Press Release The Busy Bees' Great Adventure - Made-in-Miami musical to educate third, fourth and fifth graders about environmental conservation

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County announces new live theater initiative

THE BUSY BEES’ GREAT ADVENTURE

Made-in-Miami musical to educate third, fourth and fifth graders about environmental conservation

Premiering Fall 2023

Miami, FL – April 17, 2023 – The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County (@arshtcenter) is buzzing about the new addition to the Center’s Learning through the Arts program – THE BUSY BEES’ GREAT ADVENTURE. Featuring all Miami-based creatives and cast, the original new musical centers around time-traveling, hip-hop performing honeybees on a quest to save the planet. 30,000 Miami-Dade elementary school students will be invited to experience this live theater initiative, for free, at the Arsht Center while learning about the importance of environmental conservation.  

THE BUSY BEES’ GREAT ADVENTURE is now in production and premieres in October 2023. This original new work was commissioned by the Arsht Center, was written by Miami-based playwright Ashlee K. Thomas with music by Nico Raimont and will be directed by musical theater educator Tanisha Cidel. The storyline follows four honeybees on a quest to save the planet once they learn about the threats to the environment, including their own possible extinction, and what actions can be taken to prevent our planet’s destruction. The show is envisioned as an engaging lesson in environmental literacy, a topic close to home for Miami children who live in one of the most susceptible areas in the country. For most students, this will also be their first live theater experience at their local performing arts center. Everything, including the transporting of students to the Arsht Center, is provided free to schools and students through the generosity of Arsht Center supporters.

The show will be accompanied by state-aligned, arts-integrated curriculum created by a collaborative team from the Arsht Center and Miami-Dade County Public Schools (MDCPS). The Center will host free teacher workshops to share the curriculum with elementary school educators from across Miami-Dade County – enabling teachers to carry excitement from the theater production back to the classroom.

Students will be part of the creative process from the early stages. On May 2 and 3, students representing all 13 districts will be invited to preview portions of the musical and provide feedback, which will be incorporated into the finished musical, set to premiere for two weeks at the Arsht Center (October 2 –13, 2023).

For more information about the creative team, click here. The cast, which will consist entirely of South Florida-based actors, will be announced later this year.  

THE BUSY BEES’ GREAT ADVENTURE is made possible with the support of The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation, Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation, Anthony R. Abraham Foundation, MONAT Gratitude Foundation and Ocean Reef Community Foundation.

ABOUT THE ARSHT CENTER’S ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The Arsht Center offers 12+ signature education programs and free arts opportunities to more than 80,000 students across South Florida each year. The Busy Bees’ Great Adventure is the latest installment of the Arsht Center’s Learning Through the Arts program, a partnership with Miami-Dade County Public Schools that uses live theatrical performances as the primary path for learning traditional subjects. This program, which also includes Kitty Hawk, I am Me and Rock Odyssey, has reached more than 300,000 MDCPS students since its inception in 2010. Other Arsht arts education programs include Accessing the Arts Residencies, art workshops for children with disabilities; Jazz Roots: Sound Check and other behind-the-scenes access for students; virtual performances year-round; numerous teaching training workshops and many others. For more information, visit arshtcenter.org/education.

@ArshtCenter                        #ArshtCenter

*All programs, artists, ticket prices, availability, dates and times are subject to change without notice. Visit arshtcenter.org for up-to-date information.

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is made possible by the public support of the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council and the City of Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, as well as the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. The Adrienne Arsht Center also receives generous support from individuals, corporations and local, state and national foundations.

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AboutUs
Set in the heart of downtown Miami, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is committed to welcoming and connecting ALL people to the arts, to the Arsht Center and to each other. Our stages are alive year-round with artists from around the world, innovative programming from our resident companies and local arts partners, free community events that reflect Miami’s unique identity and arts education experiences for thousands of Miami children each year.

 Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center, a 501C3 non-profit organization, has been recognized as a catalyst for billions of dollars in new development in the downtown area, a leader in programming that mirrors South Florida’s diversity, a host venue for historic events and Miami’s hub for arts education.

Each year, we serve more than 60,000 young learners and offer more than 100 culturally diverse and inclusive education programs — many enhanced by the Arsht Center’s relationship with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, local teaching artists and Miami-based arts organizations.

The Arsht Center is also a home stage for three resident companies — Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet and New World Symphony — and a launch pad for local artists to make their mark on the international stage. Our 300+ events each year include the Center’s Signature Series of classical, jazz, Broadway, local theater and much more. We present a robust series of touring Broadway musicals direct from New York, the largest jazz series in South Florida, a major annual Flamenco Festival and an award-winning Miami-based theater program. In addition, our Family Fest, Free Gospel Sundays, CommuniTEA LGBTQ+ celebration and Heritage Fest are among dozens of free events that bring together people from all corners of our community. For more information, visit arshtcenter.org.