Upcoming Student Performances
For the 2026-27 school year, Tennessee Performing Arts Center offers exceptional performances for students, available in-person and digitally.
Discover how the performing arts brings high quality instructional opportunities to inspire and connect, from theatre, music, and literature, to history, geography, and science.
Registration for the 2026-27 Season for Young People will be avaliable beginning August 4, 2026.
In Person Events:
Velveteen, A New Musical
Inspired by the beloved book, The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, this new magical musical Velveteen, from Playhouse Square, introduces us to Lulu, her gran, her beloved toys, and a nest of legendary rabbits. Lulu confronts big change, having just moved in with her Gran. To make things a little more comfortable, Gran gives her a velveteen rabbit – just like the one her mom had. Velveteen and Lulu form a special bond, making some of the other toys jealous and leaving Velveteen wishing he could live outside with the “real” rabbits he meets through the window. As Lulu grows up, Velveteen ultimately finds a sense of belonging, discovering the power of love and what it means to be Real. The production brings magic and transformation to life onstage with a visionary set and playful costumes. Join us for an enchanted retelling of a timeless tale that will resonate across generations.
Runtime: 60 minutes
TREASURE ISLAND REIMAGINED: Jane Hawkins and the Pirate’s Gold
A Live-Action Graphic Novel
The granddaddy of all pirate stories comes to life in a whole new format as a live-action graphic novel. In this adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, three performers provide all the character voices and sound effects live as more than 1,200 comic-book panels blast one by one on a huge screen to tell an on-the-edge-of-your-seat tale of danger and adventure for the kid in everyone. The story follows Jane Hawkins, a twelve-year-old in 1754 Britain, who works at a sleepy seaside inn. When a sinister vagabond arrives with a mysterious trunk, Jane’s humdrum life swerves towards adventure. Treasure Island Reimagined is produced by Chemistry Laboratories and Shaw Entertainment Group.
Runtime: 60 minutes
Mister C LIVE! Vol 2: The World in Motion - Newton's Laws
Are you ready for some toe-tapping music, mind-blowing media and hair-raising science? Join Mister C for an amazing day of learning in the lab including pendulum swings, inertia hammers, and hovercrafts. As a former educator and administrator for 20+ years, Mister C (ED.S) is no stranger to finding exciting and engaging ways to explore STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) in our everyday lives. 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.
Runtime: 60 minutes
Disney's Frozen: The Broadway Musical
presented by Nashville Repertory Theatre
Join the Nashville Repertory Theatre in the beautiful kingdom of Arendelle, where Princesses Anna and Elsa grow up sheltered inside their castle, isolated from the world and increasingly distant from each other. When Elsa is crowned queen, the magical powers she’s desperately tried to conceal from her sister take control, and she flees into the mountains. As a ferocious winter descends on Arendelle, Anna sets off on an epic journey to find Elsa and bring her home – with the help of hardworking ice harvester Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven, and a happy-go-lucky snowman named Olaf.
Runtime: 2.5 hours (plus intermission)
Fisk Jubilee Singers®: In Concert
Experience the beauty and legacy of the world-renowned Fisk Jubilee Singers® in a blissful choral performance under the direction of Dr. G. Preston Wilson. The a cappella choral ensemble brings its storied heritage and youthful vitality to the TPAC stage for a meaningful connection with student audiences. The concert includes traditional Negro spirituals followed by an interactive discussion with the dedicated and talented ensemble.
Runtime: 60 minutes
The Musicians of Bremen, LIVE!
An epic journey from dusty crossroads to the bright lights of the big city, this show is a celebration of chasing big dreams. Based on the fairytale Town Musicians of Bremen by the Brothers Grimm, this swinging musical follows four very different creatures - a Hen, Mule, Bobcat, and Coyote - each on their way to a new life. The four musicians first struggle with their differences but they discover how to work together and become a famous band! The Musicians of Bremen, Live! is co-produced by Cahoots NI from Belfast, Northern Ireland and Segerstrom Center for the Arts from Costa Mesa, California.
Runtime: 60 minutes
Look Out! Science is Coming!
Meet the one and only Doktor Kaboom in a lively and educational exploration of the modern scientific method! Doktor Kaboom brings his signature sense of humor and deep respect for learning with spectacular demonstrations of the physical sciences. Topics covered include: safety; pressure and force; simple machines; velocity; application of science to everyday life; the scientific method; multiple experimentation; mass; air pressure; demonstration vs. experimentation and more!
