October 2019
Students will hone their skills, work as an ensemble, and learn from professional artistic staff as they work toward a culminating performance of Once Upon a Mattress.
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Students will hone their skills, work as an ensemble and learn from a director, music director, and choreographer as they work toward a culminating performance of The Addams Family!
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Want another opportunity to perform alongside the WHBPAC family and professional singers and actors? Be part of our HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR, a seasonal variety show of epic proportions! Students must commit to five rehearsals (dates and times TBD), including two dress rehearsals before the big show!
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This energetic and fun music class is designed for our UpBeat students to sing and dance to their favorite music, while building self -confidence, socialization and music skills. Classes begin Tuesday October 22nd for a total of 8 classes and will culminate in a performance at the WHBPAC Holiday Spectacular December Saturday, December 7th.
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It’s no secret that most everyone is terrified of public speaking. It’s also no secret that public speaking becomes a little easier after a glass of wine. We’ll give you the glass of wine…and we’ll also give you the tools you need to give speeches like a pro. Using fun source material from plays, literature, and famous speeches, Arts Academy Director Julienne Penza-Boone will have you finding your inner politician, CEO, or Oprah in just six weeks.
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Love to sing? Love a good libation? Put it all together at Sip and Sing! This class – taught by professional singer and cabaret queen Valerie DiLorenzo – includes mini voice lessons for all with group vocal exercises to strengthen your voice and improve breath support, learning and singing fun and upbeat songs, and of course, wine tasting! No experience necessary and ability to read music is not required! Lyric sheets are provided. Students will have the opportunity to perform as part of our Holiday Spectacular in December!
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Our youngest students will learn the beginning fundamentals of musical theatre in this fun class with a spooky twist, and will perform alongside our Teen Theatre students in The Addams Family!
Find Out MoreNovember 2019
In 1941 Amsterdam, 13-year-old Anne Frank goes into hiding with her family from the Nazis. For the next two years, she never leaves the attic where her family is concealed. With fear of discovery ever present, Anne finds solace writing in her diary, capturing the daily lives of the secret annex’s inhabitants—from the horrors of war to the excitement of first love—with wit, determination, and idealism.With a multicultural cast, National Players brings the true story of this incredibly insightful young girl that is often read in school to the stage in hopes of inspiring the next generation to stand up for justice rather than sit back in apathy.
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Bill Blagg’s comedy-filled, action-packed, presentation is highly interactive and makes science fun and exciting! Students will use the Scientific Method to levitate one of their teachers in mid-air and even learn how the science of reflection can make their homework magically disappear! In addition, Bill even performs some of his mind-blowing, grand-scale illusions with a scientific twist! Bill caps the show off with an incredible display of the water cycle by making it snow from his bare hands! Students will watch in amazement as science creates magic right before their very eyes!
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This collaboration between WHBPAC’s Arts Academy and Our Fabulous Variety Show will feature over fifty student performers ages 5 to 85 alongside professional singers and dancers – creating an unforgettable celebration of the holidays! This mash-up of song, dance, and theatre will feature holiday classics and fresh takes on the season.
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Lifeline Theatre–Chicago Thursday, January 10 10am & 12:30pm For 27 years, the world of Ivan the gorilla was a dull cage in a roadside shopping mall. But when he meets Ruby, a baby elephant captured in the wild, Ivan’s ambitions and imagination must grow to meet the challenge of rescuing his endangered new companion. Aided…
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In the ancient times, in a faraway village in China, people lived joyously together in harmony with nature. However, every 365 days, a monster called Nian came to terrorize the people, and even their greatest warrior was unable to stop it. So the people prayed to the gods. Then, a wise old man came to them, answering their prayers, and an ingenious invention was created to repel the vicious monster that returned year after year. The renowned Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company’s spectacular telling of the origin of the Chinese New Year Celebration is full of dazzling props, colorful costumes, mesmerizing music, fantastic acrobatics and lively dance.
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From the company that brought us The Ugly Duckling, this innovative performance fusing lightwires and dance tells the story of a bullied mouse who finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime. Marvin the Mouse wants to be popular; he is constantly bullied and picked on by the “cool” rats. As respite from the continuous badgering, Marvin retreats into his science books and a world of fantasy. He longs to have adventures and to be the hero. This character education piece is all about celebrating differences among us and following your dreams.
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This compelling dramatization of the life and times of one of the most influential and charismatic leaders of the “American Century” and the Civil Rights movement will inspire your students as they experience Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s struggle and his dream of lifting “our nation from the quicksand of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood.”
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An innovative blend of reality and imagination, using interactive screen technology and live music, Yao Yao is an inventive tale from the other side of the world. Yao is a mischievous little girl who loves playing with her dad. But every morning Daddy has to go to work. One day, Yao, unhappy with her father’s departure, grabs his overcoat and accidentally pulls a thread that leads to the start of a magical world of adventure and discovery.
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Bedtime has never been so exciting! It’s the end of the day for the Llama family. After a long day of adventures at the school and the store, Baby Llama can’t wait to put on his red pajamas. He and his friends the toys are ready to sing and dance their way to sleep…except…they need a bedtime story and a kiss goodnight and a drink of water. But, where’s Mama? This hilarious new musical based on the bestselling books by Anna Dewdney will delight and warm hearts.
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Nicholas Allen has plenty of ideas. When he ends up in Mrs. Granger’s language arts class, he has his best idea ever. He decides to create his own word…FRINDLE! Before long Nick’s word creates a buzz in his school, his town and then, to his surprise, it spreads all around the country, and a power struggle erupts with the strict Mrs. Granger. Will the word “Frindle” win? Based on the multiple award-winning best-selling novel by Andrew Clements, this quirky, imaginative tale encourages discussion about creative thought, the power of words and the true nature of language.
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Dallas Children’s Theater Wednesday, May 13 10am & 12:30pm Based on the hilarious book by Harry Allard and James Marshall, this fun-filled musical follows the story of the Smedly School Tornadoes, who have yet to win a football game – in fact, they have never even scored a single point! With such a poor record…
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Based on Sharon Creech’s Newbery Medal-winning novel, this play tells the story of 13 year old Sal, who is driving cross country with her grandparents in search of her mother – and along the way meets many eccentric characters. None more so than Phoebe – Sal’s best friend and the main character in the stories she tells to entertain her grandparents. Phoebe’s story bursts with wild conspiracy theories of her own missing mother, which helps Sal confront her own loss. But with a deadline looming, Sal might not make it in time to reunite with the one person she wants to find most. Told primarily through memory, National Players weaves together a story that is both heartrending and heartwarming.
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