Show Venue: Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St, Charlotte, NC, 28202

Event Venue: Foundation for the Carolinas, 220 N Tryon, Charlotte, NC 28202

Event Details: Thursday, July 18^th from 5:30-7:00pm (Show begins at 7:30pm)

This event is SOLD OUT!

Shows like Back to the Future showcase all the letters of STEAM-based curriculum! Come join us as the outreach team from Discovery Place Science offers 4 STEAM demos that are inspired by the show and focus on arts integration across the science field. After all, if you're going to explore some science experiments, “why not do it with some style?”

Show Venue: Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St, Charlotte, NC, 28202

Event Venue: Foundation for the Carolinas, 220 N Tryon, Charlotte, NC 28202

Event Details: Thursday, August 8^th from 5:30-7:00pm (Show begins at 7:30pm)

This event is sold out!

If you’ve seen this show, most of us still remember the animals of the African savannah marching through the audience to be present for the Circle of Life. These puppets were revolutionary to musical theater and continue to dazzle audiences over 25 years later. For this event, we’ve secured Caleb and Katy Sigmon from Sigmon Theatrical to present on the puppetry seen in the show, how it set a new precedent for musical theater, and how teachers can work to incorporate this element into their own K-12 shows.

Show Venue: Belk Theater, 130 N. Tryon St, Charlotte, NC, 28202

Event Venue: Foundation for the Carolinas, 220 N Tryon, Charlotte, NC 28202

Event Details: Wednesday, October 23^rd from 5:30-7:00pm (Show begins at 7:30pm)

More information coming soon!

Summer break? Let’s celebrate! In the spirit of ABBA, it’s time for a 1970s party. Wear your favorite 70s gear as we celebrate summer and take a much-needed deep breath.

Moulin Rouge is a show with outstanding spectacle. Most of these huge group numbers feature flashy, burlesque-style choreography that transform the stage into the early 1900s and capture the essence of this French club. For this event, we invite our AEN members to learn more about the world of choreography and its significance within musical theater. Kelly Ozust, the Director of the Dance Program at Winthrop University, will be serving as this event’s keynote as she discusses her 20+ years as a musical theater choreographer, her process, and her commitment to allow dance to focus on narrative storytelling and community engagement.

Winter break? Let’s celebrate….and mix it up a little bit! No need for an ugly Christmas sweater, we’ll be hosting a Haunted Halloween party to coincide with this show. Wear your favorite costume as we celebrate the world of the living and all our amazing arts educators in it. Heavy hors d’oeuvres and open bar will be served to all our fabulous ghosts with the most!

A female-presenting actress played the role of King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar in a local high school production - is that possible? It sure is! Just like in the recent revival of this tour with the title role of Bobby changed to Bobbie, Casey Starkey from CATA directed a musical this spring and gender bent casting for several roles within it. Not only was this performance magnificent, it also took all the right steps to seek the needed approvals to set it up for success for the start. Come hear Casey share more on what this process looked like and the impact it had on her school and local community. We hope you can join us!

We are thrilled to host Corey Mitchell, Tony Award winning educator and founder of the Theatre Gap Initiative, as our keynote speaker for this evening. He will discuss the cultural vitality of the black arts community in the 1960s/70s and highlight the significance that The Wiz played in this era. Additionally, Corey will talk through how this musical opened the door to important conversations in musical theater, and share recommendations for local arts educators to include and nurture these conversations in their arts classrooms and student productions.

Many of us know Fanny Brice (the main character in Funny Girl) as an innovative and successful comedic performer of her time, but we don’t know as much about her strong spirit and advocacy for change. She unapologetically broke through a male-dominated industry and paved the way for future generations of women to do the same. For this event, we are thrilled that Robin Tynes-Miler, Artistic Director at Three Bone Theatre, will present on feminism in theater. In particular, Robin will share about her experiences on founding a regional theater in Charlotte with a team of women, what they’ve learned along the way, and what takeaways educators can share with their own female-presenting students to empower them.

As Roxie and Velma learn in the show, the media has the power to change lives tremendously. With news all around us from unreliable resources, how do we sift through to find the truth and make sure our students are equipped to do the same? Dr. Jimmeka Anderson, Founder of I AM not the MEdia and Black Girls Film Camp, will lead educators through tactics around media literacy and how they can best set students up for success to be informed, worldly young people.

School’s out for the summer! In honor of the queens visit to Charlotte, we are thrilled to host a Royal Summer Soiree to celebrate our amazing Arts Educator Network. Heavy hors d’oeuvres, open bar, and live music will be provided. Bring your crowns as we countdown – 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 more minutes!