Providence Performing Arts Center Unveils 2025–2026 ARTS Showcase Season

The Providence Performing Arts Center has unveiled its 2025–2026 ARTS Showcase season, a series of live and virtual performances that integrate arts learning into classroom education for Rhode Island students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

Each year, PPAC’s ARTS Showcase brings nationally and regionally acclaimed touring artists to the stage, selected for their artistic quality, cultural relevance, and educational impact. The program is open to schools statewide, with limited participation for Massachusetts schools within a 20-mile radius for virtual offerings. ARTS Showcase performances are not open to the public.

Teachers and administrators can register their students for one in-person performance at PPAC and unlimited virtual presentations by visiting ppacri.org/artsshowcase or by contacting Grace Madeya at gmadeya@ppacri.org.

2025–2026 ARTS Showcase Lineup

Childsplay: Maddi’s Fridge

Live Performance: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Curriculum Connections: Fine Arts, Language Arts, Social Studies, Emotional/Social Development
Based on the acclaimed children’s book, Maddi’s Fridge tells the story of two best friends, Sofia and Maddi, and the difficult choice Sofia faces when she discovers her friend’s family is struggling with food insecurity. The play encourages empathy, friendship, and compassion.

The Makanda Project: Three or Four Hues of Hughes

Live Performance: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Curriculum Connections: Music, History, Literature, Language Arts
The Makanda Project Big Band teams up with poet Regie Gibson to bring the words of Langston Hughes to life through jazz, rhythm, and verse, introducing students to one of America’s most celebrated poets and the musical traditions that shaped his work.

Rhode Island Black Story Tellers: Stories That Bring Us Together – A Celebration of Black Storytelling

Live Performance: Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Virtual Availability: February 9–27, 2026
Curriculum Connections: Language Arts, Music, Storytelling, History, Social Studies, World Geography, Multi-Cultural Studies
Students will experience the rich oral traditions of the African diaspora through engaging, interactive performances by master storytellers, featuring music, call-and-response, and audience participation.

Nambi E. Kelley: Hero – The Boy from Troy

Live Performance: Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Virtual Availability: March 9–27, 2026
Curriculum Connections: Fine Arts, History & Social Studies, Social Development
This inspiring production follows Jayden, a student who discovers the power of activism through the story of Congressman John Lewis. Blending music and history, the performance highlights courage, leadership, and the importance of standing up for justice.

Providence Ballet Theatre: Hansel and Gretel

Live Performance: Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Virtual Availability: May 6–27, 2026
Curriculum Connections: Dance, English Language Arts, Critical Thinking, Physical Expression
Providence Ballet Theatre brings a classic tale to life through contemporary dance, creative movement, and imaginative design, offering students a visually stunning exploration of storytelling through motion.

Bill Blagg: Magic in Motion

Live Performance: Friday, May 15, 2026
Curriculum Connections: Scientific Reasoning, Simple Machines, Problem Solving, Theatre and Drama
Blending illusion with physics, magician Bill Blagg demonstrates how scientific principles such as force, motion, and energy can create seemingly impossible effects—transforming science into spectacle.

About ARTS Showcase

PPAC’s ARTS Showcase program provides arts education experiences designed to support classroom curriculum while expanding students’ cultural literacy. Each performance is selected by a committee of educators and arts professionals for its artistic excellence, educational value, and positive messaging.

Rhode Island Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE WIZARD OF OZ (Stadium Theatre)

12.8% of votes

2. SWEENEY TODD (East End Theatre and Performing Arts)

12.7% of votes

3. THE LITTLE MERMAID (Stadium Theatre)

10.8% of votes

Vote Now!