Announcing the 2024-25 Out-of-School Performances
Check out the offerings below—a diverse collection of the most exciting performances from the best arts organizations in town—with schedule details and brief descriptions. From these options, create a season for your own students and reserve your selections. There are a limited number of tickets available for most shows. Robin will reply to your reservation form to confirm actual ticket availability and numbers.
Prices and specific performance times for each date appear on the reservation form:
RESERVE 2024-25 OUT-OF-SCHOOL TICKETS
Muse Machine Musical: Cats
• Presented by Muse Machine at the Victoria Theatre on Jan 16-19, 2025; $15
……….Thurs, Jan 16, 2025 at 7:00pm
……….Fri, Jan 17, 2025 at 7:30pm
……….Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 2:30pm
……….Sat, Jan 18, 2025 at 7:30pm (tour at 6:30pm)
……….Sun, Jan 19, 2025 at 2:00pm
• Recommended for ages 7 and up
• Estimated run time: 1:50
• Drop date: Dec 3, 2024
• A beloved Dayton tradition, repeatedly named best annual Dayton special event — the 40th Muse musical will bring together students of all ages from many schools for a large scale musical comedy and a joyous experience. At the Saturday evening performance, there will be an optional guided backstage tour!
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse In Concert
• Presented by Dayton Live at the Schuster Center on Fri, Sept 27, 2024 at 7:30pm; $28.50
• Recommended for ages 8 and up
• Estimated run time: 2:20
• Drop date: Aug 20, 2024
• Following sold out shows throughout the world, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse In Concert will see the acclaimed film presented on a huge HD screen, accompanied by a range of musicians and instrumentalists performing music from the film’s score and soundtrack live to picture. This will include a full orchestra, a scratch DJ on turntables, percussion and electronic instruments.
Hamilton
• Presented by Dayton Live at the Schuster Center on Oct 3-11, 2024; $49 (level D) or $71 (level C)
……….Thurs, Oct 3, 2024 at 7:30pm
……….Sat, Oct 5, 2024 at 2:00pm
……….Tues, Oct 8, 2024 at 7:30pm
……….Wed, Oct 9, 2024 at 7:30pm
……….Fri, Oct 11, 2024 at 8:00pm
• Recommended for ages 13 and up (contains adult language; middle school groups may opt to attend, but families should be aware that there are a few incidents of adult language)
• Estimated run time: 2:45
• Drop date: There is no drop date for this event. For this event only, the quantity of tickets initially requested is a final order and you will be billed for that number of tickets following the performances.
• Reservations including Hamilton requests may be placed no later than Mon, July 29 at 3:00pm — however, reservations will be received on a first come, first served basis and we strongly encourage getting your reservations in promptly.
• Also, parent tickets will not be available for this show (in the interest of providing the opportunity to as many students as possible). Schools may still purchase chaperone tickets at the discounted price (one chaperone per ten students) and those chaperones may be teachers, parents or any combination.
• Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical Hamilton is as revolutionary as its subject, the poor kid from the Caribbean who fought the British, defended the Constitution, and helped to found the United States. Fusing hip-hop, pop, R&B, and the best traditions of theater, this once-in-a-generation show broadens the sound of Broadway, reveals the storytelling power of rap, and claims our country’s origins for a diverse new generation.
Alice by Heart
• Presented by Sinclair Theatre Dept at Sinclair Community College: Blair Hall on Tues, Oct 15, 2024; stage tour and pizza at 5:00pm; performance at 7:00pm; Free
• Recommended for ages 13 and up (contains reference to drug use)
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Sept 17, 2024
• A new musical from the Tony and Grammy award-winning creators of Spring Awakening and Waitress explores the poignancy of love, loss and finding the courage to move forward. Alice Spencer’s budding teen life is turned upside down in the rubble of the London Blitz of World War II, where she and her ailing friend Alfred are forced to take shelter in an underground tube station. Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. This free event includes a stage tour, pizza and performance.
Coppélia
• Presented by Dayton Ballet at the Victoria Theatre on Sat, Oct 19, 2024 at 7:30pm; $17
• Recommended for ages 5 and up
• Estimated run time: 2:00
• Drop date: Sept 17, 2024
• Set in a small Midwestern town, Coppélia tells the tale of a lifelike doll in a window front. Mistaken by the townspeople as a young, mysterious woman, she provides an escape for a community preoccupied with the realities of war. With beautiful choreography and comical toy characters, Coppélia has been called “visually stunning” and “magnificent!”
