It had been a little over two years since my kids and I visited The New Victory Theater in the heart of Times Square. Due to the pandemic, we hadn’t experienced the pleasure of seeing a New Victory production in so long. That all changed this past weekend when we made our way back to the children’s theater for the first time to see Jabari Dreams of Freedom.
Written by Nambi E. Kelley, the 45-minute show tells the story of Jabari, a 5th-grader living on the South Side of Chicago who is stifled by fear. After he and his friend Emmett set out on a mission to find his missing keys during a routine walk, they have a tragic encounter with the police. This incident leaves his friend Emmett in the hospital after suffering injuries sustained after a brutal case of mistaken identity.
Photo by: Abboye Lawrence
Traumatized and afraid, Jabari doesn’t want to return to school. Instead, the avid YouTuber or in this case “U-Tuber,” the middle schooler makes fun dance-infused videos for his followers. However, his parents urge him to return to school — especially since he has a major civil rights movement test coming up.
The night before the exam, Jabari dreams of prominent figures and seminal moments throughout the civil rights era. From Claudette Colvin to Ruby Bridges, he learns lessons of courage from young civil rights heroes who took a stand and changed the world for the better. He even meets a young and impressionable Barack Obama. His dream sequences give him the strength to forge ahead and accept the fact that being afraid is normal but it shouldn’t stop him from moving forward.
Through hip hop-inspired dances and soul-stirring freedom songs, Jabari Dreams of Freedom entertains and educates children while teaching them valuable history lessons. It presents the hard-hitting topics such as racism and police brutality in a way that’s palatable and digestible for young minds to understand.
If you’re looking for a show that will keep your child engaged, empower them to be fearless and impart teachable moments, this is a can’t-miss performance. Jabari Dreams of Freedom is recommended for children ages 7+ and runs through April 3, 2022 at New Victory Theater located, 209 W. 42nd Street, New York, NY.
For tickets and more information, click here.
Who is your favorite civil rights hero?
Oh that sounds fantastic! I wish I could see it. I also wish BGG could travel the world to point out all the must sees and dos everywhere!! Thanks for sharing this!!
Thank you so much, Ladybug. From your mouth to God’s ears! I would love to travel the world to bring my readers the must-see shows and attractions around the globe. Maybe one day. I’ve learned to DREAM BIG and will continue to manifest the best of life’s joys!
Thank you for posting! It has been very hard on kids since the pandemic. So this is great to have shows like this to inspire the young generation.
I agree, the pandemic has been incredibly hard on kids. I’m glad they’re slowly but surely getting back to the things that brought them joy! Live theater is definitely something my kids missed.