SCHOOL GROUP MATINEES
Parker Arts offers educators the opportunity to integrate and enrich their curriculum with live performing arts productions that make curriculum connections with science, physics, health, literature, language arts, history, social studies, social and family life skills, cooperation and teamwork, self-expression and performing arts. School Group Matinees are provided throughout the school year, and often include post-show “talk-backs” with actors, directors, or technical crew that allow students to ask questions and further enrich their theater-going experience. Most School Group Matinees include a study guide.
REQUEST FORM
Once your field trip has been approved by your principal, complete a School Group Request Form online. A member of our Box Office team will email you with the status of your school group order request. School group matinees are in high demand and not all requests will be honored. Request 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.
PAYMENTS
School group tickets are $10 (unless noted otherwise) and one complimentary chaperone ticket is available for every ten tickets purchased (up to ten chaperone tickets per school group). School groups must consist of ten or more students in order to qualify for the discounted rate of $10 tickets. Payment is due 30 days in advanced of the performance. You may adjust your student counts up to your balance due date. 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
SCHOLARSHIPS
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 Form and provide a statement of qualifications or reason for financial assistance from your principal and email to PACEedu@parkerco.gov. Applications must be received no later than thirty days in advance of your field trip to the PACE Center. 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.
Download the 2024/2025 School Group Matinee Flyer to share with your fellow teachers today!
2024/2025 Student Matinees
Rhythm of the Arts presents SUGAR SKULL! A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure!
October 10 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm| PACE Center Just added! 12:00pm show available! Sorry the 10am show is sold out.
SUGAR SKULL! A Día de Muertos Musical Adventure is a touring bilingual/bicultural musical for young audiences and families that uses traditional regional music and dance from Mexico to tell the story of twelve-year-old Vita Flores. Vita thinks her family has gone loco planning a celebration for deceased loved ones. Why throw a party for the dead? But when a spirited candy skeleton suddenly springs to life, Vita finds herself on a magical, musical journey to unravel the true meaning of Día de Muertos.
Grade Level: 1-6 (Ages 6-11)
Run Time: 65 minutes
Curriculum: History, Geography, Culture, Generational Traditions, and Performing Arts.
Download the Study Guide here!
The Pout-Pout Fish
November 1 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm | PACE Center
Turn the poutiest of frowns upside down in this musical featuring whimsical puppets and live performers in a sweeping oceanic adventure. When Mr. Fish sets out on a quest to find Miss Clam’s missing pearl, he discovers there is more to him than his permanently plastered pout. Based on the New York Times bestselling book The Pout-Pout Fish
Grade Level: PreK-2 (Ages 3-8)
Run Time: 50 minutes
Curriculum: Language Arts and Literature, Social Emotional Learning, Problem Solving, Relationships and Family, and Performing Arts.
Download the Pout Pout Fish Study Guide here!
Mary Poppins
January 31 and February 7 | 10:00 am | PACE Center (Sorry, both Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 shows are sold out.)
One of the most popular Disney movies of all time is capturing hearts in a whole new way: as a practically perfect musical! Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins delighted Broadway audiences for over 2,500 performances and received nominations for nine Olivier and seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
MARY POPPINS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Grade Level: All Ages
Run Time: 120 minutes
Curriculum: Social Emotional Learning, Moral Ethical Emphasis, Social Studies, Film and Cinema, Music and Performing Arts.
Download the Mary Poppins Study Guide here!
Steve Trash Science Live!
March 26 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm | PACE Center (The 10am show has limited seating only. Please call for availability.)
Direct from his PBS series, this show focuses on making STEM -Science, Technology, Engineering, Math- magical, musical, and fun! In this brand-new LIVE – educational outreach show, Steve Trash shares his passion for both magic AND science. What’s the difference? That’s really important and Steve will show you the difference. What’s the scientific method? That’s also really important and Steve will show you that too.
Grade Level: K-5 (Ages 4-10)
Run Time: 55 minutes
Curriculum: Science and Scientific Method, STEAM, and Performing Arts.
Download Steve Trash Study Guide here!
Dragons and Mythical Beasts
March 31 | 10:00 am | PACE Center
Unveil a myriad of dark secrets and come face to face with some of the most magnificent monsters and terrifying beasts ever to walk the earth. Discover the colossal Stone Troll, the mysterious Indrik and Japanese Baku, the Tooth Fairy (not as sweet as you’d think), an adorable Unicorn and majestic Griffin. Take your place among legendary heroes, just don’t wake the Dragon…
Grade Level: K-5 (Ages 4-10)
Run Time: 55 minutes
Curriculum: Mythology, Science Fiction, Legends, Story Telling, and Performing Arts.
No study guide is available.
The Emperor’s New Threads (A Fashion Statement)
April 30, May 1, May 2, May 5, May 6 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm | PACE Center
A crazy quilt of mixed-up psychedelic fashion trends is the setting for this tongue-in-cheek retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, set to a fun and sprightly score. The country is ruled by a foppish fashionista of an Emperor who has bankrupted the treasury with his clothing expenditures. Frustrated by the Emperor’s slave-to-fashion mentality, Ten-year-old Kid’s romantic dreams of being a hero make her determined to change everyone’s materialistic views. She travels to the palace to reveal the superficiality of the emperor, only to end up revealing much more of him than she predicted. Music and Lyrics by George Howe. Book by Frances Limoncelli. Based on the Story by Hans Chrisian Anderson.
Grade Level: K-5 (Ages 4-10)
Run Time: 65 minutes
Curriculum: Literature and Language Arts, Folk Tales and Cultures, Social Sciences, Government and Politics, Emotional and Social Learning, and Performing Arts.
Study Guide coming soon!
2025 Summer Camp Matinees
The Emperor’s New Threads (A Fashion Statement)
June 5 | 10:00 am & 12:00 pm | PACE Center
A crazy quilt of mixed-up psychedelic fashion trends is the setting for this tongue-in-cheek retelling of the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale, set to a fun and sprightly score. The country is ruled by a foppish fashionista of an Emperor who has bankrupted the treasury with his clothing expenditures. Frustrated by the Emperor’s slave-to-fashion mentality, Ten-year-old Kid’s romantic dreams of being a hero make her determined to change everyone’s materialistic views. She travels to the palace to reveal the superficiality of the emperor, only to end up revealing much more of him than she predicted. Music and Lyrics by George Howe. Book by Frances Limoncelli. Based on the Story by Hans Chrisian Anderson.
Grade Level: K-5 (Ages 4-10)
Run Time: 65 minutes
Curriculum: Literature and Language Arts, Folk Tales and Cultures, Social Sciences, Government and Politics, Emotional and Social Learning, and Performing Arts.
Study Guide coming soon!
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.
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.
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 please submit a completed Bus Scholarship Application Form and provide a statement of qualification or reason for financial assistance from your principal and email to PACEedu@parkerco.gov. Applications must be received no later than thirty days in advance of your field trip to the PACE Center. For qualifications and funding availability, please contact Education Manager Kirstin Fletcher at 303.805.3364 or via email.