Calendar of Events

Lizzy and Leo Martinez have a plan – they want to be the “smartest kids in the world!” Studious Leo is convinced that winning a local TV quiz show is the first step to a better life for their family. Maybe he and Lizzy can even take their hardworking mami and papi on vacation to Hawaii! But when their parents refuse to let Leo participate in the quiz show, Lizzy decides to grow up, step up, and complete the plan herself.  

Are you an educator? Schedule your Smartest Girl field trip by September 12 and get $2 off every ticket.

OR

Join us at a family weekend performance and present your teacher ID for one free ticket!

See below for show times and booking information.

Family Weekend Performance Info

Saturday, September 16 – 7:00pm (Pay What You Will)* 
Sunday, September 17 – 2:00pm 
Sunday, September 24 – 2:00pm 
Sunday, September 24 – 4:30pm (Sensory Friendly)* 

Discover More Event: Mexican Independence Quiz Bowl

Saturday, September 16 – 8:00pm *Immediately following the 7:00pm Pay What You Will performance. 

Show off your knowledge of Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic Culture! On September 16th, take advantage of LCT’s Pay What You Will performance of The Smartest Girl in the World, then stick around after for a Quiz Bowl style event hosted by Casa de la Cultura and Lexington Children’s Theatre.

*Pay What You Will tickets cannot be purchased online, but can be reserved ahead of time by calling our Box Office at 859.254.4546 x245. Learn more on our Pay What You Will page.

Proudly sponsored by:

For Educators:

Our School Matinee Performances allow you to bring your students to the theatre for an unforgettable field trip!  

 Recommended for Grades 3rd-8th  
Curricular Connections: Spanish Language, Family Relationships, Dealing with Conflict 

Tuesday, September 19 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Wednesday, September 20 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Thursday, September 21 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Friday, September 22 – 10:00am  

Wednesday, September 27 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Thursday, September 28 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Friday, September 29 – 10:00am & 11:45am 

School Group Rate: $8 per seat with every 10th seat FREE! 
Individual Rate: $12 per seat 

In-School Touring Performances 

This show is also a Touring Production, which means it can travel to your school, library, or other venue and perform there. 

Touring Dates: September 11 – December 16, 2023 

Things to Know Before the Show

Get Ready For:

• Lots of imagination. Superhero stories, imagining history, as told by kids. 
• Sibling love/family bonds – they'll always be there for each other. 
• This story is full of big emotions – joy and sorrow, anger and triumph. If you don’t mind spoilers, read below for a more in-depth breakdown. 

  Spoilers Ahead!

  Leo’s parents saying he can’t go to the game show – raised voices  We learn Leo is sick, he has Sickle Cell Anemia. Aunt Kid explains the science of it in a kid-friendly way.  Lizzy gets into a sticky situation. Leo reacts and then yells at Lizzy because he’s upset, calling her “a baby.” Lizzy talks to her aunt later and her conclusion is that very kid thing of big emotions “Leo hates me. And, I hate him.”  It’s implied but not stated outright that Leo is thinking of running away from home at his most upset, as he holds onto a suitcase. He never acts on this.

Sensory Moments:

• We will have more information about sound and lights after rehearsals wrap up the week after Labor Day. Check back after then for more information! 
• Moments of raised voices/arguments throughout the show 

Book & Lyrics by Michelle Elliott 
Music & Lyrics by Danny Larsen 
Adapted from the book ZOMBIE IN LOVE by Kelly DiPucchio, Illustrations by Scott Campbell 

All Mortimer wants is to find a date to the school dance... which is hard when you’re a zombie. He has a big heart, but when he tries to let it show, his intestines just fall out! What’s an undead guy to do? This sidesplitting yet touching musical is a spooky celebration of the weird in all of us.

Family Weekend Performance Info

Sunday, October 15 – 2:00pm 

Saturday, October 21 – 2:00pm 
Saturday, October 21 – 7:00pm (Pay What You Will)* 
Sunday, October 22 – 2:00pm 

Saturday, October 28 – 2:00pm 
Sunday, October 29 – 2:00pm 

Saturday, November 4 – 2:00pm 
Sunday, November 5 – 2:00pm 

*Pay What You Will tickets cannot be purchased online, but can be reserved ahead of time by calling our Box Office at 859.254.4546 x245. Learn more on our Pay What You Will page.

Proudly sponsored by:

For Educators and Venues

Our School Matinee Performances allow you to bring your students to the theatre for an unforgettable field trip!  

Recommended for Grades 2nd-8th 
Curricular Connections: Adaptation, Kindness and Anti-Bullying, Anatomy, Celebrating Differences 

Thursday, October 19 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Friday, October 20 – 10:00am & 11:45am  

Wednesday, October 25 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Thursday, October 26 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Friday, October 27 – 10:00am & 11:45am 

Wednesday, November 1 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Thursday, November 2 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Friday, November 3 – 10:00am & 11:45am 

School Group Rate: $8 per seat with every 10th seat FREE! 
Individual Rate: $12 per seat 

Things to Know Before the Show

Date & Time Info

Friday, October 27 –  6:00-9:00pm
Saturday, October 28 –  6:00-9:00pm
Sunday, October 29 –  4:00-7:00pm

*Tickets will be sold in one-hour blocks during these time periods.

What happens when you mash up baseball, video games, and the classic story "The Reluctant Dragon" by Kenneth Grahame? A colorful show that's perfect for the whole family! Join LCT for this world-premiere adaptation by our Producing Artistic Director Jeremy Kisling.

