Tickets to Orpheum's 2015-16 FAMILY SERIES on Sale 9/14

The Orpheum Theatre announced a season of engaging literary favorites, visually stunning dance, and energetic musical performances for the 2015-2016 Family Series. This year, the Orpheum's new Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education allows the Series to double its schedule for a year of exciting productions made for the entire family.

"The Orpheum Family Series is one of our most important programs," says Alice Roberts, Vice President of Programming & Education. "Through these carefully selected productions families can experience performances together as a unit. Just as important, these shows also open the door for learning, communication, and - of course - a night of fun that creates lasting memories and encourages a lifelong love of the arts."

For the first time, this year's series will include a combination of performances at both the Orpheum Theatre, located at 203 S. Main Street, and at the new Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education, located adjacent to the historic Orpheum at 225 S. Main Street in Downtown Memphis. The Orpheum will also be able to offer its first ever sensory-friendly performances for select titles. Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a performing arts experience that is welcoming to all families with children with autism or with other disabilities that create sensory sensitivities.

The Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education, a vital compliment to the Orpheum Theatre, opens to the public this month. The Centre's added classroom space, start-of-the-art 361-seat theatre, dance studio, cutting-edge audio/video lab, and rehearsal hall allows the Orpheum to expand its education and community initiatives to better serve individuals of all ages. The Halloran Centre will increase the Orpheum's programming capacity and enable the organization to serve 100,000 students, teachers, and families annually.

Tickets to the 2015-2016 Family Series will go on sale Monday, September 14th. Tickets will be available for purchase online at the official Orpheum Theatre website, www.orpheum-memphis.com, The Orpheum Box Office (901.525.3000), the ticket counter at The Booksellers at Laurelwood, and all Ticketmaster centers (901.743.ARTS). Families that purchase three or more shows in the series at one time qualify as Family Series Subscribers and receive a special rate of $12 per person, per show.

Individual tickets are $15 per person or $30 for VIP tickets. Special group rates will also be available by calling 901.529.4226 or emailing groups@orpheum-memphis.com.

Families are invited to attend pre-show lobby activities at each performance. The Orpheum's 2015-2016 Family Series is made possible by the following generous sponsors: AutoZone, Tennessee Arts Commission, South Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Orpheum Theatre's 2015-2016 Family Series

CAT IN THE HAT

October 30, 2015 6:30pm

The Orpheum Theatre

From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears at their door, Sally and her brother know that the Cat in the Hat is the most mischievous cat they will ever meet. Suddenly the rainy afternoon is transformed by the Cat and his antics. Will their house ever be the same? Can the kids clean up before mom comes home? With some tricks (and a fish) and Thing Two and Thing One, with the Cat in The Hat, the fun's never done!

NEARLY LEAR

November 6, 2015 7:00pm

Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education

What if the great and tragic story of King Lear were to be told by the King's closet companion - his own fool? This is Nearly Lear. Seen through the eyes of the Lear's devoted clown, Norris (who, in good Shakespearean tradition, is actually Noreen disguised as a boy), the story is not only poignant and tragic, but also mischievous, tender and achingly funny. Nearly Lear confounds expectations of what a Shakespeare play 'should' be and uses exuberant storytelling, music and film, as well as Shakespeare's magnificent text to take its audience firmly into the heart of this great story.

ARC ATTACK

November 13, 2015 6:30pm

The Orpheum Theatre

Arc Attack is a unique performance spanning the worlds of rock music and science. Two custom engineered hand built Tesla Coils throw out electrical arcs up to twelve feet long, each one acting as an instrument with a sound reminiscent of the early days of the synthesizer. They are accompanied by a high tech robotic drum kit. Part rock concert, part science experiment the creators of ArcAttack unveil the science behind the spectacle. Combining their love of music with science the group invites the audience to explore concepts such as electricity, voltage and current, magnetism, robotics, and lightning through a show that's both entertaining and interactive.

MOON MOUSE

February 5, 2016 6:30pm

The Orpheum Theatre

Marvin the mouse wants to be popular. Constantly bullied and picked on by the "cool" rats, he is labeled as a looser and a geek. To get away from the continuous badgering, he retreats into his science books and a world of fantasy. He longs to have adventures, to be the hero. Join Marvin on the space adventure of a lifetime; a trip to the surface of the moon on his homemade rocket, where he meets a strange cast of misfit creatures, learns of infinite peril and awesome beauty. Will Marvin make his dreams come true and bring him the glory and acceptance he craves? Lightwire Theater is proud to present Moon Mouse, a cosmic adventure about celebrating differences.