Remember the Time
• Presented by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company at the Victoria Theatre on Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 4:00pm; $20.50
• Recommended for ages 10 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Sept 24, 2024
• The artistry of DCDC is highlighted through three enduring works. “Home/An Untitled Portrait” conveys snapshots of “home” in all of its complicated glory. “Double Dutch And Broken Levees” transports viewers a rain-soaked block party that recalls the great migration. Finally, “Sets And Chasers” celebrates Duke Ellington’s radio broadcasts of the swinging ‘40s.
Broadway by Request
• Presented by Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center on Sat, Nov 2, 2024 at 7:30pm; $22
• Recommended for ages 7 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Oct 1, 2024
• Ready for a night of your favorite Broadway hits? You’ll vote for your most loved Broadway music or song and Neal Gittleman, the DPO and Broadway stars perform them live on stage! Hear selections from A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera and more!
Beethoven, London and a World Premiere
• Presented by Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center on Fri, Nov 8, 2024 at 7:30pm; $17
• Recommended for ages 7 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Oct 8, 2024
• Take a trip to London courtesy of two British composers. In a world premiere, Malcolm Singer presents a contemporary look at the city, bustling with commerce, culture and politics, while Ralph Vaughan Williams shares a more historical and romantic account. In between the two works is Beethoven’s bold and beautiful First Piano Concerto, intended to be a showpiece for the composer himself.
Merry Grinchmas & (B)ART!
• Presented by Dayton Art Institute on Nov 14 or 21, 2024 (museum open 11am-8pm); $5 exhibit
• Recommended for ages 10 and up
• Estimated run time: 1:00 (to comfortably tour exhibits)
• Drop date: Oct 8, 2024
• Featuring two very animated, side-by-side exhibits! Merry Grinchmas: The Art of Dr. Seuss’ Holiday Classic features more than 200 original animated drawings by Theodor Seuss Geisel (Dr. Seuss) and Chuck Jones, who brought Dr. Seuss’ holiday tale to life in the 1966 animated TV special. (B)ART! America’s Funniest Animated Family collects original handmade animation cels from the first 13 seasons of The Simpsons. self guided tour includes admission to the main galleries. Complete your visit with selfies on the Simpson family sofa!
Amahl and the Night Visitors
• Presented by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra & Dayton Opera Chorus at the Schuster Center on Fri, Dec 6, 2024 at 7:30pm; $17
• Recommended for ages 5 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Nov 5, 2024
• The shepherd boy Amahl has a propensity to tell tall tales and his most recent story is about a star with a tail that moves across the sky like a chariot on fire. Three splendid strangers ask to rest in Amahl’s tiny home and describe the miraculous child they are seeking. The enduringly popular story of a magic star, a shepherd boy and how unselfish love can work miracles.
Holiday Inn
• Presented by La Comedia Dinner Theatre, 765 W. Central Ave, Springboro 45066 on Dec 6-12, 2024; $53 (includes dinner & show)
……….Fri, Dec 6, 2024 (see time below)
……….Thurs, Dec 12, 2024 (see time below)
• Recommended for ages 6 and up
• Estimated run time: 2:00 (arrive 5:30-6:00pm for meal; show ends at approximately 9:30pm.)
• Drop date: Oct 29, 2024
• The Irving Berlin musical tells the story of Jim, who leaves the bright lights of show business behind to settle down on his farmhouse in Connecticut. He meets a schoolteacher with talent to spare and they turn the farmhouse into a popular inn with dazzling performances. But when someone tries to lure Linda to Hollywood, will Jim be able to salvage his chance at love?
The Elixir of Love
• Presented by the Metropolitan Opera: Live in HDat Bethel Local Schools (Tipp City); on Sat, Dec 7, 2024 at 10:00am; Free
• Recommended for ages 8 and up
• Estimated run time: 2:22
• Drop date: Nov 5, 2024
In this performance from the Met’s Live in HD series, Donizetti’s bubbly romantic comedy about a gutsy landowner, a hapless peasant, and the dubious love potion that may or may not bring them together never fails to delight audiences! Sung in Italian with subtitles. Includes a creative workshop for students and a screening of the Met’s lavish 2018 production.
A Muse Night Out: The Nutcracker
• Presented by Dayton Ballet and Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center on Fri, Dec 13, 2024; 6:00pm pizza & presentations; 7:30pm performance; $17
• Recommended for ages 5 and up
• Estimated run time: 1:45
• Drop date: Nov 12, 2024
• Join little Clara as she drifts into restless slumber, where she meets the sparkling Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. An enormous cast dances to live music performed by the Dayton Philharmonic in this holiday tradition! For this special Muse Night Out, students will enjoy free pizza and beverages in the Muse studio prior to the performance while being visited by Nutcracker special guests!
