The Colorful Hat

The Colorful Hat Circus & Variety is reinventing Vaudeville — live and on stage — with a high-energy performance showcasing extraordinary skills with everyday objects: hula hoops, juggling balls, jump ropes, and even chairs! 

Performed by world-class, award-winning artists whose credits include appearances on The Tonight Show, ESPN, and the Magic Circle Theatre in London, highlights include: 

• Chairs stacked to the ceiling!
• Breathtaking balancing acts!
• Acrobatics with hula hoops, jump ropes, and more!
• Dynamic juggling!
• Amazing magic and illusions — including one of Harry Houdini’s most famous and fastest escapes!
• High-flying acrobatics on the teeterboard — a giant see-saw!

Throughout the show, students will discover the history of circus, variety, and vaudeville entertainment, and hear the personal stories of how this remarkable cast of performers found their way to the stage. 

STUDY GUIDE 

NC Standard Course of Study Connections: 

Arts Education Standards — Dance & Theatre K–8 

• PR.1 — Develop physical awareness and movement skills / Act by communicating and sustaining roles (physical theater and character work)
• CR.1 — Generate and conceptualize movement and theatrical ideas 

Science Standards (2023) 

• K–2: K.P.1 — Understand position and motion of objects
• 3–5: 3.P.1 — Understand motion and forces affecting motion (applicable to juggling and acrobatics)
• 6–8: 6.P.1 — Understand motion and forces (physics of juggling, balance, and momentum) 

Math & Cross-Curricular Connections 

• Geometry and patterns in movement sequences, arc trajectories in juggling, and spatial reasoning in acrobatics offer natural tie-ins to math standards at all K–8 grade bands.

All Durham Public Schools reservations will be made by the school-designated Arts Liaison. The Arts Liaison was appointed by each school principal to coordinate this effort. Please contact your principal for further action.

Online reservations end five days prior to a performance date. Tickets will still be sold at the box office on the date of the event, dependent upon availability. Please email us for availability at efan@carolinatheatre.org.