EDUCATORS AND HOMESCHOOL PARENTS! Attend our FREE one day (10AM to 2PM) storytelling arts integration Professional Development Workshop for early elementary educators and homeschool parents preK-2nd grade. We will model how educators at each grade level can use I Love My Little Storybook to incorporate multiple learning modalities through the performing arts to cultivate curiosity and…
Portland Ovations goes beyond the proscenium with vertical dance pioneer Bandaloop. Seamlessly weaving together dynamic physicality, intricate choreography, and the art of climbing, Bandaloop turns the dance floor on its side. The company’s unconventional venues run the gamut from the New York Stock Exchange and Seattle’s Space Needle to natural wonders like Yosemite’s El Capitan…
To Kill a Mockingbird tells the story of Scout and Jem’s childhood in Alabama and how a series of events shake their innocence, shape their character and teach them about human nature. Woven from the strands of small–town life, this richly textured performance lets the audience walk in the shoes of one fully realized character…
“Too good to be true!” raves The New York Post for Jersey Boys, the 2006 Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award®-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the…
"The Money Tree" Study GuideWhen Shasta’s father loses his job, she is devastated to learn that plans for her upcoming birthday party must be significantly downsized. After Shasta and her friend Simon meet a mysterious Traveler who gives them a seed that will make a tree grow leaves of money, their friendship is put to…
Critically acclaimed performer Leslie Odom Jr. helped revolutionize the Great White Way with his starring role in the Broadway hit musical, Hamilton. “A theater-world rock star” (NPR), Odom is the winner of the 2016 Tony Award® for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Aaron Burr and a Grammy for the Original…
I Love My Little Storybook & Guess How Much I Love You Study Guide In I Love My Little Storybook, an eager little bunny lies on the grass and opens his book, and within moments the story he’s reading comes alive in fascinating detail. From author Anita Jeram comes this endearing celebration of the imagination…
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’s innovative puppetry, stunning scenic effects and lively original music have delighted families around the globe for nearly two decades. Back by popular demand, this Ovations audience favorite returns with adaptations of two children’s books to delight and inspire the youngest theatergoers. Sam McBratney’s award-winning classic is brought to life when…
International treasure and Ovations favorite Yo-Yo Ma and his longtime collaborator, pianist Kathryn Stott, make their highly anticipated return to our classical series for the first time in 15 years. Since 1984, Ma and Stott have developed a connection that thrives in live performances. Recognized for his incomparable virtuosity, innovation and warmth—Ma has performed for…
Enthralling audiences with his brilliant improvisations and mastery of both the oud and violin, Simon Shaheen is recognized as one of the great ambassadors of music from the Arab world. His latest project, Zafir, renews a relationship that began more than a thousand years ago. Zafir reveals the commonalities of music born in the cultural…
Living Voices: Within the Silence Study GuideIn 1942, President Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066 imprisoned thousands of loyal Americans. These innocent citizens struggled to maintain their families while incarcerated. Witness this silent chapter of our history and share one Japanese-American family’s fight to sustain faith and love in the country they love. Within the Silence is…
Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn have a musical partnership like no other. Touted by many as the world’s premier banjo player, Fleck has the virtuosic, jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and the originality, expertise and warmth of a composer with bluegrass roots. Washburn exudes the earthy sophistication of a postmodern singer-songwriter, drawing critical acclaim…
Natalie MacMaster returns to the Merrill stage, and this time she’s bringing the whole family with her. Cape Breton’s favorite fiddling phenom is joined by husband Donnell Leahy—an award-winning fiddle virtuoso in his own right—and an incredible array of talented musicians (including their children) for this special holiday concert. Ushering in the Yuletide spirit with…
Banda Magda bursts with humor and a quirky sensibility, powered by unflagging energy. Their songs, sung in French (with forays into six other languages), harken back to the golden age of Brazilian bossa, the best of cinematic arranging, and the lush chic of vintage French pop, all while drawing on the band’s global background. Led…
Dirty Dancing—The Classic Story on Stage is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance and sensational dancing. Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds who come together in what will be the most…
Described by The New York Times as the “master of all he surveys,” Behzod Abduraimov’s captivating performances have established him as one of the forerunners of his generation. Born in Uzbekistan, Abduraimov began to play the piano at the age of five, won the London International Piano Competition at 18, debuted at Carnegie Hall at…
