Experience PPAC
Experience PPAC is a FREE statewide education initiative that launched during the 2019-2020 season at the Providence Performing Arts Center. This program enables 10th grade students – or classes comprised of grades 10 through 12 - from across Rhode Island to attend matinee performances of select touring Broadway productions with their high school at no cost, with busing reimbursed.
Schools can register for one performance per year, and they must arrange for their own transportation. PPAC will reimburse the busing costs for groups of 20 students or more to schools that are not able to pay for their own transportation. You must submit busing invoices by email to Betsy Rinaldi within 60 days of the performance your school attended to be reimbursed for the cost of your busing.
Betsy Rinaldi
Education, Outreach & Engagement Manager
brinaldi@ppacri.org
Please note: PPAC is NOT responsible for any busing costs incurred due to last-minute changes within 48 hours of the performance.
If your school is having difficulty acquiring buses, and need assistance in facilitating transportation, please contact Dana Brazil:
Dana Brazil
Director of Education, Outreach & Engagement
dbrazil@ppacri.org
(401) 574-3132
Working in close partnership with each school district, Experience PPAC supports the core curriculum work that teachers and students are doing in the classroom, bringing it to life through this experiential learning opportunity. Show specific study guides will be provided to registrants (when available) prior to attending their selected performance so that they may engage with the educational material, creative concepts, and lessons before the show. Additionally, details on theatre etiquette will be distributed to all registered teachers; we strongly encourage a review of this information prior to your visit to PPAC.
Tickets and busing to Experience PPAC performances are FREE for registered schools; these tickets are not available to the public. This program is an Education/Outreach offering for 10th grade students – or classes comprised of grades 10 through 12 – in the state of Rhode Island and their teachers/chaperones only.
*** REGISTRATION OPENS HERE ON MONDAY, MAY 11, 2026 AT 10A. REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE AT 5P ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2027. ***
For more information on Experience PPAC, please contact Dana Brazil, Director of Education, Outreach & Engagement:
Dana Brazil
Director of Education, Outreach & Engagement
dbrazil@ppacri.org
(401) 574-3132
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2026 – 11A
THE GREAT GATSBY
THE PARTY’S ROARING IN PROVIDENCE!THE GREAT GATSBY is a “Broadway extravaganza that explodes with life and energy” (Entertainment Weekly). Based on the classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the Tony Award®-winning new musical is an unforgettable journey of love, wealth and tragedy that brings the Roaring Twenties to life on stage.
Directed by Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), this story of extravagance and longing features choreography by Dominique Kelley (So You Think You Can Dance), a book by Kait Kerrigan (The Mad Ones) and a jazz and pop-influenced original score by Jason Howland (Little Women) and Nathan Tysen (Paradise Square).
Curriculum Connections: U.S. History, the “American Dream,” Symbolism, Social/Economic Class Issues, and Literature
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes including intermission
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2026 – 11A
HELL'S KITCHEN
Welcome to HELL’S KITCHEN, the hit musical from 17-time Grammy® Award winning Alicia Keys – inspired by her life, her music, and her community.
Your journey begins with Ali, a 17-year-old girl full of fire, searching for freedom, passion, and her place in the world. Along the way, you’ll meet the musical mentor who changes her life, her dynamic family, and the neighborhood that helps her grow. Relatable, raw, and refreshingly fun, HELL’S KITCHEN is a celebration of finding yourself, your purpose, and the people who lift you up.
More than watching a performance, this experience pulls you out of your seat and has you buzzing when you leave, wondering who to tell about it first. The music – a mix of Keys’ greatest hits and new songs written exclusively for the show – is brought to life through exhilarating choreography. It’s a soundtrack of rebellion, life, and love that speaks to you no matter where you’re from, where you’ve been, or where you’re going.
Hailed as a New York Times Critic’s Pick that is “thrilling from beginning to end – a rare must see!”, HELL’S KITCHEN is directed by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (RENT, Dear Evan Hansen, and The Notebook), with choreography by four-time Tony award nominee Camille A. Brown, a book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristoffer Diaz, and the music of Alicia Keys.
Feel the energy of this multi-award-winning musical and experience where dreams begin: HELL’S KITCHEN.
Curriculum Connections: Autobiography, African American and Women’s Issues, History, Music, and Self-Expression.
Runtime: Approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes including intermission
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2027 – 11A
MAYBE HAPPY ENDING
Winner of 6 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, MAYBE HAPPY ENDING tells the deeply human story of a chance encounter that sparks connection, adventure, and maybe even love. Helmed by Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden (Parade), MAYBE HAPPY ENDING has been called “one of the best musicals in years” (USA Today) and even “The best musical in eons!” (Observer). Don’t miss the totally original new musical adventure that explores what it means to be human. Even if they’re not.
Curriculum Connections: Technology/Ethics, Asian/Korean Studies, and Social/Emotional Learning.
Runtime: Approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes with NO intermission