FamilyFun Series is on Target with timeless shows

Once he has that purple crayon, you know Harold will get into some crazy adventures.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College will once again partner with Target to bring quality, affordable, and family friendly performing arts programming to the diverse cultural communities of Brooklyn.

For the past 24 years, Brooklyn Center has presented weekend matinees specifically chosen for families with children ages four to 12.

Renamed the Target FamilyFun Series in 2008, the series is designed to provide parents the opportunity to introduce their children to live music, theater and dance at affordable prices. All seats for Brooklyn Center’s 2009-2010 Target FamilyFun Series are just $6 and all shows are at 2 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.

Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts’ 2009-2010 Target FamilyFun Series includes:

--The Adventures Of Harold And The Purple Crayon (October 11): Enchantment Theatre Company returns to Brooklyn Center with a new theatrical adaptation of Crockett Johnson’s beloved children’s classic. Using life-size puppets, masks, magic and music, this family musical tells the story of Harold, a brave and resourceful little boy who creates the world he wants to explore using only a big purple crayon and his sky’s-the-limit imagination. For ages four and up.

--The Colonial Nutcracker (December 13): Returning to Brooklyn Center for a fourth year, Dance Theatre in Westchester’s holiday favorite sets the classic Christmas ballet in wintry Colonial Yorktown, complete with an army of Redcoat mice, an enchanted nutcracker prince, and live narration that will help illuminate this timeless story for the young and the young at heart. For ages four and up.

--David Gonzalez’s Sleeping Beauty (March 14, 2010): A Brooklyn Center commission, master storyteller David Gonzalez puts a new spin on the classic fairy tale, using live and electronic music, dance, image projections, and exquisite lighting to create a magical multimedia world in which a beautiful princess is awakened by true love’s kiss. For ages six and up.

--Dirty Sock Funtime Band (April 11, 2010): Hailed as the “first real rock band for kids” by FOX news and nominated “Best Kid’s Band 2006” by Time Out New York Kids, the Dirty Socks are a regular favorite on Nickelodeon’s “Jack’s Big Music Show.” With songs including “Dino-Soaring” and “Music Everywhere,” they captivate children and parents alike with their high-energy concerts full of rockin’ singalong jams and audience participation. For ages four and up.

--Tap Kids (April 25, 2010): Eight of the nation’s most talented young tap dancers take to the stage in this rousing, joyous and contemporary celebration of American youth culture. Through a series of musical vignettes, this innovative dance-theater piece tells the story of a group of high school students facing both the mundane and momentous challenges of senior year. Created in 2002 by choreographer Lisa Hopkins and composer Philip Stern, Tap Kids has brought its passion and precision to more than 30 states as well as touring internationally in Mexico and Holland.

Other family friendly performances (but not part of the FamilyFun series) in Brooklyn Center’s 2009-2010 season include:

--Hairspray (January 24, 2010 at 3 p.m.): It’s 1962, and pleasantly plump Baltimore teen Tracy Turnblad has only one desire - to dance on the “Corny Collins Show.” When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star, but she must use her newfound power to vanquish the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin and integrate a TV network - all without denting her ‘do! Don’t miss Broadway’s musical comedy phenomenon that inspired a major motion picture and won eight Tony® Awards, including Best Musical. Tickets $40, $30, half price for children 18 and under.

--National Dance Theatre Company Of Jamaica (March 6 at 8 p.m. and March 7, 2010 at 2 p.m.): Founded in 1962 after Jamaica’s liberation from Great Britain, the National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica (NDTC) is known for an energy and creativity characteristic of the Caribbean. Led by founding member Rex Nettleford, NDTC has demonstrated its versatility in storytelling, pantomimic play, and fusion of elements of Caribbean dance with classical ballet to the Brooklyn community in biennial performances since the 1970s. Tickets $40, $30, half price for children 18 and under.

--Chinese Acrobats Of Hebei (April 18, 2010 at 3 p.m.): The world-class gymnasts, contortionists, and jugglers from Hebei combine gravity-defying acrobatics with the discipline of martial arts to create a spellbinding kaleidoscope of color, drama and skill for the whole family. Tickets $30, half price for children 18 and under.In recognition of its commitment to quality family programming, Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts has been nominated as one of Brooklyn’s Best Theater or Theater Group for Kids as part of Nickelodeon’s 2009 ParentsConnect Parents’ Picks Awards.

All shows are in the Walt Whitman Theatre at Brooklyn College. For more, call 718-951-4500.Multi-buy packages (any three or more performances from Brooklyn Center’s 2009-2010 season; except FamilyFun) save up to 15% off individual ticket prices. Discounts are also available for seniors, students, Brooklyn College faculty, staff and alumni, and groups of 15 or more (on all shows except FamilyFun series).