The story revolves around Adrien, who is having a hard time dealing with bullies at school. But in the dream world, Adrien is in control of the story! When a friendly dragon named Diego moves to the hillside outside the town, Adrien finds a true friend. Diego is not like other dragons - he loves poetry and painting and wants to be a good neighbor. But trouble arises when the villagers misunderstand and hire Santiago the Warrior to defeat the "evil" dragon. Adrien must join forces with Diego and Santiago to change the villagers' minds. What better way to do it than a baseball game that mashes up two worlds? Will they be able to convince the villagers that Diego is not a threat and make them see the true beauty of their new neighbor? Join LCT to find out! 

Family Weekend Performance Info

This is a One Night Only Show! 

Saturday, November 11 – 2:30pm (Sensory Friendly)* & 7:00pm (Pay What You Will)* 

*Pay What You Will tickets cannot be purchased online, but can be reserved ahead of time by calling our Box Office at 859.254.4546 x245. Learn more on our Pay What You Will page.

For Educators:

School Matinee Performances 

Our School Matinee Performances allow you to bring your students to the theatre for an unforgettable field trip!  

Recommended for Grades K-3rd  
Curricular Connections: Adaptation, Classic Literature, Fairy and Folktales, Kindness 

Monday, November 6 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Wednesday, November 8 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Thursday, November 9 – 10:00am & 11:45am 
Friday, November 10 – 10:00am & 11:45am 

School Group Rate: $8 per seat with every 10th seat FREE! 
Individual Rate: $12 per seat 

In-School Touring Performances 

This show is also a Touring Production, which means it can travel to your school, library, or other venue and perform there. 

Touring Dates: September 11 – December 16, 2023 

Things to Know Before the Show

The Bradley family’s church Christmas Pageant is always the same, year after year – until the Herdmans show up! With “the worst kids in the world” taking the lead roles, this year’s Pageant will be a total disaster. But it might just be the year when the rambunctious, rag-tag Herdmans help their community see Christmas in a whole new way, and prove that even “the worst kids in the world” can change it for the better. 

Family Weekend Performance Info 

Saturday, November 25 – 2:00pm 
Saturday, December 2 – 2:00pm 
Saturday, December 2 – 7:00pm* (Pay What You Will) 
Sunday, December 3 – 2:00pm 

*Pay What You Will tickets cannot be purchased online, but can be reserved ahead of time by calling our Box Office at 859.254.4546 x245. Learn more on our Pay What You Will page.

Proudly sponsored by:

For Educators:

School Matinee Performances 

Our School Matinee Performances allow you to bring your students to the theatre for an unforgettable field trip!  

Recommended for Grades 1st-8th  
Curricular Connections: Holiday Traditions, Social Inclusion, Adaptation

Monday, November 27 – 10:00am & 12:00pm 
Tuesday, November 28 – 10:00am & 12:00pm 
Wednesday, November 29 – 10:00am & 12:00pm 
Thursday, November 30 – 10:00am & 12:00pm 
Friday, December 1 – 10:00am & 12:00pm 

Monday, December 4 – 10:00am & 12:00pm 

School Group Rate: $8 per seat with every 10th seat FREE! 
Individual Rate: $15 per seat 

Things to Know Before the Show

The Herdman children are not the nicest kids on the block. You will hear them say unkind things, like ‘You are stupid.” Before they understand the meaning behind the Christmas Pageant, they also poke fun at the story of Jesus sleeping in the manger and not in a nice hotel. Unlike in the book, there are no curse words used in the play.

Our Herdman family starts out a little rough around the edges, but they eventually learn how to treat others with a little more kindness and respect. During the show, you may see them pick on their fellow pageant members, steal their lunch, and even...smoke a cigar (THE HORROR)! Stories like these are a great conversation starter for you and your young person on how to best treat our friends.

During the final dress rehearsal, the characters believe that there is a fire in the bathroom and panic. The characters yell and run out of the Church basement, and there will be pulsing lights and fog. There are firemen who come and try and put out a fire before being knocked over by the Herdmans, and the whole scene ends with a character being accidentally sprayed with a fire extinguisher.

This story is a great way to start conversations about... kindness and trying new things. The Herdmans are known around town...and not for any good reasons. The whole community is concerned that they will ruin their perfect Christmas traditions and are hesitant to even give them a chance. Mrs. Bradley, however, is not going to give up on them. With the help of the Bradley family, we come to understand why the Herdmans behave the way they do and see that they can grow and change if given the chance. We are left with the reminder that in life, everyone deserves a chance and people can surprise you.

We love this story because... it is a timeless holiday story with characters we can all relate to or know in our real lives. Traditions, especially those around the holidays, are so important for a community, and being inclusive can open a whole new world for people who may not feel welcome. We also love seeing the growth of Herdman family, especially Imogene Herdman, who plays Mary in the Christmas Pageant.

UPDATE: Due to artist availability, this event is being postponed and will not take place on December 2nd. We will have more information later if we are able to reschedule it. In the meantime, we will still be accepting winter coat donations on behalf of Believing in Forever! New coats are accepted by the organization between now and Monday, December 4th.

Learn More about the Coat Drive

We invite you to join us for a coat drive benefitting the local non-profit Believing in Forever, which empowers children to become community game changers! As a thank you, Devine Carama of One Lexington is hosting an exciting concert before the Pay What You Will performance of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. This is a FREE event, and we welcome winter coat donations for all ages and sizes.

When: December 2nd
Where: Lexington Children's Theatre, 418 West Short Street, Lexington, KY 40507
Time: 5:30pm - 6:30pm
Tickets: No tickets necessary for event. For the 7:00pm performance, call the Box Office at 859-254-4546 x245 to reserve your Pay What You Will tickets or purchase them at the door.

Learn more about The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by clicking on the image below.

Event presented by the PNC Foundation