Family Fun

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Explore together. That’s what we hope you’ll do at Krannert Center. The arts are about investigating new ways of thinking and being. Through hearing music that holds you still in your seat, watching characters who look familiar or wondrous, imagining yourself behind the scenes, and talking about everything you witnessed, you can find out more about yourself, your loved ones, your community, and your place in the world.

And coming to the Center doesn’t mean that you have to spend a lot of time or money. Free events and talks let you dip into an art form with no commitment. The Kids’ Menu at Intermezzo will keep youngsters energized, and since student and youth tickets to nearly every event are just $15 or less, it’s even easier to make plans to attend as many shows as you can.

In addition to the regular family-friendly events we sponsor throughout the season—like Spirit of Uganda and ScrapArtsMusic—the Youth Series presents high-caliber daytime shows with entertaining educational materials for kids from preschool through high school. For more Krannert Center experiences geared to students, head to Student Space (and adults will find more information in the Parents and Educators section).

Spirit of Uganda Preview

Thursday, February 9, 2012, at 6:00pm | Stage 5 | free
This children of Spirit of Uganda present a free 15-minute preview of their high-stepping dances and exuberant music. More
Spirit of Uganda

Friday, February 10, 2012, at 7:00pm | Colwell Playhouse | $10-$28
It’s hope lit up onstage. Spirit of Uganda beams with the essence of East African children who are staunch and tender and see a world full of possibilities. More
Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Tuesday, February 14, 2012, at 12:30pm | Studio Theatre | $4.50
Its CD Ranky Tanky won the 2010 Parents’ Choice Award, and onstage this band injects loads of fun into its funky roots grooves and dance-along songs. More
Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

Wednesday, February 15, 2012, at 12:30pm | Studio Theatre | $4.50
Its CD Ranky Tanky won the 2010 Parents’ Choice Award, and onstage this band injects loads of fun into its funky roots grooves and dance-along songs. More
Student Playwrights Outreach Theatre (SPOT)

Friday, February 17, 2012, at 7:00pm | Studio Theatre | free
Student Playwrights Outreach Theatre (SPOT) is a collaborative effort between the UI Department of Theatre and Booker T. More
Interval: The Duke of Uke and His Novelty Orchestra

Friday, March 2, 2012, at 12:00pm | Lobby | free
Billed as supplying “ukulele funk for all occasions,” this band has a little bit of everything: optimism, melodies with that sweet summer feel, wit, a uke leader, violin, tuba, saxophone, bass, rock drums, Latin percussion, plus a set of songs bursting with energy that are perfect for your afternoon refresh. More
Day of the Drum: Instrument Making

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 11:00am | Lobby | free
Make percussion instruments from recycled materials during this two-hour craft session with staff from The I. More
Day of the Drum: Rocky Maffit and Friends

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 12:00pm | Stage 5 | free
Event curator and platinum recording artist Rocky Maffit invokes the rhythms of the world and explores percussive instruments across time from ancient drums to body percussion to the electric wavedrum in this opening concert of Day of the Drum. More
Day of the Drum: TA KA DI MI Project featuring Glen Velez and Lori Cotler

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 1:00pm | Stage 5 | free
Five-time Grammy Award winner Glen Velez and rhythm vocalist Lori Cotler return to this year’s Day of the Drum with the TA KA DI MI Project, an imaginative blend of frame drum rhythms, bird calls, scatting, and konnakol—a South Indian style of vocal percussion—for a pulsating, primal, mystical experience. More
Day of the Drum: ScrapArtsMusic Preview

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 2:00pm | Lobby | free
Get a preview of the eco-powered percussion and mobile music sculptures of ScrapArtsMusic. More
Day of the Drum: Illini Experience

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 3:00pm | Lobby | free
Percussionists from the UI Steel Band celebrate with soca, calypso, pop, and Latin jazz, while the UI Percussion Ensemble performs works by Steve Reich, Aurél Holló, and Maurice Ohana in this extravaganza of steel drums, marimbas, and other world percussion instruments. More
Day of the Drum: Rhythm Workshop with Glen Velez and Lori Cotler

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 4:00pm | Stage 5 | free
Glen Velez and Lori Cotler will help you develop your own rhythmic voice as they demonstrate hand drumming styles and vocal techniques. More
Day of the Drum: Recycled Rhythms with Chad Dunn

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 5:00pm | Lobby | free
The students of Recycled Rhythms build their own instruments from everyday refuse and jubilantly perform samba, capoeira, and forró beats with leader Chad Dunn. More
Day of the Drum: Community Drum Circle

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 5:20pm | Lobby | free
John Yost of Rhythm Revolution and Dahui leads a drum circle that will stretch around the Lobby. More
Day of the Drum: ScrapArtsMusic

Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 7:00pm | Tryon Festival Theatre | $10-$28
Its plankophone clatters with 12 hammering hands, the sigh-cordion hoots and snarls from plumbing fixtures and accordion reeds, its colossal ziggurat drum spins and booms, and junk-on-a-stick clangs with scavenged refuse. More