On May 5, Playhouse Square will host Family Theater Day, which offers children and families the opportunity to experience unique live performances and activities, and enjoy the excitement of a visit to downtown Cleveland in a fun, welcoming environment.
Presented by University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, Family Theater Day includes ticketed theater performances, as well as crafts and additional experiences free of charge. Free activities for children of all ages include “Journey to Emerald City,” an installation that explores the wonderful Land of Oz, and they can dance along with the family-friendly band Hot Peas ‘N Butter. There also will be a photo booth, balloon and caricature artists, face painters, magicians and more waiting to delight and entertain.
Tickets for Family Theater Day performances are on sale now at the Playhouse Square Ticket Office (1510 Euclid Ave.), online at playhousesquare.org/familytheaterday or by phone at 216-241-6000. Tickets for each performance are $10-15. Tickets for free activities are not required.
2018 Family Theater Day Performances
Journey to Oz
Journey to Oz celebrates the innovation and inspiration of author L. Frank Baum and illustrator W.W. Denslow, creators of the original Oz tales. In this magical new adaptation, the audience is invited to take an experiential Journey to Oz with Dorothy by singing, dancing and acting alongside professional actors. The audience takes on key roles including: Munchkins, Winkies and even principal characters, such as Dorothy played by six different children chosen from the audience during the show. When the iconic cyclone arrives, the entire theater enters the eye of the storm with sweeping lights and exciting music.
Lula Del Ray
Told almost entirely without dialogue, Lula del Ray is the story of a lonely adolescent girl who lives with her scientist mother on the outskirts of a vast satellite array. Set in the mid-century American Southwest and inspired by the music of Hank Williams, Roy Orbison, and Patsy Cline, Lula del Ray is a mythic reinvention of the classic coming-of-age story. Lula Del Ray is performed with overhead projectors, shadow puppets, actors in silhouette and live music.
The Secret Life of Suitcases
Larry works in an office and he likes it very much. He likes sorting and tidying and generally putting things in order. Everything in its place, a place for everything. But one day a suitcase suddenly appears at his door. A suitcase with a tiny label. A tiny label with Larry’s name on it. And this suitcase has a mission. Join Larry as his world gets turned upside down by a fantastical flying suitcase taking him further than he ever thought possible.
From April 17-25, we’ll be giving away family 4-packs of tickets to each of the three performances featured during Family Theater Day. Visit the Northeast Ohio Parent Facebook page to enter!
