PPAC Announces ARTS Showcase for the 2025/2026 Academic Year
THE PROVIDENCE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER ANNOUNCES ARTS SHOWCASE FOR THE 2025/2026 ACADEMIC YEAR
Providence, RI – The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) is pleased to announce the 2025/2026 ARTS Showcase season. ARTS Showcase is an outreach and engagement program that is open to Rhode Island students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The six performances in the ARTS Showcase connect to school curriculum and feature New England and nationally acclaimed touring artists. These artists are selected by a PPAC committee based on artistic quality, cultural diversity, educational value and the positive message of the performances.
Rhode Island schools may sign up for one live performance at PPAC and as many virtual performances are they would like. Schools within a 20-mile radius of PPAC in Massachusetts can sign up to view virtual performances. ARTS Showcase shows are not open to the public.
Teachers or schools who are interested in attending an ARTS Showcase performance with their students, either in person or virtually, must register at ppacri.org/artsshowcase by the registration deadlines listed on the web page. Schools may also email Grace Madeya at gmadeya@ppacri.org to request registration materials.
The 2025/2026 performance season for ARTS Showcase is:
Childsplay, MADDI’S FRIDGE
Live Performance at PPAC on Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Curriculum Connections: Fine Arts, Language Arts, Social Studies, Emotional/Social Development.
MADDI’S FRIDGE tells the story of best friends Sofia and Maddi, and the difficult decision Sofia faces when she learns about her friend’s empty fridge. This heartwarming play instills important lessons in friendship, empathy and helping others.
The Makanda Project, THREE OR FOUR HUES OF HUGHES
Live Performance at PPAC on Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Curriculum Connections: Music, History, Literature, Language Arts.
Step into a powerful celebration of poetry, rhythm, and sound as The Makanda Project Big Band joins forces with renowned Poet Laureate Regie Gibson to bring the timeless words of Langston Hughes to life. Perfect for elementary and middle school learners, this performance introduces students to one of the great American poets, and to the art form of the jazz big band!
Rhode Island Black Story Tellers, STORIES THAT BRING US TOGETHER –A CELEBRATION OF BLACK STORYTELLING
Live Performance at PPAC on Tuesday, January 13, 2026
* Available virtually Monday, February 9 – Friday, February 27, 2026 *
Curriculum Connections: Language Arts, Music, Storytelling, History, Social Studies, World Geography, and Multi-Cultural Studies.
Students will experience the vibrant oral traditions of the African diaspora in this dynamic performance featuring master storytellers from the National Association of Black Storytellers. With call-and-response, music, and audience participation, this interactive program brings storytelling to life while supporting school curriculum.
Nambi E. Kelley, HERO: THE BOY FROM TROY
Live Performance at PPAC on Tuesday, February 10, 2026
*Available virtually Monday, March 9 – Friday, March 27, 2026*
Curriculum Connections: Fine Arts, History & Social Studies, Social Development
Jayden is stuck in detention with a book about Congressman John Lewis, but he thinks that history has nothing to teach him. Jayden and the audience go on a musical journey through Lewis’ life, learning how the heroes in the Civil Rights movement inspired him to take action and make a difference.
Providence Ballet, HANSEL AND GRETEL
Live Performance at PPAC on Tuesday, April 7, 2026
*Available virtually Wednesday, May 6 – Wednesday, May 27, 2026*
Curriculum Connections: Dance, English Language Arts, Critical Thinking, and Physical Expression.
Providence Ballet Theatre proudly presents Hansel and Gretel, a magical journey into one of the most beloved stories of all time. Audiences will experience contemporary dance that celebrates artistic expression and sparks curiosity.
Bill Blagg, MAGIC IN MOTION
Live Performance at PPAC on Friday, May 15, 2026
Curriculum Connections: Scientific Reasoning, Simple Machines, Problem Solving, Theatre and Drama.
Students will learn first-hand how to create illusions using core scientific principles such as force, energy, friction, motion and more. Together with Bill, they will apply these principles in a variety of magical experiments that will bend the laws of science and create the impossible!