- Seven-week season features the best of children’s music, dance, theater and more
- Season features premiere of mini-musical, Listen, Wilhelmina!, commissioned by Wolf Trap Foundation
- Summer fun for children of all ages, including affordable tickets, free parking, bring-your-own picnic, and Wolf Trap’s new Stay and Play initiative after the performances
- America’s only National Park for the Performing Arts offers a beautiful setting and casual atmosphere to introduce new performance-goers to the arts
Vienna, Virginia (April 6, 2017)— Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts announces its 2017 season lineup for Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. Since 1971, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods has been a Washington-area summer tradition for children and their families, featuring diverse acts including puppetry, storytelling, dance, theater, and music. A complete chronological calendar and select images are available in the online press room. Additional print-ready images are available upon request.
Ten acts make their Wolf Trap debuts this summer, beginning with the season opener, musical storytellers Alex & The Kaleidoscope. Newcomers include Vital Theatre Company’s presentation of Pinkalicious the Musical and acclaimed Cuban troupe DC Casineros Dance Company. Returning favorites include 2016 Grammy nominee The Okee Dokee Brothers and 2016 Latin Grammy winner 123 Andrés.
A new mini-musical, Listen, Wilhelmina!, commissioned by Wolf Trap Foundation, will have its world premiere as part of the Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods season. The fully staged, 20-minute production is an entertaining and educational experience crafted by Washington, D.C.-based composer David Hanlon (Houston Grand Opera’s After the Storm) and librettist Kathleen Kelly. The production tells a story about three young wombats – Wilhelmina, Wallis and Winston – who go to their very first concert and learn how much fun music-making can be. The project brings together two of the Foundation’s mission-based programs: Wolf Trap Opera, one of the nation’s premier training grounds for young professional singers, and Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, a nationally recognized leader in early childhood arts-based learning. In addition to its public premiere in July, Listen, Wilhelmina! will have a private performance in May as part of Wolf Trap Foundation’s annual Field Trip program, which gives young children their first introduction to live performances.
Situated in the heart of Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, the open-air Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods welcomes families, school groups, camps, caregivers, and their young ones, and often serves as children’s’ first live performance experience. Performances can be enjoyed Tuesday through Saturday mornings at 10:30 a.m., beginning June 20 through August 5. Tickets are $8 - $12 and children under two enter free of charge.
New this summer, performance goers are encouraged to enjoy post-performance games and activities through Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods Stay and Play initiative. Select shows will also feature showcases by the Wolf Trap National Park Junior Ranger Program, including backstage tours, trail walks, garden tours and more.
Through its Community Service Ticket program, Wolf Trap Foundation participates with local nonprofits serving children and families who are economically disadvantaged and individuals with special needs by providing thousands of complimentary tickets to select Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods performances. For more information about the program, visit the website.
Wolf Trap also continues its family access initiative for select Filene Center performances. The Young at Arts program invites families to connect with the arts and with each other by offering free 17-and-under tickets for select performances. For a complete listing of performance dates and program information, visit wolftrap.org/youngatarts.
“Educating young children through the arts is core to what we do at Wolf Trap, and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods is wonderful representation of that value,” said Arvind Manocha, president and CEO of Wolf Trap Foundation. “This program allows young people to experience live performance – often for the very first time – by some of the most celebrated children’s artists in a fun, approachable way.”
Ticketing and On-Sale Information
- Tickets for Wolf Trap’s Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods performances go on sale to the public on Saturday, April 22 at 10:00 a.m.
- Tickets are required for all performances for adults and children. Children under two are free, but still require a ticket
Beginning April 22 at 10 a.m., Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods tickets may be purchased:
- Online at wolftrap.org/woods
- By phone at 877.WOLFTRAP
- In-person at the Filene Center Box Office, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna, VA
Major support of this program is provided by the Rubenstein Next Generation Initiative.\
Wolf Trap’s 2017 season is made possible by generous support from
Dan and Gayle D’Aniello, 2017 Season Underwriters.
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Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, produces and presents a full range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally. Wolf Trap features three performance venues: the outdoor Filene Center and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, both located at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts, and The Barns at Wolf Trap, located down the road from the national park and adjacent to the Center for Education at Wolf Trap. The 7,028-seat Filene Center is operated in partnership with the National Park Service and annually showcases an extensive array of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk, and blues to classical music, dance, and theatre, as well as multimedia presentations, from May through September. The Barns at Wolf Trap is operated by the Wolf Trap Foundation year round, and during the summer months is home to the Grammy-nominated Wolf Trap Opera, one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods, a diverse array of arts education classes, grants, and a nationally recognized internship program.
Media Information
(Please do not publish contact information)
Emily Smalling, Manager, Media Relations
703.255.4096 or emilys@wolftrap.org