rd, 2023 at 10:30AM SOLD OUT!, and May 4th, 2023 at 10AM & 12:30PM SOLD OUT!
Recommended for grades: 6-12

These theatre-trained, comedically-gifted, lyrical virtuosos seamlessly blend raw elements of hip hop, theatre, improv, and stand-up comedy to tell gut-wrenching truths that leave audiences forever changed. “Let’s go see a poetry show,” is a sentence rarely proclaimed and usually responded to with cringes and excuses. The Mayhem Poets are on a mission to change that.

Register


• Storytelling
• Interpretation
• Movement
• Multi-Cultural
• Poetry
• Language

 

 

David Gonzalez – Aesop Bops!

IN-PERSON PERFORMANCE: May 17th, 2023 at 10:30AM SOLD OUT! and JUST ADDED! Thursday, May 18th, 2023 at 10:30am
Recommended for grades: K-5

Fast-paced, funny, and packed with audience participation, Aesop Bops! features a potpourri of Aesop’s classic stories including The Lion and the Mouse, The Fisherman and His Wife, and The Turtle’s Shell. This feast of funky, physical storytelling leaves young audiences feeling like they had just performed the show too! Aesop Bops! rocks and rolls out the red carpet – inviting kids to join in the fun.

Register


• Storytelling
• Theatre
• Social/Emotional Learning
• Global Literacy/Awareness
• Multi-Cultural
• Roots and Heritage

 

 

The Gaggle: An interactive theatre & education Podcast by Actors Playground Mini Misfits troupe

PRE-RECORDED CONTENT AVAILABLE ONLINE: Mini Misfits – The Gaggle Podcast
NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
Recommended for grades: 4-7

The Gaggle is a one-act play transformed into a podcast to provide an arts experience from the safety of your classroom. Following a group of middle schoolers, The Gaggle is about a clique’s rein over the school and how their bullying effects the students and themselves. This episodic podcast focuses on anti-bullying, social-emotional learning skills, and relevant relatable topics for you and your students to explore. A teacher study guide with prompts for lessons and activities to follow each episode is included. Workshop experiences (virtual or in-person) are available for an additional cost.

View: 


• Theatre
• Media Arts
• Anti-Bullying
• Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Connections

 

*Seeing live theater offers a range of academic, social, and emotional benefits to children. This includes:

  • A greater ability to accept people with different opinions from their own and understand the diversity of ways others experience the world
  • An increased hope for their own future, with the ability to imagine attending college and envisioning success
  • A greater recognition that the arts can have a place in their lives in the present and future
  • Improved engagement and behavior in school environments, which can impact success
  • Increased success on standardized tests; higher writing scores; and a stronger command of narrative devices. 

*Read more about the impact of viewing performing arts on students.

 

 

In-School Arts Classes

We believe participation in the arts:

  • is essential to a well-rounded education and motivates lifelong learning
  • fosters creativity, self-esteem, teamwork, and problem solving skills
  • develops a strong work ethic and the ability to focus
  • advances community connections and promotes inclusivity and diversity
  • inspires empathy, compassion and tolerance
  • enriches life and generates joy

During this time it’s more important than ever that we all learn creative solutions that inspire, educate, and entertain.

Through a variety of  arts-based activities students will build their social-emotional learning and 21st Century learning skills. These are increasingly important given the current level of challenges both in and out of the classroom.

These engaging workshops and residencies are designed to build upon your current classroom strategies while layering curriculum with fun.

VIEW RESIDENCIES
Please click here for more information or to request a residency 

 

Our Outreach program began as a collaboration with the Red Bank Borough School District in 2005. Today, we serve over 550 students annually with in-school, after-school, and summer performing arts classes in the Primary and Middle schools in Red Bank and the Joseph R. Bolger Middle School in Keansburg.

Our goal as educators is to instill a passion, appreciation and love of the arts. Besides enhancing one’s perspective and interpersonal skills such as communication, cooperation and creative problem solving, arts education is truly a magical elixir that raises one’s self–esteem, self-efficacy and confidence.

 

 

Need Help? Have Questions?
Contact the Education Department
Anthony Greco
Arts Education and Outreach Manager
732-224-8778 x 151
[email protected]