The New Victory Theater opens new worlds to young people and families through extraordinary performances, education and engagement programs. Bringing kids to the arts and the arts to kids since 1995, this nonprofit theater has become a standard-bearer of quality performing arts for young audiences in the United States. Journey through stories of identity, home and what it means to belong, this season at the New Victory Theater. The 2023-24 season features two world premieres and five US premieres among its 11 productions of theater, circus, dance, puppetry and music from around the globe, including three exciting productions created specifically for very young audiences.
The full slate of programming for the 2023-24 season is as follows:
The Vanishing Elephant
from Cahoots NI (Northern Ireland)
Ages 8+
October 14-29, 2023
Pack your trunk for a jumbo journey as Jenny the elephant is captured and taken from India to America, far from her family and her forever friend, Opu. Swept up in the circus, she makes magic and history as The Vanishing Elephant with Harry Houdini himself, but Jenny never stops thinking of home. Watch in wonder as this puppet pachyderm grows from tot to teen to towering adult in an unforgettable tale from the imagination of Cahoots NI (Nivelli’s War).
Card Ninja
from Javier Jarquin (New Zealand)
Ages 6+
November 10-26, 2023
Stand-up comedy meets standout card tricks when Javier Jarquin, aka Card Ninja, captivates with wry wisecracks and dazzling displays of dexterity. You won’t believe how far, how fast, how flawlessly he flicks a playing card at its target! A sold-out hit at festivals around the world and viewed over a million times online, this one-man-many-cards show will have you laughing and gasping in equal measure.
Night Light
from Teater Refleksion and Andy Manley (Denmark and Scotland)
Co-Produced by Imaginate and Red Bridge Arts
Ages 3-5
December 1-10, 2023
The whimsical world of Night Light wakes up when the sun goes down. Set in a cityscape made of miniature furniture, this poetic piece of object theater delivers delightful discoveries for very young audiences. Cozy up to the comforting charms of New Victory favorite Andy Manley (White) and Teater Refleksion (The Way Back Home).
White Gold
from Phare Circus (Cambodia)
Ages 5+
December 8-30, 2023
Nourish your soul and savor Cambodia’s artistic heritage with a circus that celebrates healing and joy… and rice, known throughout Southeast Asia as White Gold. Founded by refugees, Phare brings to the stage the special gifts of Cambodian culture, which nearly disappeared at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. Cheer hypnotic dance, mesmerizing music and dramatic live painting mixed with juggling, tumbling, teeterboard and other circus arts dating back twelve hundred years. It’s a transporting treasure for the whole family!
Grand Soft Day
from Branar Theatre and New International Encounter (Ireland and England)
Ages 2-5
January 13-21, 2024
When the misty wind whips your hair and the drizzle tickles your nose, now that’s a Grand Soft Day! From the playful minds of Branar Theatre (The Way Back Home) and New International Encounter (Beauty and the Beast), this all-seasons adventure filled with live music and a sprinkling of words will ready you for whatever weather wends your way.
360 ALLSTARS
from Onyx Productions (Australia)
Ages 6+
February 17-March 3, 2024
Spinning circles around the competition, 360 ALLSTARS showcases a dream team of sensational champs in a supercharged physical performance celebrating street culture! The international hit is back at the New Victory to commemorate its 10th anniversary with world record-holding athletes and artists showing off their mad skills in freestyle basketball, BMX biking, breakdancing, acrobatics and more. Experience the thrill of extreme sports backed by a pulse-pumping, live-looped soundtrack and featuring feats that will spike your adrenaline and have you rooting for overtime.
Música
from Sonia De Los Santos (United States)
Ages 4-7
March 9-17, 2024
¡Celebremos! Let’s celebrate Women’s History Month with sunny songstress and Latin Grammy nominee Sonia De Los Santos (Fiesta), back at the New Victory with another upbeat and uplifting bilingual concert! Música cheers women who make music and those who inspired Sonia (and her all-female bandmates) to become a musician—or “una música” en español. You’ll dance in and out of your seats as this playful band charts a joyful journey of Latin American rhythms ranging from festejo to cumbia to traditional Mexican folk.
Aanika’s Elephants
from Feisty Elephant, Little Shadow Productions and Pam Arciero Productions (United States)
Ages 6+
March 29-April 7, 2024
Adventure into the African savanna with Aanika, a Kenyan girl who befriends a baby elephant she names Little. Their bond of sisterhood shows that a family can be anything—an animal orphanage, a widowed father and daughter, a herd of hunted elephants. With music, a variety of puppets and gentle humor, the stirring story of Aanika’s Elephants by Annie Evans, an Emmy Award-winning writer for Sesame Street, entertains and educates on the present-day plight of Africa’s elephants.
I’mPossible
from Omnium Circus (United States)
Ages 5+
April 12-28, 2024
Omnium (Latin for “of all and belonging to all”) ensures everyone is in on the action in a spirited spectacular that is both limit-defying and life-affirming. Run away and join the circus with young Johnny as he finds himself among an awe-inspiring, inclusive ensemble featuring a Deaf ringmaster, an award-winning gymnast who uses a wheelchair and an aerialist born without legs. Accessible to all, every performance incorporates American Sign Language, audio description, sensory-friendly lighting and sound and a relaxed environment where movement and vocalization are welcome. Experience the I’mPossible in this exuberant big top extravaganza!
I Wish
from Unicorn Theatre in association with Le Gateau Chocolat (England)
Ages 4-7
May 11-19, 2024
If a wish granter can’t grant wishes, will it be a happily never after? Not this once-upon-a-time! Starring in I Wish, acclaimed theater artist and contemporary opera singer Le Gateau Chocolat crescendos to centerstage as the mysteriously magic-less Wish Giver. On a musical quest to recover their powers, they step into the shoes of beloved storybook characters, managing mystical messes and learning that, while life’s not always fair(ytales), love and acceptance can be more than fantasy.
Four Go Wild in Wellies
from Indepen-dance (Scotland)
Ages 2-5
May 31-June 16, 2024
It’s time to explore the great outdoors! What do we need? Tiny tents, bobble hats, scarves and, of course, Wellies (British for rain boots)! With all of the foliage and fun of any good forest frolic, Four Go Wild in Wellies features an inclusive company of dancers who remind us that nothing is more natural than newfound friendship.
The New Victory Theater continues to hold unique pre- and post-show programming in the lower lobby, curated specifically for each show, providing memorable experiences for audiences of all ages during their visits.
