DOKTOR KABOOM: UNDER PRESSURE! to Open Popejoy Schooltime Series

This September, Popejoy Hall will launch the 2026-2027 Schooltime Series with its first performance: Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! The Schooltime Series remains the largest performing arts education program in New Mexico, dedicated to inspiring and educating PreK-12 students through live performances. The aim of Schooltime is to make the performing arts accessible to all, continuing a tradition that has served more than a million students since 1996.

The Schooltime Series presents performances aligned with key curriculum areas such as language arts, fine arts, social studies, science, and literature – helping educators bring classroom topics to life in dynamic and engaging ways.

Popejoy Hall Director Fabianna Tabeling expressed her enthusiasm for the upcoming Schooltime season. “In the 2025-2026 season, we welcomed 29,000 students into Popejoy Hall for our Schooltime Series. Of those, 29,000, 3,100 Title 1 students received complimentary tickets, and over 1,900 classrooms joined us virtually. We're reaching into the far corners of our state and making sure all students can access the arts.”

Ensuring Accessibility for All Students

To ensure accessibility, tickets are priced at just $4.50 per student. Popejoy provides 300 free tickets to Title I schools for each performance. Public, private, Pueblo, and homeschool students, including special needs classrooms, are encouraged to participate. For a Schooltime performance, each adult must be accompanied by a student.

Schools unable to attend in person can access select performances via livestream, allowing students from all corners of the state to participate in this unique experience.

Serving both homeschooled students and those unable to attend in-person performances, the program also received enthusiastic feedback from parents. One parent shared, “My pre-k homeschooler really enjoyed her trips to UNM. Thank you for providing these opportunities for students and for the ability to bring her to these field trips since she isn't in a traditional school.”

Teachers also expressed their appreciation for livestreamed performances. As one teacher shared, “Thank you for providing the livestream options! My students would not be able to experience theater productions without them.”

Sensory-Friendly Performances

In an effort to make the arts more inclusive, Popejoy Hall offers relaxed, sensory-friendly performances with reduced seating for some of its shows. Popejoy staff have completed specialized training in autism and neurodivergence to ensure a welcoming and supportive environment for all students.

The Schooltime Series features:  

• Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure!  
• The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System  
• Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical 
• Shanghai Ballet Giselle 
• FRANKENSTEIN: A Living Comic Book 
• Highlights of the Nutcracker Ballet 
• Mariachi Christmas
• Ballet Hispánico New York: CARMEN.maquia 
• Rumplestiltskin 
• The Peking Acrobats 
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  
• Clifford The Big Red Dog: The Musical  
• The Gruffalo  
• YAMATO – The Drummers of Japan  

The 2026-2027 Schooltime Series: 

*Indicates a sensory-friendly performance Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! 

Recommended for Grades: 3-8 

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes 

Be amazed by the power of pressure, and what it can teach us, with Doktor Kaboom. Under Pressure! illustrates physical science concepts as metaphors for real-life mental and emotional pressure. Through interactive science, audience participation, and comedy, Kaboom empowers students as he shares tools and life lessons. Students have a blast with this new show from a leading science demonstrator!   

The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System 

Recommended for Grades: K-5 

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes 

Hop on the Magic School Bus in this musical adaptation based on the original Scholastic book series. When Ms. Frizzle's class gets lost on the way to the planetarium, she saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic interplanetary field trip! But when rivalries old and new threaten to tear the group apart, her students must learn to pull together or risk getting forever lost in space. Bravery and teamwork take center stage with the entire solar system as a backdrop.

Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical 

Recommended for Grades: 1-5 

Approximate Run Time: 65 minutes 

Cat Kid and Molly Pollywog have started a club to teach baby frogs how to make their own comics. First overjoyed that his kids will learn to unleash their creativity, their father flips when the frogs' constant bickering and outrageous imaginations send their work comically off the rails. This madcap musical adaptation of Dav Pilkey's Dog Man spin-off, Cat Kid Comic Club, is based on the hilarious book series.   

Shanghai Ballet Giselle 

Recommended for Grades: PreK-12 

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes 

Celebrated for its technical precision, unified ensemble work, and performances that blend classical ballet with distinctive Chinese artistry, the Shanghai Ballet performs excerpts from Giselle. A haunting tale of love, betrayal, and redemption, this acclaimed production unfolds through luminous dancing, elegant lines, and the company's signature precision. Introduce your students to the artistry of ballet through this rare performance, marking the company's first return to North America in over five years.