Six
• Presented by Dayton Live at the Schuster Center on Jan 14-19, 2025; $34 (level D) or $61 (level C)
……….Tues, Jan 14 at 7:30pm
……….Sun, Jan 19 at 6:30pm
• Recommended for ages 10 and older
• Estimated run time: 1:20
• Drop date: Dec 3, 2024. Please note: your final ticket quantity for the Muse Machine musical must exceed your final ticket quantity for Six.
• Think you know the six Wives of Henry VIII? Think again. Prepare to lose your head and experience the tales of the Tudor Wives as they turn back the clock and take to the stage to reclaim their crowns and retell their stories of love, loss and the infamous ex they all have in common.
Chicago
• Presented by Dayton Live at the Schuster Center Feb 6-8, 2025; $29 (level D) or $55.50 (level C)
……….Thurs, Feb 6 at 7:30pm
……….Sat, Feb 8 at 2:00pm
• Recommended for ages 13 and older (includes adult themes, language and violence)
• Estimated run time: 2:30
• Drop date: Dec 17, 2024
• Desperate to avoid a murder conviction, housewife and dancer Roxie dupes the public and the 1920s media by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her crime into a barrage of sensational headlines. After 27 years, Chicago is still the the musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz.
A Distinct Society
• Presented by The Human Race Theatre Company at The Loft Theatre on Feb 12-14, 2025
……….Wed, Feb 12, 2025 at 7:30pm; $25.50
……….Fri, Feb 14, 2025 at 8:00pm; $25.50
• Recommended for ages 13 and up (contains adult language)
• Estimated run time: 1:40
• Drop date: Jan 14, 2025
• Nothing much ever happens in a sleepy library that straddles the border of the U.S. and Canada. But when an Iranian father and daughter, separated by the international border, start using the library as a meeting place, the French-Canadian librarian, an American customs agent and a local teenager find their quiet lives suddenly full of excitement! A touching and funny new play inspired by true events.
Cinderella
• Presented by Dayton Ballet & Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center on Sat, Feb 15, 2025 at 7:30pm; $17
• Recommended for ages 5 and up
• Estimated run time: 2:00
• Drop date: Jan 14, 2025
• Have a royal ball at this classic retelling of Cinderella, choreographed to Prokofiev’s sparkling score. Cinderella yearns to escape from her life as a scullery maid to her mean and jealous stepsisters. Enter her Fairy Godmother, a handsome prince, a loose shoe and a lot of magic — and Cinderella gets a glimpse of living happily ever after!
Hollywood Hits
• Presented by Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center on Sat, Feb 22, 2025 at 7:30pm; $22
• Recommended for ages 7 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Jan 21, 2025
• Grab some popcorn and enjoy the sounds of the Philharmonic as they present selections from some of the world’s greatest films! Experience blockbuster movie themes from Gone with the Wind, The Magnificent Seven, Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, James Bond, The Pink Panther, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Dances with Wolves, Ben-Hur and many more!
Peter Pan
• Presented by Dayton Live at the Schuster Center on Feb 27-28, 2025; $29 (level D) or $55.50 (level C)
……….Thurs, Feb 27, 2025 at 7:30pm
……….Fri, Feb 28, 2025 at 8:00pm
• Recommended for ages 5 and up
• Estimated run time: 2:20
• Drop date: Jan 21, 2025
• This high-flying musical has been brought back to life in a brand new adaptation by playwright Larissa FastHorse! When Peter Pan and his mischievous sidekick, Tinker Bell, visit the Darling children one magical night, they are taken on a magical journey they will never forget. You’ll be hooked on this journey from the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning!
It’s a World of Dance
• Presented by Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra & Celtic Academy of Irish Dance at the Schuster Center on Sun, Mar 16, 2025 at 2:30pm; $17
• Recommended for ages 7 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Feb 11, 2025
• The DPYO takes you on a musical spin around the globe! This performance highlights not only the finest young musical talent in our area and features the Celtic Academy of Irish Dance. The program includes popular global dance works such as Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Saint-Saëns’s “Danse Bacchanale,” and Marquez’s Danzón No. 2.
Camelot
• Presented by the Human Race Theatre Company at The Loft Theatre on Apr 2-10, 2025; $25.50
……….Wed, Apr 2, 2025 at 7:30pm
……….Thurs, Apr 10, 2025 at 7:30pm
• Recommended for ages 10 and up
• Estimated run time: 2:15
• Drop date: Mar 4, 2025
• Lerner and Loewe’s musical Camelot, based on the legend of King Arthur and his knights of the round table returns in a new, winningly fast-paced rendition. Balancing the remarkable music with a newly-focused script, the story of Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot and Excalibur shines!