DOKTOR KABOOM: LIVE WIRE

February 19, 2016 7:00pm

Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education

Series Doktor Kaboom! Performs original interactive Science Comedy shows for audiences of all ages. Kaboom! Creatively blends theatre arts with the wonders of scientific exploration. In this performance, Doktor Kaboom! will explore the fundamentals of electrical energy and the history of humanity's adventures into its potential.

CONTRA-TIEMPO

February 19, 2016 6:30pm

The Orpheum Theatre

Contra-Tiempo is a bold and multi-lingual Los Angeles based dance company, dedicated to transforming the world through dance. In their newest evening-length work, Augua Furiosa, Contra-Tiempo challenges audiences to confront harsh realities of race in our country. Inspired by Shakespeare's The Tempest and Oya, the Afro-Cuban deity of wind and storms, artistic director and choreographer Ana Maria Alvarez, harnesses her unique Urban-Latin movement approach to create a visually stunning and thought provoking evening of dance performance. Agua Furiosa merges call and response, a live vocalist, water themes, fierce physicality and the performers' own personal narratives.

MOBY DICK

February 26, 2016 7:00pm

Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education

Set sail for a whale of a tale with young sailor Ishmael, first mate Starbuck, and Captain Ahab as they voyage across the seven seas in search of the legendary white whale Moby Dick! Herman Melville's epic saga makes a splash to North America once again in this inventive production from Germany's award-winning Theater Triebwerk. Three gifted actors use their bodies, ever-switching hats, and a variety of musical instruments to create excitement and suspense. See how a double bass and cello personify everything from the creaking of the oars to the moaning of the hull, to the elusive whale himself!

ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE'S 'WE ARE IN A PLAY'

March 3, 2016 6:30pm - Sensory Friendly

The Orpheum Theatre

Elephant Gerald is an elephant: lumbering, formally attired, and prone to melancholy. Piggie is (what else!) a piggie: perky, smiley, full of fun. Total opposites? No way! In Mo Willems's beloved, award-winning, best-selling children's books, Elephant Gerald and Piggie are best friends! And in We Are in a Play!, a brand-new vaudevillian romp of a musical, Elephant Gerald and Piggie sing and dance their way through plenty of pachydermal peril and swiney suspense--facing fundamental questions like, what do you wear to a fancy pool costume party? Should you share your ice cream? And how can two friends play with one toy? Backed by a live band (Dr. Cat and the Bear-a-Tones) and nutty back-up singers The Squirrelles, our duo even gets the audience involved in the action. So get ready for a musical experience ripped from the pages of your favorite books. You'll be doing the "Flippy Floppy Floory" dance all night long!

GOODNIGHT MOON/RUNAWAY BUNNY

April 8, 2016 6:30pm

The Orpheum Theatre

Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia presents this innovative double-bill adaptation of Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd's beloved bedtime classics, Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny. Goodnight Moon is a celebration of familiar nighttime rituals, while The Runaway Bunny's pretend tale of leaving home evokes reassuring responses from his loving mum. Both tales feature endearing rabbit characters, and the soothing rhythms of bunny banter and dream-like imagery never fail to infuse young readers with a reassuring sense of security and peace. Whimsical puppetry and evocative original music will bring a new sense of appreciation to stories that have delighted several generations.

EGG

April 15, 2016 6:30pm and Saturday, April 16, 2016 11:00am - Sensory Friendly for Saturday performance only

Halloran Centre for Performing Arts & Education

This magical story of friendship and empathy unfolds on a rustic set, exquisitely constructed out of twigs, feathers and shell. Join three madcap birds on an adventure of a lifetime as they grapple with growing up and giving in to their natural instincts to take flight. The story of Egg is told through physical theatre, illusion, & music, creating a sophisticated, non-verbal exploration of the theme of "flying the nest". An enchanting story of friendship and wonder. A tale of three birds.... and an egg! The Saturday matinee performance of EGG will be a sensory friendly.