All News

New Twist on Classic Fable with 'The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare: The Next Gen'

By University Relations Staff

DUBUQUE, Iowa - The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare: The Next Gen will bring a new twist to a classic fable at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, April 2, 2023, in John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque. The performance is part of the 10th annual Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series.

WHAT: The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare: The Next Gen
WHEN: 1:00 p.m. Sunday, April 2, 2023
WHERE: John and Alice Butler Hall, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque
TICKETS:







- Public: $21 to $30
- Children: $16
- Children 3 and Under: $5 lap seat
- UD Affiliates (UD Faculty and Staff, UD Alumni, Parents of Current UD Students, Military/Veterans, Groups of 10 or More): $16 to $25
- UD Students: First ticket $5; additional tickets $16 to $25
Ticket prices increase by $5 at midnight the day of the event.

As seen on America's Got Talent, Lightwire Theater returns to Heritage Center with another favorite. Beginning with Aesop's classic fable of The Tortoise and the Hare, this adaptation eventually finds them 10 years down the road, now with children of their own and exploring modern day distractions. Smart phones and video games create a new landscape of lost connections to life experiences. The Next Gen features Tortoise Junio and Lil' Hare in a whole new kind of race, where their adventures lead them into unexpected territory. Old Man Tortoise and Big Daddy Hare must come together despite their differences to find and save their children. What hurdles will they have to overcome to make it to the finish line?

With dazzling visuals, poignant storytelling, and creative use of music from classical to pop, this production brings this tale into a new brilliant light.

Lightwire Theater is internationally recognized for their signature brand of electroluminescent artistry that combines theater and technology to bring stories to life in complete darkness. Based in New Orleans, the group was featured as semi-finalists on NBC's America's Got Talent and won Tru TV's Fake Off.

The process of building Lightwire Theater's electroluminescent characters starts with the creators and the cast. They build everything from the ground up, utilizing recyclable materials including aluminum rods, election signs, skateboard wheels, dryer ducting, plumbing supplies, PVC pipes, fishing poles, duct tape, zip ties, and backpacks to help define peaks and angles in the sculptures. Black fabric is then added for dimension and lined with electroluminescent wire known as "el wire." The wire, which can be powered by batteries and requires no theatrical lighting, gives a 360-degree of glowing light.

Celebrate The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare: The Next Gen before the show with "Page to Stage: STEM Race Challenge" in March with the Dubuque County Library. Children in first-grade through fifth-grade will use a variety of craft supplies to construct a vehicle that can race further and faster than all the others. Each child who attends will receive one free child's admission with the purchase of an adult admission to The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare: The Next Gen. Three programs will be offered: 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Monday, March 27, 2023, at the Dubuque County Library, Farley Branch; 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, March 27, 2023, at the Dubuque County Library, Holy Cross Branch; and 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, 2023, at the Dubuque County Library, Peosta/NICC Branch. Please register by Monday, March 20, 2023, at www.dubcolib.org.

Xtreme 107.1 FM is the exclusive radio sponsor for The Adventure of Tortoise & Hare: The Next Gen.

Tickets for The Adventures of Tortoise & Hare: The Next Gen can be purchased from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday and 90 minutes prior to events at the Farber Box Office, Heritage Center, University of Dubuque, 2255 Bennett Street; by calling 563.585.SHOW; or by visiting www.dbq.edu/heritagecenter.

New this season, H-PALS allows people to earn a point for every dollar spent. When patrons reach 200 points, they receive one free ticket (valued up to $50) for an eligible event of their choice.

Conlon Construction is the presenting sponsor of the 2022-2023 Live at Heritage Center Performing Arts Series.