Backyard Theater for Children at Strathmore Returns in July

Backyard Theater for Children at Strathmore returns in July. Held on Thursdays at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., the four-week concert series includes folk music from Little Miss Ann, jazz band JoJo & The Pinecones, steelpan Caribbean music from Prince George’s County’s Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra, and husband-and-wife duo Lucky Diaz and The Family Jam Band.

Backyard Theater for Kids performances are held outdoors on the tented Backyard Theater stage located on the Mansion lawn. The interactive theater experience will have children moving with sing-alongs, call and response vocals, dancing and hands-on fun. Guests are encouraged to bring a bag lunch and stay on the Mansion lawn to eat after the performance. Picnic blankets and low beach chairs welcome.

Tickets are $8, free for ages 2 and under and may be purchased online at Strathmore website.

Parking is in the Mansion parking lot on a space-available basis. Enter the lot at 10701 Rockville Pike. Overflow parking is at the meters along Tuckerman Lane, or in the Metro garage. (Parking in the garage is $5 and a Metro SmarTrip or major credit card is required to pay the exit fare).

Check the Strathmore website for weather cancellations.

Schedule:

Little Miss Ann
Thursday, July 5 at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

A former public school teacher and veteran music instructor, Chicago kids’ musician Little Miss Ann plays interactive, folky tunes that are exactly what parents want to hear with their kiddos on a summer morning. Fans of SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live or SXSW and Lollapalooza’s kids’ stages know why she’s won multiple awards for her energetic and engaging music.

JoJo and the Pinecones
Thursday, July 12 at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

New York City based jazz ensemble Joelle & The Pinehurst Trio brings jazzed-up pop and popped-up jazz to Strathmore’s Backyard Theater Stage as their amazing family-friendly alter ego JoJo & The Pinecones. These skilled musicians captivate with an accessible style and energy that kids and parents alike will love, with tunes ranging from fun originals like “Breakfast for Dinner” to re-imagined jazz standards like Cole Porter’s “Night and Day,” the title track from their latest album.

Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra
Thursday, July 19 at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

This award-winning ensemble brings the lush, radiant sounds of the steelpan and warm music of the Caribbean to Strathmore’s backyard. A group of 30 energetic young musicians, based in Prince George’s County as part of the Cultural Academy for Excellence (CAFÉ), Positive Vibrations Youth Steel Orchestra has captivated audiences at the Kennedy Center, the Zora Neale Hurston Festival, and the Virginia Beach Panorama Festival, among many others.

Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band
Thursday, July 26 at 9:30 & 11:30 a.m.

Lucky Diaz And The Family Jam Band thrills audiences with smart, crafty lyrics and sun-filled pop beats. The first American musicians to win a Latin Grammy in the children’s category, the married duo is also known for their whimsical hit television series Lishy Lou and Lucky Too. With several number one songs on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live and seven entertaining albums, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band’s music explores all of the joyous wonder of a young person’s life.

A Saturday performance for kids:

Arts on the Horizon: To the Clouds
Tickets $8 in advance, $10 day of. Kids ages 2 and under are free
Saturday, July 28 at 9:30 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.

To The Clouds takes youngsters on a magical, interactive adventure of a day in the life of a raindrop. Kids will love a close-up look at amazing things along the journey: colorful flowers, the warm sun, perhaps even a whale! Through movement, puppetry, and found object animation, this interactive world-premiere for babies and toddlers is driven by a soundtrack of classical music and creates a captivating world of transformation. For kids 0-3.

Scenes from Backyard Theater for Kids courtesy Strathmore

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