Children’s Theater &
School Assemblies
Kids will never forget heartwarming children’s theater from Jolie Canoli and her husband, Dr. Theo. Their hilarious and heartwarming kids shows and author visits are the perfect theatrical experience for your theater, school, festival, or library.
Theo and Jolie have traveled worldwide performing shows using mime, illusion, puppetry, music, and original stories. Library shows, school assemblies, and community events are perfect venues for their entertaining productions.
“Your show is their favorite event of the year!”
-Courtney Young, 2nd Grade Teacher
Humor and audience interaction keep kids engaged throughout. Original songs like “You’re Uniquely You,” “If I Make a Mistake,” and “If I Were an Elephant” include audience dance moves and valuable lessons. It is an entertaining experience for the whole family!
“My kids are reenacting the entire show in our living room.” -Becca Thomas, mother of three kids
Why live entertainment?
Live entertainment builds community and strengthens bonds with a shared experience. Families and children step away from screens to discover the power of theater and live interaction by attending kids shows. School assemblies and kids theater allow children and families to have a group experience that fosters communal agreement on the themes presented in the theatrical productions, such as being kind, respecting others, and working hard.
School assemblies are a valuable administrative tool for promoting school unity, recognizing students, and extending classroom learning.1
Elementary school assemblies have long been recognized as a valuable tool for fostering school spirit and promoting positive values among students. One particularly effective approach to engage young minds during these assemblies is through the use of puppetry.2 Puppets have a unique ability to captivate students' attention and create a safe space for learning and self-expression. In Jolie Canoli’s school assemblies, puppeteers skillfully bring characters to life, addressing important topics such as supporting one another and striving for excellence.
“You were outstanding! People are saying, ‘when are you bringing them back?!?’ ” -Jen Bethel, Oakwood Village Community Center
Puppetry is unique method to develop social emotional intelligence. Puppeted characters can experience emotions and challenges in a broader manner, and also become villains and heroes without maintain a human element. This allows kids to assess conflicts and challenges in a less personal manner, engaging their reasoning skills while allowing them to laugh, too!
Through enchanting stories and animated puppetry kids retain powerful messages encouraging unity and excellence within the student body. These performances create a unique platform to address important values such as empathy, kindness, respect, and teamwork.
These experiences leave a lasting impression, inspiring kids to pursue their creative ventures. Kids are motivated to be creative, write, illustrate, and use physical expression. Kids' shows, author visits, and school assemblies invite participation. Kids will forge ahead into their own ideas, encouraged by someone who has gone before them.
Kids shows
Kids shows are excellent for elementary schools, preschools, kindergartens, local theaters, festivals, and more! Available Kids Shows include:
Uniquely You
Kids discover that they unique and dearly loved in this fun show brimming with puppetry and catchy songs. Jolie sings original songs like "Uniquely You" and “Tippy Toes: If I Were an Elephant” Meanwhile kids are encouraged to appreciate the uniqueness in others as Buddy the Dog learns it is actually possible to love a cat.
The Wonder of Mime
Jolie and her husband Theo use traditional white face mime to teach kids that our actions speak louder than words. Sharing stories through playful physical theater and classical illusions, kids will discover this ancient art form and its ability to surprise and delight all ages!
Jolie Canoli Holiday Shows
Jolie sings a dinosaur inspired Jingle Bells, a hedgehog puppet shares his winter woes with a tune of “Icicles On My Prickles,” and Jolie using physical theater to share Christmas stories for kids of all ages.
Halloween X-Ray Show
Jolie brings her x-ray machine to show kids that skeletons are the bones in our bodies. Kids help turn it on, and magically Buddy the dog puppet discovers that he too has bones in his dog body. Kids will also wiggle their bones to the song “Funny Bones.”
“You were so energetic and engaging! We’d love to have you back.”
-Jenni, Waupun Ice Fest
SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES & Author Visits
Jolie’s shows are wonderful opportunity to build school spirit. Jolie’s storytelling and book themes encourage respect, personal responsibility and excellence to promote a healthy school culture.
Shows meet educational standards for the performing arts and social emotional learning. Topics covered include growth mindset, respect for others, responsibility with feelings, and celebrating diversity.
As author and illustrator, Jolie encourages kids to treat others with kindness, fall in love with reading, write their own stories, and pursue artistic creativity. Jolie Canoli’s engaging author visits include a book reading, original interactive music, a visit from a storybook puppet, illustration demo, and sharing on the themes from the book.
Author Visits are themed by the featured book. Book options are below:
You are Wonderful, Marzette
This heartwarming story reminds kids that they are wonderful and truly loved. Jolie brings a hand-crafted marionette of Marzette and also performs the story as a living marionette.
Bones
”Bones” is a hilarious early reader about a dog with a key to a treasure box that he will never lose. Of course, he loses his key, and he must search high, low, far, and beyond to find it again. Jolie shares interactive songs, demonstrates dog illustrations, and introduces kids to Buddy the dog puppet.
But Mom Said No
This rhyming picture book is about five friends who discover in surprising and humorous ways that not every animal should be a pet. This funny kids' story demonstrates sometimes saying no is best. Jolie introduces each animal with puppets, mime, and fun interaction for all.
Super Sounded-Out ABCs Phonics
Jolie Canoli Phonics books offer letters that look like their sounds, along with hilarious and tongue-twisting rhymes. Jolie reads her alphabet book along with fun songs, interaction, and playful ventriloquism from Buddy the Dog and Pip the Hedgehog. Pip the Hedgehog also surprises kids by blowing up a balloon and sharing his phonics reader “Pop.”