Pushcart Players Reveals Five Touring Shows as Part of 2026-27 Season

Pushcart Players, New Jersey's award-winning touring theater for young audiences, has announced its 2026–27 season of professional theater, live programs, and virtual experiences designed to spark imagination, learning, creativity, and meaningful connections for children and families nationwide.

The season is made possible in part by generous operating support from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts (NJSCA), a long-standing partner of Pushcart Players and a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. NJSCA recognizes the essential role of the arts in building strong communities, excellent schools, lifelong learning, creative expression, and opportunity.

“We are excited to bring this new season to schools, theaters, and young audiences throughout New Jersey and across the country,” said Paul Whelihan, producing artistic director of Pushcart Players. “These productions invite children to discover the past, celebrate cultures and traditions, find their own voices, and understand the importance of kindness, friendship, inclusion, and community. Our goal is always to make exceptional theater accessible while giving young people experiences that stay with them long after the curtain closes.”

“A More Perfect Union”

Pushcart Players brings the founding of America to life in this spirited folk musical. Through music, dance, storytelling, period folk songs, lively choreography, and innovative scenery and costumes, audiences follow four relatable characters—Benjamin, Rebecca, Luke, and Abby—as they experience pivotal moments from the Boston Tea Party and Shays' Rebellion through the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The production explores liberty, justice, unity, resilience, and the role ordinary citizens play in shaping the future.

“Stone Soup… and Other Stories”

A Pushcart favorite, “Stone Soup…” takes audiences on a musical journey around the world through four engaging tales. Drawing from folklore and traditions of Africa, India, Eastern Europe, and the United States, the production celebrates the joy of reading while exploring acceptance, sharing, friendship, music, fantasy, and play.

“Cuentos del Árbol”

This bilingual musical brings Spanish and Latin American folklore to life. At the center of the production is a tree—Un Árbol—that has sheltered and nurtured generations of characters. Arbolita, the tree's caretaker, shares three tales with Tomás, a storyteller searching for stories for his collection: The Garden of the Golden Oranges, Juan Bobo (Silly John), and Little Red Riding Hood. The production makes theater accessible to audiences for whom English is a second language and concludes with a joyful celebration.

“Kalien the Alien: Outta' This World”

When a young alien named Kalien accidentally lands on Earth, he discovers that being different can be a wonderful thing. This playful musical explores anti-bullying, prejudice, kindness, acceptance, anti-racism, friendship, and social-emotional learning. Music and theater become pathways to new ways of learning and understanding one another.

“Lift Every Voice: A Letter to the Editor”

This multimedia production explores the music, images, and spirit of mid-century America through the eyes of Junebug, a 12-year-old boy living in the South in the 1960s. After learning about James Meredith's effort to integrate the University of Mississippi and encountering opposition to integration in his local newspaper, Junebug finds the courage to speak out for equality and inclusion. Historical touchstones include the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Little Rock Nine, the Greensboro Sit-ins, the Freedom Fighters, and the Civil Rights Movement.

“A Season of Miracles”

Pushcart celebrates the holiday season with a sparkling collection of stories encompassing Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa. The production includes O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi, E.T.A. Hoffmann's The Nutcracker, The Kwanzaa Kite, an original tale by Ruth Fost set in Nigeria, and the Chelm story The Chanukah Miracle. Crafted and set to music by Tony Award winner Larry Hochman, the production explores the spirit and meaning of the holidays through music, storytelling, and multicultural traditions.

“Storytelling by Gerald Fierst”

Acclaimed storyteller Gerald Fierst offers several participatory programs combining folklore, literature, history, theater, humor, drama, and surprise:

• “Tales From Around the World” – Multicultural folklore, literature, and original stories emphasizing that everyone has stories to tell.
• “The American Spirit” – Storytelling and theater that brings American history to life through eyewitness accounts and stories of figures including George Washington, Sojourner Truth, the Wright Brothers, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
• “Jewish Programs for All Ages” – Stories, traditions, drama, and history exploring the rich storytelling heritage of the Jewish people, including special holiday and synagogue programs.
• “Spooks & Ghosts” – Classic supernatural tales, contemporary stories of other consciousness, and true tales of the inexplicable.

“mr. RAY”

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