Verdi’s Aida
• Presented by Dayton Opera, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, Dayton Ballet & Dayton Contemporary Dance Company at the Schuster Center on Sun, Apr 6, 2025 at 2:30pm; $17
• Recommended for ages 10 and up
• Estimated run time: 3:00
• Drop date: Mar 4, 2024
• Aida, an Ethiopian princess held in captivity, secretly falls in love with the handsome general leading the war against her homeland. Full of large, lush musical moments, a massive chorus, grand sets, and dazzling costumes, Verdi’s majestic opera transports you to a time of romance and spectacle.
Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
• Presented by Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra at the Schuster Center on Sat, Apr 26, 2025 at 7:30pm; $17
• Recommended for ages 7 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Mar 25, 2025
• Cellist Adrian Daurov returns to the Schuster to perform one of the most lyrical and monumental concertos — Antonín Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in b minor — alongside the brilliantly comedic and somewhat eerie Don Giovanni Overture (Mozart) and Petrushka (Stravinsky).
Fantastic Forwards
• Presented by Dayton Contemporary Dance Company at the Victoria Theatre on Sun, Apr 27, 2025 at 4:00pm; $20.50
• Recommended for ages 10 and up
• Estimated run time: TBA
• Drop date: Mar 25, 2025
• Pioneering choreographers present works with distinct voices, each a testament to the dazzling horizons that lie ahead. The dynamism of contemporary dance as exemplified by DCDC will be on full display.
Middle school suggestions
These performances may be good choices for students in middle school (find details above and on the order form):
Muse Machine Musical
Aida
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Beethoven, London and a World Premiere
Broadway by Request
Camelot
Cinderella
Coppélia
Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
The Elixir of Love
Fantastic Forwards
Holiday Inn
Hollywood Hits
It’s a World of Dance
Merry Grinchmas & (B)ART!
The Nutcracker (A Muse Night Out)
Remember the Time
Six
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert
What to know regarding language content of Hamilton: Hamilton is of great interest to many young people, including middle schoolers. Many are familiar with the show via streaming on Disney+. Be aware that the show contains three instances of the f-word in lyrics, two of which do not appear in the version on Disney+ (to maintain a PG 13 rating). Muse advisors and the families of students may make informed decisions about whether the show is suitable for particular students.
Elementary school suggestions
These performances may be good choices for students in elementary school (find details above and on the order form):
Muse Machine Musical
Amahl and the Night Visitors
Beethoven, London and a World Premiere
Broadway by Request
Cinderella
Coppélia
Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
Holiday Inn
Hollywood Hits
It’s a World of Dance
Merry Grinchmas & (B)ART!
The Nutcracker (A Muse Night Out)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in Concert
Literary connections
These performances are based on or inspired by books that may be familiar to your students:
• Hamilton (inspired by Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow)
• Alice by Heart (interrelates Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland)
• Cinderella (based on the global folk tale, commonly known in English from Grimm’s Fairy Tales by the Brothers Grimm)
• Peter Pan (based on Peter and Wendy by J. M. Barrie)
• Camelot (based on The Once and Future King by T. H. White)
Performance Etiquette Tips
To prepare your students for out-of-school performances, you are welcome to share Muse’s list of Out-of-School Performance Etiquette Tips with your students and chaperones.
Out-of-School Performance Etiquette TipsThe Metropolitan Opera HD Live in Schools
Muse Machine is the first nonprofit organization in the country to partner with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC for the Met’s HD Live in School program. Students and their advisors can experience a pre-opera workshop at Muse Machine or at their school and then attend a live-streamed Met Opera performance at a local movie theater. From workshops to snacks to tickets, this program is entirely FREE to Muse members and schools!
Any size group of students is welcome to attend this event with an advisor or chaperone. High School students may attend independent of advisor.
The Workshops
Prior to the opera, advisors and students join their peers from other Muse schools to participate in an interactive workshop at their own school or at the Muse Studio. These workshops make the elements of opera and theater accessible and compelling and give students and teachers the opportunity to socialize in a community of Muse Members.
“I felt very well-informed and welcome,” one first-time middle school workshop attendee wrote about her experience.
The Livestreams
Students receive free tickets to attend the livestream of the opera they explored in the workshop, performed live by the Metropolitan Opera, at the Hollywood Stadium 20 cinema at Fairfield Commons. Students liked that the broadcast showed the opera singers “up close” and that the filming including behind-the-scenes footage that “showed how they set up the stage.” Middle school Muse members called their first Live HD in Schools opera experience “beautiful and inspiring” and “amazingly awesome.” One wrote “I liked this so much! You should try it!”
Register your students for a Metropolitan Opera HD Live in Schools workshop and cinema performance – registration coming soon