Welcome to our first-ever spring arts preview! After the holidays, the theater scene for families starts shaking again, with new shows opening all over the area through May. We’ve found something for everyone, from classical music for tots to hip-hop inspired dance. Pick a few faves, get them on the calendar, and enjoy the thriving world of family theater in the Puget Sound area. If we’ve missed anything, let us know at calendar@parentmap.com.
FEBRUARY
Feb. 5: "The Wrestling Season." High-school wrestler Matt is subject to rumors about his friendship with another boy, Kori wants her peers to see past her looks, and Nicole’s self-esteem could use a boost. Eight teens struggle with their identities in this play about the perils and pressures of growing up, presented by Olympia Family Theatre. Ages 12 and older. Feb. 5–20. $8–$15. Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts, olyft.org [OLYMPIA]
Feb. 6: "The Little Engine That Could." Omaha Theatre Company performs the classic tale of determination against some pretty daunting odds. All ages. $8–$10. Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center [KENT]
Feb. 12: Soul Street Dance Co. The self-taught hip-hop crew presents a show that incorporates elements from Brazil’s martial arts dance capoeira, break dancing, and other high-energy styles. All ages. $19–$29. The Rialto Theater [TACOMA]
Feb. 27: "The Little Mermaid." Young local actors perform an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale. Buy tickets at the Auburn Parks Administration Office or at the door. All ages. Feb. 27–28. $6. Auburn Avenue Theater [AUBURN]
MARCH
March 4: Tacoma Youth Symphony. Musicians ranging in age from 7 to 21 perform their second concert of the season. Tickets are $5 if purchased in advance, $6 at the door. All ages. The Rialto Theater [TACOMA]
March 6: Recess Monkey. The popular Seattle trio — who also happen to be schoolteachers — rock Auburn with a high-energy show. Buy tickets at the Auburn Parks Administration Office or at the door. All ages. $6. Auburn Avenue Theater [AUBURN]
March 13: "The Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe." Local kids in grades 1–12, under the direction of Missoula Children’s Theatre, perform an adaptation of the novel in which Crusoe returns to the island where he was shipwrecked — only to find that it’s been turned into a tourist destination. All ages. $5. Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center [KENT]
March 19: "Music Man." There’s trouble in River City, Iowa, as fast-talking Harold Hill plans to con its residents out of their hard-earned green. His plans go sideways (as they usually do) when he finds himself falling in love with the skeptical Marian. Ages 6 and older (no babes in arms). March 19-27. $10. Heavier Than Air Family Theatre [AUBURN]
March 20: "Luminous Edge." Thomas Arthur is an astonishingly skilled juggler, and in this family show he blends multi-media imagery and audience participation to inspire an appreciation of the natural world. All ages. $8–$12. Kent-Meridian Performing Arts Center [KENT]
March 25: "Jungalbook." This adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s Mowgli stories — about a young boy who grows up alone in the jungle, surrounded by animals — is set in a children’s playground and presented by Olympia Family Theatre. Ages 8 and older. March 25–April 11. $8–$15. Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts, olyft.org [OLYMPIA]
March 26: "HMS Pinafore." Lakewood Playhouse presents Gilbert and Sullivan’s frothy operetta about ships, sailors and seemingly impossible love (of course, everything works out in the end). Ages 5 and up. March 25–April 26. $16–$24. Lakewood Playhouse [LAKEWOOD]
APRIL
April 3: "Hi-Lo Big Top Adventure." Very young kids are introduced to the music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven in a show presented by the bubbly duo Lisa and Linda of Let Your Music Shine! and the Tacoma Philharmonic. Ages birth–5. $5. Theatre on the Square [TACOMA]
April 11: "Cirque d’Or." The Golden Dragon Acrobats perform astonishing feats of flexibility and strength to traditional and contemporary music. All ages. $19–$49. The Pantages Theater [TACOMA]
April 16: "Flower Drum Song." Tony Award winner David Henry Hwang’s new adaptation of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical is set in San Francisco’s Chinatown. All ages. April 16–May 9. $18–$25. Tacoma Musical Playhouse [TACOMA]
April 17: "Willy Wonka." Youth from the Broadway Center Conservatory perform the classic musical about a little boy who wins a tour of a chocolate factory owned by the mysterious Willy Wonka. All ages. $16. Theatre on the Square [TACOMA]
MAY
May 15: "Masked Marvels and Wondertales." Master mime Michael Cooper dances on stilts, wears gorgeous handmade masks, and performs “original stories of courage and wonder.” All ages. $9–$29. The Pantages Theater [TACOMA]
May 16: "Anne of Green Gables." Tacoma Children’s Musical Theater presents an adaptation of the novel by L.M. Montgomery, in which orphan Anne Shirley shakes life up in the quiet Prince Edward Island community where she’s sent to live. All ages. May 15–25. $10–$15. Tacoma Musical Playhouse [TACOMA]
May 21: "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" Those of us of a certain age remember the 1970s Saturday morning cartoon "Schoolhouse Rock," which used insanely catchy tunes and clever lyrics to teach kids about government, history and grammar. Now it’s on stage so a new generation can learn the answer to the compelling question, “Conjunction junction, what’s your function?” All ages. May 21–June 6. $8–$15. Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts, olyft.org [OLYMPIA]
May 23: Tacoma Youth Symphony. Young performers present their final concert of the season. Tickets are $5 if purchased in advance, $6 at the door. All ages. The Rialto Theater [TACOMA]
Kris Collingridge is ParentMap’s theater-loving Out & About editor.