“Roomful of Teeth is making some of the most rigorously venturesome and thrillingly inventive music being made by any ensemble, vocal or instrumental.” (The Nation) The Grammy Award-winning octet is dedicated to mining the expressive potential of the human voice and is perhaps the most currently talked about ensemble today. Their electrifying and “sensually stunning”…
In After the Curtain, these visual musicians continue to dazzle audiences as they tell the story of a man fighting to find his creative voice after the death of his one true love. Heart-wrenching, breath-taking and ultimately uplifting, this is one dance show that audiences will remember forever. Under the artistic direction of Emmy Award-winner,…
The Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet astonishes audiences with their range of expression, their tonal spectrum and their conceptual unity, and redefines the sound of the classic wind quintet. Their repertoire covers the entire spectrum of wind quintet literature as well as works for larger ensembles, including the Sextets of Janácek and Reinicke and the Septets…
Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical from the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love—the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and…
Rooted in classical ballet, yet wholly contemporary in its approach, BJM thrills audiences with performances that are sexy, kinetically explosive, and entirely original. The international repertory company finds inspiration in their dance laboratory where innovative, choreographic ideas are tested and brought to life through energizing and physically challenging works. Their exciting programs showcase the breathtaking…
From Vermont’s renowned Sandglass Theater comes their latest work, Babylon, a Portland Ovations co-commission. A powerful and evocative work, Babylon tells the story of today’s refugees: their sense of home, their arduous journeys and the challenges of resettlement. Performed by puppets and actors with moving panoramas known as crankies, Babylon weaves together the stories of…
Babylon: an ancient city in what is now Iraq. Its ruins lie 59 miles southwest of Baghdad. This fallen mythic civilization is a metaphor for the destruction and destabilization that is leading much of the world into a refugee crisis of epic proportion. Using puppets and moving panoramic scrolls, Sandglass Theater’s production of Babylon tells…
South Africa’s Ladysmith Black Mambazo has shared its uplifting vocal harmonies, signature dance moves, and charming onstage banter for over 50 years. Winners of four GRAMMY Awards since they became famous worldwide from their work with Paul Simon and his Graceland album in 1986, the group combines its native South African musical traditions with the…
Beloved Maine author E.B. White’s classic story of the improbable friendship between a runty pig named Wilbur, a clever spider named Charlotte and a brave little girl. Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman into sparing Wilbur’s life. Spinning the words “Some Pig” into her web, Charlotte…
Theatreworks USA’s production of Charlotte’s Web is based on E.B. White’s loving story of the friendship between a pig named Wilbur and a little gray spider named Charlotte. Wilbur has a problem: how to avoid winding up as pork chops! Charlotte, a fine writer and true friend, hits on a plan to fool Farmer Zuckerman—she…
Charlie Price has suddenly inherited his father’s shoe factory, which is on the verge of bankruptcy. Trying to live up to his father’s legacy and save his family business, Charlie finds inspiration in the form of Lola. A fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos, Lola turns out to be the one person who…
The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain returns to Ovations after their delightful 2014 debut. Pairing dry humor and irreverence with inventive interpretations of classics—ranging from Tchaikovsky to Nirvana via Otis Redding and Spaghetti Western soundtracks—the Orchestra takes us on “a world tour with only hand luggage.” There are no drums, pianos, backing tracks, banjos, pitch…
“New York choreographer Jessica Lang has a knack for conceiving a complete universe in each dance—distinctive in its look and mood, sound and atmosphere…Lang’s visual sense is remarkable.” (LA Times) Simply put, Lang awes audiences by immersing them in the beauty of movement and music. A prolific choreographer, she creates dazzling works for her own…
Characterized by their youth, brilliant technique, and soulful interpretations, the Ariel String Quartet has quickly earned a glowing international reputation. Recently awarded the prestigious Cleveland Quartet Award, the talented musicians made their Carnegie Hall debut to a sold-out audience and were praised by The New York Times for their “full-blooded, dynamic playing.” In their Ovations…
Daniel Bernard Roumain’s (DBR) acclaimed work as a composer and performer position him as one of the most innovative artists and educators of his generation. We are thrilled to welcome him back in his first appearance since helping us launch our School-Time Performance Series almost a decade ago. DBR’s blend of classical music, funk, rock,…
Daniel Bernard Roumain—innovative composer, thrilling violinist, and fierce arts advocate—returns to Portland for an expansive musical spectacle that is part flash mob and part processional. Celebrating music and community, En Masse features an array of Maine musicians of all ages with Roumain as maestro and pied piper, leading a musical parade through the Arts District…