Children’s Theater &
School Assemblies
Kids will never forget their interactive children’s theater experience from Jolie Canoli and her husband, Dr. Theo. Their hilarious and heartwarming kid shows, along with engaging author visits, make for the perfect theatrical experience for your theater, school, festival, or library.
Theo and Jolie are master storytellers who have traveled worldwide performing shows using mime, illusion, puppetry, music, and original stories. Library events, school assemblies, and community theaters 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!
“Endless fun and happy smiles with Jolie Canoli and Buddy Bones, today! We had a amazing and joyful show at our daycare! Jolie came to visit and presented a fun, interactive performance for our kids. The children were laughing, dancing, playing, and enjoying every single moment. Thank you Jolie Canoli and Buddy Bones for such a magical time!”
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 kid 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
One particularly effective approach to engage young minds during these assemblies is through the use of puppetry. 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
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.
Kids gain motivation to create, write, illustrate, and enact creative play following Jolie Canoli shows. School assemblies leave a lasting impression, inspiring kids to pursue creative ventures, encouraged by someone who has gone before them. As Abby Johnson from Study Hamster notes:
Ultimately, well-executed assemblies can serve as powerful platforms for motivation, helping students understand their potential and inspiring them to strive for excellence in all aspects of their lives.
School assemblies cue the entire school to the importance of their school culture and valuing literacy.
“My kids are reenacting the entire show in our living room.” -Becca Thomas, mother of three kids
Kid Shows
Kid shows are excellent for elementary schools, preschools, daycares, kindergartens, local theaters, festivals, and more! Jolie offers a variety show that includes puppetry, music, illusion, and storytelling, providing a different experience with every visit. She can return again and again with new content every time!
Some examples of her Kid Shows include:
Uniquely You
Kids discover that they are 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 of those around them when Buddy Bones the dog learns it is possible to love a cat.
Jolie Canoli Holiday Shows
Jolie sings a dinosaur inspired “Jingle Bells,” a hedgehog puppet shares his winter woes by singing “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 magical X-ray machine to demonstrate that skeletons are the bones in our bodies. Kids help turn it on, and Buddy Bones the dog puppet discovers that he has bones in his body, too. Kids will also wiggle their bones to the song “Funny Bones.”
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!
Author Shows
Jolie makes her original storybooks come alive. Storytelling, puppetry, ventriloquism, illustration demonstrations, and interactive songs help students fall in love with reading, writing, and illustration. See more below!
““Your performance was absolutely outstanding! Thank you for not only delivering a wonderfully crafted performance that kept our students and families riveted, but also for the engagement you offered before and after your show.” ”
“Thank you so much for your entertaining and engaging presentation! The members absolutely loved it— your energy, creativity, and humor made the experience truly special. We appreciate you sharing your talents with us!”
“You were so energetic and engaging! We’d love to have you back.”
-Jenni, Waupun Ice Fest
AUTHOR VISITS
Jolie’s author visits are a wonderful opportunity to encourage literacy. Jolie’s storytelling and book themes encourage respect, hard work, personal responsibility, and excellence, promoting a healthy school culture.
As an 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, an illustration demonstration, and sharing on the themes from the book.
Author Visits focus on a featured book. Book options are below:
You are Wonderful, Marzette
This heartwarming story reminds kids that they are wonderful and truly loved. It addresses bullying, self-talk, and kindness. 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… until one day, he loses his key! He must search high, low, far, and beyond to find it again. Jolie shares interactive songs, demonstrates dog illustrations, and introduces kids to Buddy Bones, the lovable dog puppet.
But Mom Said No
This rhyming picture book centers on five friends who discover in surprising and humorous ways that not every animal should be a pet. This story highlights the importance of personal responsibility. Kids can also discuss when it is important to say no. 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 early reader called “Pop.”