SCHOOL GROUP MATINEES
Parker Arts offers educators the opportunity to integrate and enrich their curriculum with live performing arts. School group matinees are provided throughout the school year and often include post-show talkbacks with actors that allow students to ask questions and further enrich their theater-going experience. Most school group matinees include a study guide.
TICKETS
School group tickets are only $10 and one complimentary chaperone ticket is available for every ten tickets purchased (up to ten chaperone tickets per school group). Please account for all possible attendees in your order and contact the Box Office with attendance changes one month prior to the performance. School groups must consist of ten or more students in order to qualify for the discounted rate of $10 tickets.
REQUEST FORM
Once your field trip has been approved by your principal, complete a School Group Request Form online starting August 25, 2025. A member of our Box Office team will email you with the status of your school group request and invoice. School group matinees are in high demand, and it may not be possible to accommodate all requests. Requests are honored based on Parker Arts mission, seat availability, and audience development. For general questions, seat availability, adjusting student counts, or to provide additional information regarding your students’ needs, please call the Box Office at 303.805.6800.
PAYMENT
Payment is due within 30 days of receiving an invoice unless otherwise noted. Your reservation will be released if payment is not met within the due date. If necessary, please contact the Box Office to discuss payment options including a non-refundable deposit for your order. Payments can be made by credit over the phone at 303.805.6800 or by mailing a check to:
PACE Center c/o Education
20000 Pikes Peak Ave.
Parker, CO 80138
BUS SCHOLARSHIP
Bus scholarships are available for qualified schools in need of funding to attend student matinees at the Parker Arts. To apply for a bus scholarship please submit a completed Bus Scholarship Application and provide a statement of qualifications or reason for financial assistance from your principal and email to PACEedu@parkerco.gov. Applications must be received with your school group order. For qualification and funding availability, please contact Education Manager Kirstin Fletcher at 303.805.3364 or via email.
SCHOOL GROUP MATINEE GUIDE
Please review the School Group Matinee Guide before attending a school group matinee for questions from busing and seating to lunches and inclement weather.
Coming soon – download the 2025/2026 School Group Matinee Flyer to share with your fellow teachers today!
2025/2026 Student Matinees
The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System
October 28 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm | PACE Center Theater
When the class gets lost on the way to the planetarium, Ms. Frizzle saves the day by blasting into outer space for an epic interplanetary field trip! But when rivalries both old and new threaten to tear the students apart, our young heroes must learn to pull together or risk getting forever lost in the solar system. Hop on The Magic School Bus for a ride in this new musical adaptation based on the original book series published by Scholastic.
Grades: K – 5 (Ages 5 – 10 yrs)
Run Time: 60 minutes
Curriculum: Communication and Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Music and Performing Arts.
Download Study Guide
These materials are intended to be used in printed form only.
Tomato Plant Girl
December 3 – 5 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm| The Schoolhouse Theater
The Tomato Plant Girl by playwright Wesley Middleton is a heartfelt and quirky play presented by Parker Arts and Platte Valley Theatre Arts. This award-winning production follows the journey of a young girl who, inspired by her love for gardening, plants a tomato plant in her backyard as a symbol of her personal growth. As she nurtures the plant, she discovers her ability to overcome challenges and transform her life, drawing parallels between the plant’s growth and her own self-discovery. The play blends humor and tenderness to explore the complexities of adolescence and the beauty of finding one’s place in the world.
Grades: Pre-K – 2 (Ages 3 – 8 yrs)
Run Time: 50 minutes
Curriculum: Language Arts and Literature, Social Emotional Learning, Problem Solving, Relationships and Family, and Performing Arts.
Download Study Guide
These materials are intended to be used in printed form only.
Shrek The Muscial
January 30 & February 6 | 10:00 am |PACE Center Theater
“Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek….” And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand… and his name is Shrek. Irreverently fun, Shrek proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre.
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, or Change) and a sidesplitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there’s more to the story than meets the ears.
CAUTION: Contains some mature situations/themes and is intended for an older youth audience.
Shrek The Musical is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Grades: 4 – 12 (Ages 10 – 18 yrs)
Run Time: 180 minutes (Typically runs three hours with intermission.)
Curriculum: Language Arts and Fairy Tales, Social Studies, Film and Cinema, and Performing Arts.
Mr. C Live! Air is Everywhere
April 20 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm| The PACE Center Theater
Are you ready for some hair-raising science, toe-tapping music and mind-blowing media? Join Mister C for an amazing day of learning in the lab as he explores all things air! As the creator and host of the regional Emmy-nominated show Full STEAM Ahead, Mister C is no stranger to finding exciting and engaging ways to explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in our everyday lives. Get ready to experience liquid Nitrogen, t-shirt cannons, toilet paper and ping pong ball launchers plus much more in this STEAM powered show!
