Dan Zanes and Friends
Thursday, October 21, 2010, 9:30am and 11:00am
Recommended Grades: 2-6

Dan Zanes, the former lead singer and songwriter for the legendary rock and roll band The Del Fuegos, makes exuberant, handmade music for enthusiastic crowds of kids and kid sympathizers. Filled with irresistible grooves drawn from a wealth of musical traditions, Zanes and his Brooklyn-based band create a rollicking "Woodstock for Kids," including exuberant American traditional songs, dance classics, and smart, inventive originals. The audience is invited to "sing along with gusto" before things heat up and ultimately dissolve into an all-ages dance party. Zanes is a twenty-first century version of the guy who in the old days used to conduct the town band from the gazebo, though in lieu of a gazebo he’s playing places like Carnegie Hall and the Melbourne International Arts Festival, where no matter how you say it, good music is good. He is a ringmaster, introducing new songs and reconnecting people to songs that have always been there, and still are – it’s just that people forgot about them.

“True children’s music, but executed with such sweet (and un-gooey!) humor, casual multiculturalism and shambling groove that you can call it your own.”
- The New York Times

Visit www.danzanescom for more information.

Romeo and Juliet: The Acting Company
Tuesday, October 26, 2010, 9:30am & 11:00am
Recommended Grades: 6-12

The Acting Company and The Guthrie Theatre proudly present Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, directed by Penny Metropulos. “My only love, sprung from my only hate!” Shakespeare’s iconic romantic tragedy of innocent young lovers falling victim to family hatred and cruel destiny…swords clash, everlasting love is promised and a treacherous sleeping potion is swallowed in the greatest love story of all time. Young love has never been so delightful or as dangerous as in this stirring new production. Evoking the lyricism of Shakespeare’s sonnets, Romeo and Juliet exquisitely embodies the brief joy of youthful passion and ecstasy. Timeless and deeply moving, they love each other passionately as only teenagers can while their families’ mutual disdain and prejudice lead to revenge and an irreversible fate. Chance and accident are center stage; order is restored but at what price?  The Acting Company has garnered critical acclaim on a national scale through 38 seasons and 135 productions of great classics, together with the best of contemporary theater and several world premieres.  

“The Acting Company endures as the major touring classical theatre in the United States.”
- The New York Times

Street Beat
Tuesday, November 2, 2010, 9:30am & 11:00am
Recommended Grades: 3-12

Street Beat delivers an explosion of percussion that’s accented by high-energy dance acrobatics, hip-hop moves, and urban rhythm. The performance is staged within a landscape of everyday-objects-turned-instruments, smattered graffiti, and bursts of theatrical lighting. This 10-member ensemble of drummers, musicians, and dancers led by Danish-born founder Ben Hansen is gaining serious traction with fans of smash-hit percussion features like STOMP. Critics are calling Street Beat “an urbanized journey through percussion,” which brings the raw rhythmic originality of many popular street-style performances together in a dynamic and breathtaking stage production. Discover the thrilling world of rhythm and dance as everyday items intermix with innovative visual elements. A raw mix of industrial drum corps, break-dancing and audience interaction will quickly convince you that this is the “ultimate drumming experience.”

"Street Beat was full of surprises, humor, and astonishing creativity...the show exploded with energy, demonstrating a high level of musicianship and choreography..."
- The Tennessee Journalist

Visit www.streetbeat.biz for more information.

Max and Moritz - A Cartoon Opera in Seven Pranks: New York Opera Society
Thursday, November 4, 2010, 9:30am & 11:00am
Recommended Grades: 2-12

Long before Tom Sawyer, Dennis the Menace, or Calvin and Hobbes, there was Max and Moritz.  Experience the high-spirited pranks (all seven of them!) and the moral conclusion of famed Norwegian composer Gisle Kverndokk's inventive, operatic premiere of one of Germany's most beloved children's stories, written by Wilhelm Busch and published in 1865.  Those familiar with Der Struwwelpeter (Shaggy Peter) and the Tales of Hoffman will appreciate the black comedy of two naughty boys and the havoc that follows their wake in a quiet agrarian village.  Although adults will appreciate the boys' sly poke at our traditional middle-class values and venerated members of society, children will be captivated by Max and Moritz' savvy and colourful adventures.  And just before kids start to worship Max and Moritz, they will learn the ultimate lesson of the consequences that follow the boys' actions. The New York Opera Society benefits artists and audiences alike through high quality, performance-driven, just-in-time productions in the US and abroad, offering fresh and sometimes provocative interpretations of contemporary and classical works.