FRANKENSTEIN: A Living Comic Book 

Recommended for Grades: 3-12 

Approximate Run Time: 65 minutes 

An electrifying reimagining of the classic novel, this atmospheric production uses comic book-style visuals to reanimate Frankenstein with an imaginative new story. A young artist named Mary discovers the journal of Dr. Frankenstein. Drawn into his uncanny experiments, she discovers that we need to face monsters of our own making… before they face us!

*Highlights of the Nutcracker Ballet 

Recommended for Grades: PreK-12

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes 

With more than a little theatrical magic, the New Mexico Ballet Company enlivens the story of Clara, the Rat King, and the heroic Nutcracker. Talented and elegantly costumed dancers perform selections from the beloved Tchaikovsky ballet, layered with live commentary. A spirited introduction to classical music and the art of ballet, this heartwarming show remains a highlight of the holiday season.

Mariachi Christmas 

Recommended for Grades: PreK-12 

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes  

Delight in the sights and sounds of Mexico at Christmas in Mariachi Christmas. This annual celebration combines music, dance, and narration, showcasing the talents of mariachi musicians and ballet folklórico dancers. It's a holiday performance that students and chaperones look forward to year after year.

Ballet Hispánico New York: CARMEN.maquia 

Recommended for Grades: PreK-12 

Approximate Run Time: 55 minutes 

CARMEN.maquia boldy retells the story of Georges Bizet's opera Carmen through dance and dynamic movement. With striking black-and-white visuals inspired by Picasso, the production incorporates Spanish dance styles and introduces students to conveying emotions through movement. The production provides an opportunity to explore imaginative storytelling and to start a conversation about choices and consequences.

*Rumpelstiltskin

Recommended for Grades: PreK-3

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes

This theatrical adaptation of Rumpelstiltskin, an age-old tale of greed, is rich in song and audience participation. When Daisy accidentally angers the King, her mother claims Daisy can spin straw into gold and will give it to him. Locked up by the ruler until she does, Daisy asks for aid from a goblin to accomplish the impossible task. Once under his spell, she realizes the bargain was more than she asked for.

Peking Acrobats 

Recommended for Grades: PreK-12 

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes  

Refresh your perception of Chinese acrobatics as you introduce your students to this ancient art form. The Peking Acrobats perform daring maneuvers, demonstrating technical skill and athletic artistry that pushes the limit of human ability. With live musicians playing traditional instruments to accompany the acrobatics, it's a showcase of gravity-defying acts and a chance for students to connect physics, physical education, and history.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 

Recommended for Grades: 6-12

Approximate Run Time: 65 minutes 

Presented by Aquila Theatre, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde introduces students to the gothic classic. In this new adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novella, Dr. Henry Jekyll becomes convinced he can separate the good and evil within. He attempts to sever those two identities within himself, unleashing his terrifying double, Edward Hyde. As the company performs select scenes from this timeless tale, actors provide narration to guide students through the story and its themes. This educational performance concludes with a question-and-answer opportunity.

Clifford The Big Red Dog: The Musical 

Recommended for Grades: PreK-2

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes  

Everyone's favorite Big Red Dog bounds onto the stage in a new musical adventure that celebrates friendship, imagination, and the magic of unconditional love! Emily Elizabeth absolutely adores her new puppy, the tiny red runt of the litter. When her love propels Clifford to enormous growth, he must decide if his colossal size matters most. Full of extra-large laughs, joy, and love, CLIFFORD: The Big Red Dog is paw-fect for his Clifford's young fans and nostalgic chaperones.

*The Gruffalo

Recommended for Grades: PreK-3 

Approximate Run Time: 55 minutes

This much-loved magical, musical adaptation of the classic picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler returns by popular demand, celebrating the show's 25th anniversary. On a daring adventure, Mouse meets the cunning Fox, the eccentric old Owl, and the high-spirited Snake. Will the story of the scary Gruffalo save Mouse from ending up as dinner for these hungry woodland creatures? After all, there's no such thing as a Gruffalo – is there?

YAMATO - The Drummers of Japan

Recommended for Grades: PreK-12

Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes

YAMATO – The Drummers of Japan fills the stage with energy and joy, along with over 40 taiko drums. Capable of producing both delicate and explosive sound, each of the traditional drums played by these accomplished musicians has a different character. A shared theatrical experience unlike anything else this season, this show offers an opportunity to link global history, music, and athleticism to your students' studies.

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