Mister C is a 20-year educator whose mission is to transform how everyone thinks about learning and gets everyone singing, dancing and learning to the tune of science. Students and teachers will be amazed with this fun and educational series as Mister C uses humor, media and the engineering design process to make the ordinary extraordinary! Mister C is a regional Emmy Award-winning producer for his show DIY Science Time which airs on PBS stations across the country! He is a 15-time Telly Award winner for DIY Science Time and he’s also a 4-time regional Emmy-nominated host for Full STEAM Ahead.
Grades: K – 4 (Ages 5 – 9 yrs)
Run Time: 60 minutes
Curriculum: Communication and Language Arts, STEAM, Problem Solving, Friendships and Performing Arts.
Goodnight Moon
March 24 – 27 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm| The Schoolhouse Theater
Join us at The Schoolhouse, where this beloved children’s story comes to life on stage in front of an astonishing life-sized set made entirely of yarn by talented fiber artist Kenneth Chapin and Emilie Odeile. Margaret Wise Brown’s classic story Goodnight Moon has been loved and passed down through the generations for more than 60 years. The bunny in the blue and white striped PJs wants to delay going to bed for as long as possible, so he says goodnight to every object in his room – and beyond. In this new musical adaptation by Chad Henry, the objects and characters jump off the pages, and the bunny’s bedroom comes to life. Suddenly, the cat and the fiddle, red balloon, clocks and socks, kittens and mittens, and the cow jumping over the moon are just a few of the many that spring into action. Bedtime has never been so entertaining!
Following the show, students will have the opportunity view the fiber art exhibit up close. Please plan for additional 15 minutes for viewing.
Grades: PreK – 3 (3 – 8 yrs)
Run Time: 60 minutes
Curriculum: Literature, Storytelling, Poetry Rhyming, Problem Solving, Visual Arts and Performing Arts.
Ada Twist
March 25 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm| The PACE Center Theater
Give your students a new way of looking at STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum in a fun musical based on Andrea Beaty’s books, “Rosie Revere, Engineer,” “Iggy Peck, Architect” and “Ada Twist, Scientist.” Students will love seeing these inquisitive out-of-the-box thinkers come to life on stage with Rosie Revere’s big dreams, Iggy Peck relentless passion for architecture and Ada Twist’s curiosity leading her to solve any problem.
Grades: K – 4 (Ages 5 – 9)
Run Time: 60 minutes
Curriculum: Communication and Language Arts, STEAM, Problem Solving, Friendships and Performing Arts.
Download Study Guide
Ada Twist Study Guide Extras
These materials are intended to be used in printed form only.
2026 Summer Camp Matinees
LocoMotion – The Science & Circus Arts Show
June 3 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm | PACE Center
Peter Davison is a national juggling champion, theater artist, and aficionado of classical physics. His one-man show LocoMotion features juggling, balancing, spinning, unicycling, clowning, and more, while revealing the Newtonian Physics behind the artistry. LocoMotion is filled with laughs, gasps, and audience participation. Plus, audiences of all ages will be inspired to think about and explore the science of motion!
Grades: K – 5 (Ages 5 – 10)
Run Time: 55 minutes
Curriculum: Science, Physics, Problem Solving, and Performing Arts.
Download Study Guide
These materials are intended to be used in printed form only.
Bus Scholarships
Thanks to the Town of Parker, the Greater Parker Foundation, and other generous Parker Arts members and donors, Parker Arts can provide bus scholarships for qualified schools. The number of bus scholarships distributed varies each year depending on available funding and the number of requests received. Scholarships may only provide financial assistance for buses, as student matinee ticket prices are set at reduced prices for schools. Local businesses, community groups, and individuals contribute annually to the scholarship fund, it is not supported by tax dollars. To apply for a bus scholarship, submit a completed Bus Scholarship Application and provide a statement of qualification or reason for financial assistance from your principal and email to PACEedu@parkerco.gov. Applications must be received with school group orders.
Outreach & Residencies
Student and teacher workshops are occasionally available to support selected performances. National and local actors, writers, directors or technical staff bring knowledge and instruction inside classrooms supporting teachers in their efforts to enrich education with real-life experiences. Teachers, if you are interested in this level of engagement, we encourage you to ask what is available for your curriculum. Limited opportunities exist for students to work on-stage with professional actors and musicians.
Parker Arts Mission – School Group Matinee
School Group Matinees at Parker Arts are a vital initiative aimed at making performing arts accessible while providing valuable cultural experiences for students who might not otherwise have such opportunities. By offering discounted tickets and busing scholarships, Parker Arts strives to reduce financial barriers that may prevent students from experiencing live theater. This accessibility is crucial for fostering an appreciation for the arts among young audiences and cultivate lifelong patrons of the arts. School group order requests are honored based on Parker Arts mission, seat availability, and audience development.
