Greenwich children as young as 3 will have a spot on stage this fall, after Open Arts Alliance announced an expanded season with five new programs — and the return of a student-led tour that brings live music straight to seniors who might not otherwise get to see it.
Program Director Cindy Busani said the nonprofit's Fall 2026 lineup covers ages 3 through high school, all held at the Greenwich Arts Council. Registration is open now on a first-come basis at openartsalliance.com.
Seussical KIDS, which Busani called "a colorful musical that captures the excitement, imagination, and sense of possibility that comes with the start of a new school year," is open to students in grades 1 through 6. No previous theater experience is required — casting happens right in the first class. Students rehearse weekly before performing Nov. 13 and 14 at Round Hill Community Church, with tickets going on sale Oct. 26.
The returning Junior Ensemble Tour, or JET, puts students in grades 7 through 12 fully in charge — they choose and direct their own material. This fall's show, Shake, Rattle & Roll!, is a 1950s song medley rehearsed over six Sundays starting Sept. 27, capped by a family dress rehearsal Nov. 6. The real payoff comes the next day: a roughly 30-minute touring performance across three Greenwich senior living facilities — Nathaniel Witherell, The Greens at Greenwich, and The Mews — giving residents a live show and giving student performers community service hours in return.
Winnie the Pooh, for ages 5 and 6, runs Saturday mornings starting Sept. 5, ending with a short performance for families. And brand new this season: Storybook Stars, for ages 3 and 4, meets Wednesday mornings starting Sept. 9, pairing each child with a caregiver for interactive reading, songs, movement and imaginative play — no performance pressure, just a first taste of the arts.
Rounding things out is Wickedly Fun, a one-day workshop for grades 1 through 6 led by choreographer Morgan India Miller on Nov. 21, set to music inspired by the Broadway musical Wicked. Miller is also choreographing the organization's Summerstage production of Chicago Teen Edition, running Aug. 1-2 at the Bendheim Performing Arts Center in Scarsdale, N.Y.
Key dates:
- Aug. 1-2 — Chicago Teen Edition, Bendheim Performing Arts Center
- Sept. 5 — Winnie the Pooh classes begin
- Sept. 9 — Storybook Stars classes begin
- Sept. 27 — JET rehearsals begin
- Nov. 13-14 — Seussical KIDS performances, Round Hill Community Church
- Nov. 21 — Wickedly Fun dance workshop
