McCallum Theatre Education’s Summer Institute

PALM DESERET — McCallum Theatre Education’s Summer Institute presents three performances that are designed to inspire, educate and entertain audiences ages 6 and up June 12, 14 & 18 at McCallum Theatre for the Performing Arts.

Single tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students (age 18 and under). A three-performance pass is $35 for adults and $20 for students. Tickets are available at the box office by calling 760-340-ARTS or online by clicking here: www.mccallumtheatre.com.

McCallum Theatre Education’s Summer Institute kicks off on Wednesday June 12 at 1:30 pm with Shakespeare in Jazz: All the World’s a Song Performed by Daniel Kelly Quartet featuring Frederick Johnson. In this celebration of Shakespeare’s work, award-winning composer and pianist, Daniel Kelly has reinterpreted texts from Shakespeare’s most beloved plays and turned them into fresh jazz songs.  Inspiring and thought-provoking for people of all ages, this concert invites audience members to sing along with powerhouse jazz vocalist Frederick Johnson to catchy, original tunes based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Twelfth Night, Macbeth, Hamlet and more!  Rounding out the Quartet are bassist Jennifer Vincent and drummer Bram Kincheloe.

On Friday, June 14 at 1:30 pm, don’t miss Somos Amigos: Songs on Common Ground Performed by Sonia De Los Santos and The Okee Dokee Brothers. Friendship is at the heart of this new collaboration between Mexican songstress, Sonia De Los Santos, and the Grammy-winning Americana folk duo, The Okee Dokee Brothers. This bilingual program includes both old and new songs that span the musical traditions of North America and illustrate the collective power of singing together and learning from each other. With an adventurous spirit and a common vision of peace and understanding, Somos Amigos encourages young and old to explore, dance, sing and laugh together, hand-in-hand.

The McCallum Theatre Education Festival concludes on Tuesday, June 18th at 1:30 p.m. with The Planets performed by Backhausdance with Sabrina Xiao He and Paul Cracchiolo on Two Pianos. Backhausdance returns to the McCallum stage with The Planets set to Gustav Holst’s musical movement suite by the same name. Made famous in its fully orchestrated form, it was originally scored by Holst for two pianos.

Accompanying Backhausdance on this galactic voyage are pianists Sabrina Xiao He and Paul Cracchiolo.  With fluidity and strength, ten dancers and two pianists powerfully traverse the musical landscapes of Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter and Neptune.

Steeped in choreographer Jennifer Backhaus’ detailed and meticulously sculpted style and imbued with her refined yet playful sense of whimsy, The Planets brings us an fusion of classical and contemporary dance that will excite young and old.

These performances are presented in conjunction with McCallum Theatre Education’s Summer Institute for Educators and mark the beginning of the 2019-20 Aesthetic Education Program which places the arts at the center of inquiry-driven learning experiences that include classroom workshops and attendance at McCallum Theatre Education’s performances and exhibits.

Teachers and students who partner with McCallum Theatre Education’s are encouraged to be curious, ask questions and rigorously explore works of art to awaken imaginative learning as part of the core curriculum.  Approximately three-hundred classrooms will partner with McCallum Theatre Education under the umbrella of this program in 2019-20.

These school and classroom partnerships are made possible thanks to generous support from individuals, municipalities and foundations that support McCallum Theatre Education’s ’s mission to educate in and through the arts.

For more information click here.

Since its launch in 1997, McCallum Theatre Education — the education department of McCallum Theatre — has served over 620,000 students, educators and other community members with performances and arts education experiences. I

In close partnership with local education agencies, McCallum Theatre makes the arts available and accessible to youth in the area through its dynamic education programs. In addition, the Palm Desert Choreography Festival and Open Call Talent Project serve as powerful vehicles for developing artists and present exciting and affordable performances open to the general public. McCallum Theatre Education seeks to enhance the role of the arts in our lives and in our community by inspiring greater awareness of their educational, cognitive, emotional and spiritual power.

The McCallum Theatre Box Office, its phone center and website,
are the only authorized outlets for tickets to performances presented at the Theatre.Tickets purchased from any other sources, such as brokers or secondary market websites, are purchased at consumer’s own risk and cannot be guaranteed as valid.