Africa Unplugged will take you on a journey from the deep roots of the Blues in West Africa to the American South and back. With West African Drums as the through line to tell the story. Come experience high energy and engaging music as Africa Unplugged combines the old world with the new.

BIG BANG BOOM’s live show is high-energy, and both parents and children find it hard to stay in their seats! From calling the kids on stage for the “Spongebob Chorus” to the “Parents vs. Kids Hokey-pokey Challenge,” Big Bang Boom has made certain that there is no sitting down at this fun and energetic show! Established in 2007 out of Greensboro, North Carolina, this rockin’ 3-piece power pop band consists of talented artists and long-time musicians Chuck Folds, Steve Willard, and Eddie Walker.

ABOUT THE GIVER Based on the novel by Lois Lowry Adaptation and Direction: Elise Thoron Performed by Aurea Tomeski

Award-winning international storyteller, spoken word recording artist, and published author, Donna Washington, returns to Carolina Theatre with A Tureen of Tales! She has been cooking up a stew of stories for The Family Saturday Series to satisfy hungry listeners! Enjoy a feast of interactive tales that will make you laugh, shout, play, and fill you with joy from the top of your head to the soles of your feet! Washington has been told she is "better than television"! One of her audience members mused, "The only thing that would have made this better is if there were puppies!" Come and spend the morning romping through your imagination and traveling around the world without ever leaving your seat!

Curriculum Connections: Theatre, Language Arts, Literacy? CAPS In-School Program Option: AND Action! Workshop or Brain Science Theater: For Neurodivergent Learners Residency with AND Action! Shining A Spotlight on Neurodiversity https://durhamarts.org/product/and-action-shining-a-spotlight-on-neurodiversity/

Number Drummer Live is a one-of-a-kind live interactive math & music experience where the entire audience “drums” up math to create a spectacular rhythmic performance. Get ready to SEE, HEAR, and PERFORM addition, multiplication, division, fractions, algebra, and more! Whether you are 5 or 10 or 105, you will be drumming math you didn’t realize you already know! Number Drummer Live is inspiring, energizing, and 100% hands-on engagement. It is the ultimate live interactive musical experience.

presented by Triangle Youth Ballet Curriculum Connections: Dance, History, Theatre, Music, Storytelling? CAPS In-School Program Option: Arts Integration Dance Residency with Heather Bryce https://durhamarts.org/product/heather-bryce/

Tall Tales is an exciting, modern twist on classic Tall Tales designed to captivate young audiences and inspire rich post-performance discussions. Join us for an unforgettable performance where every challenge grows taller with every retelling!

Based on The Remember Balloons by Jessie Oliveros Illustrated by Dana Wulfekotte Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers Directed and choreographed by Dominic Moore-Dunson Original Score by Theron Brown Curriculum/Learning Connections: Family Illness, Alzheimer’s/Dementia, Memories, Shared Stories, Intergenerational Relationships, Extended Metaphor, Social Awareness – Empathy CAPS In-School Program Option: Claymation Residency with Mimi Herman https://durhamarts.org/product/mimi-herman/

Curriculum Connections: Documentary Film, NC History, Visual Literacy, Contextual Relevance, Critical Response, Civil Rights History, Government, Civics, Geography? ? In-School & Add On Activities - Schedule a tour of the Carolina Theatre’s Confronting Change Exhibit to learn about the Civil Rights movement in Durham and review Study Guide and Lesson Plans? (link to study guide). Contact Carolina Theatre to arrange a tour or at efan@carolinatheatre.org?

Join Durham’s foremost phenom of fabulousness as she presents “Big Love” with Stormie Daie. Let’s have a lovely time while Stormie serves up fun times for the whole family. Not only will you be entertained, you will get a chance to join the action and get to experience the drag up close. Let’s hear stories, songs, dance. With Stormie and her big band of friends, we are gonna have a great big ole fashion good time. So, if you got a lot of big feels and you want to share the love, come join Stormie and the Carolina Theatre as we share Big Love! The event will feature a drag reader, performers providing activities ideal for ages 2 and up, and a family-friendly event. We will start with interactive story time with Stormie and books provided by Drag Story Hour Triangle. Then join the action with a Rolling Thunder BIG CRY call and response game. Finally get to try on some drag and get an up-close and personal look at drag costumes and learn a thing or two from performers.

Curriculum Connections: Music, West African Cultural Traditions, Reasoning and Reflecting, Social Studies, Dance CAPS In-School Program Option: Circus Play Workshop with StoryUp! https://durhamarts.org/product/storyup-aerial-theater/

Omar Ruiz-Lopez (he/him) is a distinguished musician and educator currently based in Durham, NC, with a remarkable command over multiple instruments, including violin, viola, guitar, and mandolin. His roots lie in North Carolina, having been a part of the burgeoning Triangle music scene for 13 years until his move to Nashville in 2023 and back in 2025. Born in Panama and raised in Puerto Rico, Omar's early exposure to traditional Caribbean folk songs, courtesy of his father, laid the foundation for his deep appreciation for music. Spanish is his first language, and it remains an integral part of his cultural identity. Omar will be exploring a blend of different fiddle traditions including old-time, Latin-American, and Celtic while also showcasing some of his original songs in the folk/americana tradition.

Music is the best passport to discovering the many cultures of the world! To the sound of the n'goni, balafon, djembe, naffar, derbouka and dhol, percussionist Kattam invites you to discover Africa, the Middle East and India through rhythm, song and dance! From African rap and desert dance to trance Sufi rhythm and Bollywood dance, Kattam never fails to entertain his audience. Accompanied by his monkey, Takoum, join Kattam on an incredible multicultural adventure!

Curriculum Connections: Music, Photography, Film, Social Emotional Learning CAPS In-School Program Option: Shadow Puppetry – Fundamentals of Design & Performance Workshop with Matt Sandbank’s Shadow Factory https://durhamarts.org/product/matt-sandbanks-shadow-factory/

Curriculum Connections: Geography, Social Studies, Spanish language, Culture, American Sign Language (ASL), Language Arts, Musical Instruments, Career Exploration CAPS In-School Program Option: Latino Folkloric Dancing Workshop with Takiri Folclor Latino https://durhamarts.org/product/takiri-folclor-latino/

“Catch the Bluegrass Bug” when Charles & Jackson Pettee return to the Carolina Theater Family Concert Series on May 16, 2026! Tapping feet, clapping hands, call-response, and sing-along songs all add to the fancy flatpicking and catchy singing from this dynamic duo performing Bluegrass, Blues, and NC Folk music as only a father-son duo can! Together Charles & Jackson Pettee (aka Slippery Hill) invite you to join them on a journey through the multicultural sounds and instruments from around the world that make up the beautiful tapestry that is NC Folk and Bluegrass Music, and to send you into your day singing

Larry & Joe is the duo of Joropo maestro Larry Bellorín (Monagas, Venezuela) and GRAMMY-nominated bluegrass and old-time star Joe Troop (Winston-Salem, North Carolina). These two virtuosic multi-instrumentalists fuse their respective Venezuelan and Appalachian folk traditions on the harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, upright bass, guitar, and maracas to prove that music has no borders. Their engaging bilingual (esp / eng) program includes storytelling, humor, singalongs, and dancing.