Visit www.newyorkoperasociety.com for more information.

Unexpected Journeys: Motion/Tribe Dance Company
Tuesday, November 9, 2010, 9:30am & 11:00am
Recommended Grades: 2-12

MOTION/TRIBE is a company of seasoned professional dancers with a spectrum of skills and talents who collaborate with Artistic Director Marie de la Palme to bring her concepts and choreographic vision to life. The company’s award-winning repertoire is about the life of the soul. Each dance is a journey, with unforgettable images and powerful emotional beauty. A stubborn Door continuously interrupts a tapper and refuses to open, a glowing red fabric beckons a ballerina, a mystical girl is trapped in a Cage, a ballet dancer struggles at the Barre, and a company of dancers go from the fastest jumps to amazing feats of yoga balance. A five-time award-winner of McCallum’s Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival, choreographer Marie de la Palme will engage the audience between pieces, focusing the students’ attention on the tools that helped shape the choreography.

Strega Nona - The Musical: Bay Area Children's Theatre
Monday, December 6, 2010, 9:30am & 11:00am
Recommended Grades: K-4

Strega Nona, based on the children’s books by celebrated author/illustrator Tomie dePaola, was a teacher and student favorite on last year’s series. It is the musical tale of a friendly magical Italian grandmother—with a funny name—who is the source for potions, cures, magic and comfort in her tiny Italian town of Calabria. The baker has bunions (“As big as an onion”), his daughter wishes for witchery, and the local single ladies are always unlucky in love. The town faces real problems when a local lug named Big Anthony sneaks a peek at Strega Nona’s magic book and uses Strega Nona’s magical ways for selfish means. When Big Anthony fools with the magic pasta pot, and can’t figure out how to turn it off, pasta threatens to engulf the whole town—unless Strega Nona can save the day. With an energetic and tuneful score by composer Aron Accurso, this fantastical tale teaches that witches can be good, and that you can’t judge a pot by its pasta! 

Wow –the best show we have been to at the McCallum, very grade appropriate!
- Teacher, Franklin Elementary School

Wonderful – the children were enthralled! Thank you for giving them this opportunity to experience such high quality arts.
- Teacher, Montessori School of the Valley

Visit www.bactheatre.org for more information.

Room on the Broom: Tall Stories of London
Monday, March 28, 2011, 11:30am
Tuesday, March 29, 2011, 9:30am & 11:30am
Recommended Grades: Pre-K – 4

How the cat purred and how the witch grinned, as they sat on their broomstick and flew through the wind…

Tall Stories from London, England, travels the world presenting old, new and timeless stories that continue to captivate audiences. In Room on the Broom, the witch and her cat are flying happily on their broomstick – until a stormy wind blows away the witch’s hat, bow and wand. A helpful dog, bird and frog find the witch’s lost things, and they all hop on the broom for a ride. But – CRACK! SNAP! – the broomstick’s not meant for five.  When a hungry dragon appears, who will save the poor witch? Will there ever be room on the broom for everyone? Find out in this playful and lively musical that features incredible puppets, original songs and a lot of laughs. Room on the Broom is adapted from the bestselling book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

“A truly theatrical feast that leaves both adults and children fully entertained”
- The List

 “Julia Donaldson’s madcap tale is vividly brought to life – a must-see show”
- Primary Times

Pacifico Dance Company
Friday, May 20, 2011, 9:30am & 11:00am
Recommended Grades: K-12

Pacifico Dance Company, thrilling audiences with its unique blend of modern and traditional dance for the past 16 years, makes a welcomed return to McCallum’s Field Trip Series. This performance features dances from many different parts of Mexico - a country with a colorful history, rich traditions and a diverse population. Characteristics unique to each region are reflected in the music, footwork, skirt work, patterning styles, and costuming. While the dance styles of the northern region suggest the European influences of the polka and ballroom dance forms, influences from Africa, the Caribbean, and Spain are found on the Southeast coast. Pacifico’s colorful program is comprised of pieces that carefully preserve the traditional dance forms of the past, as well as original works that fuse the folk style with modern influences.

“It was a Mexican fiesta, a celebration where the spirit of our southern neighbor arose and joyfully danced around . . . Pacifico embodied that spirit, allowing it to reveal some of the truest nuances.”
- LatinoLA