Children’s Theatre of Charlotte announces its new season
The sun’ll come out in September, voters will come out in October, the Herdmans will come out (as always) in December, Kindness with a capital K will come to Cuba in March, and a chaos-spreading Cat with a capital C will come briefly to grief in April.
Children’s Theatre of Charlotte has just announced its 2020-21 season, which opens with the adored musical “Annie” and closes on the main stage with the amiable madness of “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat.” In between come the now-perennial favorite “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical,” a trunk show — a concept we’ll come to in a minute — and “Tropical Secrets,” a play about Holocaust refugees that takes CTC’s Kindness Project down to Havana.
This all happens at ImaginOn, 300 E. Seventh St. Season tickets don’t go on sale to returning subscribers until March 24; when they do, packages will begin at $65, depending on the number of shows you want to see. The general public can get into the act April 7. You’ll find full details at ctcharlotte.org or 704-973-2828, but this list of shows should rouse your curiosity:
“Annie,” Sept. 25-Nov. 1: The company continues its tradition of opening the season with a full-length Broadway musical, this one the Tony-winner from 1977 about a young orphan who finds happiness during the Great Depression with a billionaire and a pooch.
“Grace for President,” Oct. 24-Nov. 15: CTC gave the local premiere of this story about classroom elections in 2016, the first time a woman headed a major political party’s ticket. It’s back four years later to ask whether popularity or brains should determine an election.
“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever: The Musical,” Nov. 27-Dec. 20: The highest-grossing show in the company’s history gets its fifth annual appearance.
“The Dot,” Dec. 29-31: A girl’s teacher tells her, “Just make a mark and see where it takes you.” Then adventures begin. This one-person show, which will also be done in community venues, is an example of trunk theater: All props and costumes come out of a single trunk.
“Maddi’s Fridge,” Jan. 9-16: This production, which also tours, focuses on two girls: Maddi, whose family doesn’t have enough money to keep the refrigerator filled, and Sofia, who has to decide whether to keep Maddi’s sad secret (as promised) or reach out on her friend’s behalf.
“The Magician’s Secret,” Feb. 5-21: Budding magician Finn Fogerty wants to be the successor to the Great Marvellini. First, though, she’ll have to unravel a mystery at the Magic Mansion and ward off the illusions and tricks of her opponents.
“Sunjata Kamalenya: The Story of the True Lion King of Africa,” March 5-6: A mother and son overcome odds to save the ancient empire of Mali in this interweaving of storytelling, African song and dance. Guest producer Experiential Theatre Company will bring in this show.
“Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba,” March 12-28: An 11-year-old escapee from Nazi Germany befriends a girl with secrets of her own in Havana. When Cuba enters the war on the American side, their friendship is threatened. This is part of CTC’s ongoing Kindness Project.
“Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat,” April 10-May 9: Little ones learn about (dis)order and (dis)obedience when a naughty, magical feline drops by on a gloomy day.
“Aesop’s Fables,” May 7-16: The other main touring production uses music and narrative to dramatize such life lessons as “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”
“The Lizard and El Sol,” May 27-June 6: This touring production for pre-K theatergoers, a Mexican folktale adapted as a puppet show, shows what happens when a tenacious lizard sets out to find the missing sun and bring warmth back to his land.
This story is part of an Observer underwriting project with the Thrive Campaign for the Arts, supporting arts journalism in Charlotte.
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This story was originally published February 28, 2020 at 8:00 AM.