Runtime: 60 minutes
Dino-Light
Lightwire Theater, featured on America’s Got Talent, tells an original tale of a famous scientist with magic powers, who brings a friendly dinosaur to life. In the pitch-dark theatre, the fantastical tale follows the dinosaur as he wanders away from home and discovers a wonderful world full of creatures that light up the darkness and help him find the true meaning of love. Internationally recognized for their signature brand of electroluminescent artistry and poignant storytelling, Lightwire Theater is based in New Orleans and continues to create and deliver innovative theatrical experiences to audiences worldwide.
Runtime: 60 minutes
Digital Events:
La Maleta de Maebelle
(Maebelle's Suitcase)
This bilingual adaptation of a beloved Reading Rainbow picture book, Maebelle’s Suitcase, features a two-person cast with various styles of puppetry and Colombian music. The story follows Maebelle, an incredible hat maker who’s been working hard ahead of the town’s annual hat contest. Maebelle befriends Binkle, a bird with a migration dilemma – his packing items are too large and heavy to carry with him! Through laughter and tears, Maebelle and Binkle help each other discover the beauty of remembrance and the liberating power of letting go. Multigenerational audiences will love this enchanting tale celebrating friendship, cultural heritage, and the universal lessons found within the stories of our lives. La Maleta de Maebelle is produced by Glass Half Full Theatre.
Runtime: 55 minutes
Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol
A Solo Performance by Mark Cabus
Filmed in TPAC’s Polk Theater, actor Mark Cabus portrays eighteen different characters in Dickens’ classic tale. This original interpretation vividly recreates the haunting, compelling and often humorous novella celebrated worldwide for its literary and theatrical impact. A Christmas Carol is produced by Mark Cabus and presented by Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Runtime: 75 minutes
Doktor Kaboom Digital!: Newton's Laws of Motion
In this digital engagement, Doktor Kaboom uses the excitement of rocketry to present Newton’s Laws of Motion. Each of Newton’s 3 laws are clearly explained, comically explored in multiple over-the-top demonstrations, and then followed by a DIY project that students can do as a class, in groups, or individually. Doktor Kaboom intersperses the lessons with discussions on safety and personal empowerment to bring home the point that “science is for everyone, not just the person who wins the science fair every year.
Runtime: 60 minutes
Walk Together Children: The 150th Anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers®
In Walk Together Children, former director Dr. Paul T. Kwami and his students pay tribute to the original nine members of the Fisk Jubilee Singers®, who were organized as a choral ensemble in 1871 to perform and raise money to support Fisk University. As the modern day singers explore the personal stories of the trailblazers who paved the way, they reflect on their roles as students and preservers of the worldrenowned choral group’s rich legacy. Inviting viewers to learn the significance of the Negro Spirituals and their value in today’s culture, the film honors the 150th Anniversary of the Fisk Jubilee Singers®. Created in collaboration with Dr. Kwami and director Jon Royal, this film was produced by Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
Runtime: 55 minutes
Tales of The Sun and Moon
Join the “Story Keepers” on an epic journey through celestial myths and legends from China, Korea, Hawai’i, and more. No matter where or when you live, all people look at the same sun and the same moon and every culture carries its own stories through the generations. Told through language, movement and music these are stories to connect us all. Produced by Honolulu Theatre for Youth.
Runtime: 55 minutes
Joseph Kekuku and The Voice of the Steel Guitar
Follow the story of Joseph Kekuku, a student at Kamehameha Schools in 1889 who forever changed the sound and shape of the guitar. Based on a true story, this new play traces the incredible invention of the steel guitar from the taro fields to vaudeville halls to Blues, Country, Rock and Roll music and beyond. This story traces Kekuku’s journey as he performed his steel guitar for royalty in Hawai‘i and across Europe, inspiring musicians around the world with the new “Hawaiian Sound” told through a multi-media, genre-bending format, with a thrilling live slide guitar soundtrack and projections. Produced by Honolulu Theatre for Youth.
Runtime: 60 minutes
The Snail and the Whale
Based on the much-loved picture book The Snail and the Whale by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, this production invites you to join an adventurous young girl and her sea-faring father as they reimagine the story of a tiny snail who longs to see the world. The little sea snail hitches a ride on the tail of a great grey-blue humpback whale, and together they set off on an incredible journey across the ocean. Told through live violin music and singing, storytelling, and plenty of laughter, the adventure unfolds with wonder and heart. Produced by Tall Stories Theatre Company.
Runtime: 55 minutes