Paramount Education – the family and education arm of the nonprofit Paramount Theatre – has released the lineup for their annual and always thoughtfully curated Family Series taking place at the Paramount, Stateside, and Huston-Tillotson University over the next several months. Tickets for all shows – great for a range of ages – are on sale now and can be found at www.ausintheatre.org/family.
In addition to being enchanted by the singing, dancing, puppetry and captivating movement on stage, children will also have a chance to flex their creativity and learning muscles by taking home a fun activity guide filled with interactive and educational activities to enrich their experience. And all shows at the Paramount Theatre will also give attendees the opportunity to come one hour before the show for a craft workshop.
Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, 123 Andrés kicks off this year’s series with two shows on Sunday, September 24, one at 2 p.m. and another at 4:30 p.m. at Stateside at the Paramount. The show, perfect for kids ages 3 and up, features the Latin Grammy-winning music duo 123 Andrés (Andrés & Christina). The live show will incorporate Spanish, English, and ASL languages into a performance that’s high-energy and joyful, celebrating the Latinx experience while getting the whole audience to dance, sing and learn.
An enchanting adaptation of The Rainbow Fish from Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, Canada, will have two show times at the Paramount Theatre on Sunday, November 5, at 2 and 4:30 p.m. This puppet show that brings all the glittering magic to life with vivid colors to tell the story of the beautiful fish who learned to share his most prized possession is also great for kids ages 3 and up.
Dav Pilkey fans rejoice! On Sunday, January 28, 2024, Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical is coming to the Paramount Theatre for two shows at 2 and 4:30 p.m. in a performance that’s ideal for kids 6+. This production from TheaterWorksUSA from New York, NY, is based on the best-selling graphic novel series by Pilkey, the creator of Dog Man.
On Sunday, February 25, 2024, at 3 p.m., the team from The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, bring Show Way: The Musical (best for ages 7+) to the Paramount. This stage adaptation of Jacqueline Woodson’s award-winning story of history, love and resilience is a moving, lyrical account paying tribute to women in Woodson’s family whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters’ lives over seven generations. It starts when Soonie’s great-grandma was just seven years old and was sold to a big plantation without her ma and pa, with only some fabric and needles to call her own. She began to stitch a Show Way, a quilt with secret meanings to show enslaved people the way to freedom.
The team at the Paramount is bringing Sons of Mystro (best for ages 7+) outside of the theatres to King-Seabrook Chapel at Huston-Tillotson University on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at 7 p.m. This special show will feature two brothers who play all genres of popular music using the violin in place of their voices to express the song lyrics. With their violins, they will interpret reggae classics, American pop, and their own creations.
Tetris, from Arch8 in The Netherlands, will bring their incredibly unique show to Stateside at the Paramount on Sunday, April 7, 2024, for two shows at 2 and 4:30 p.m. The performance, best for kids ages 6 and up, will showcase the group’s physically awe-inspiring work with a gravity-defying combination of acrobatics, extreme physicality and movement. Inspired by the addictive puzzle game and the twists and turns of a Rubik’s Cube, this show is about fitting into a group, but also staying true to yourself.
“The 23-24 Family Series includes shows that will delight all ages! Every year we are privileged to introduce live performance and our historic theatres to a new generation of Central Texans. We can’t wait to kick off the season in September!” – Brian Fahey, Director of Education
For more information or to get tickets to these shows, head over to www.austintheatre.org/family or call the Box Office at 512-474-1221. To find out more about the Paramount Theatre, visit austintheatre.org. Follow the Paramount on Facebook at www.facebook.com/paramounttheatre and on Instagram and Twitter @ParamountAustin.
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ABOUT PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Originally opened as a vaudeville house in 1915, the historic Paramount Theatre has been a second home for generations upon generations of Austinites to gather, connect, and get inspired. The Paramount currently operates alongside the Stateside Theatre next door under the Austin Theatre Alliance (ATA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
While they present hundreds of shows annually, the Paramount and Stateside Theatres are so much more than venues. The ATA reaches over 22,000 Central Texas students every year through award-winning Paramount Education programs both in classrooms and in the theatres; produces the Moontower Just For Laughs Austin festival every April, one of the largest comedy festivals in the nation; hosts the star-studded world premieres of SXSW, Austin Film Festival, and beyond; programs the beloved Summer Classic Film Series, now in its 49th year; and works with experts to ensure the careful preservation of Austin history. The Paramount is one of only 20 theatres left in the entire country that is over 100 years old and still in use as a venue.
