In the market for fun

The world’s only arts market devoted exclusively to young people’s programming is coming to campus next week, and you and your family are invited to take a peek at what’s for sale.

The 24th International Showcase of Performing Arts for Young People will take place at the Annenberg Center Jan. 30 through Feb. 2. Eighteen performing arts groups will present 45-minute performances offering Showcase participants and the general public a chance to sample their offerings.

Showcase highlights include:

- “The Velveteen Rabbit”: Mum Puppetthater’s version of this well-loved children’s classic features original music by Adam Wernick.

- “Moby Dick”: A whale of a tale when Herman Melville first wrote it, and an equally fascinating story as performed by Germany’s Theater Triebwerk.

- “Stolen Moments”: Brooklyn’s JazzReach Performing Arts and Education Association takes youth on a tour of 100 years of jazz in America and showcases its rich history.

- “Goodnight Opus”: Canada’s Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia gently sends up “Goodnight Moon” as Opus the penguin and his friends take a trip through the Milky Way.

An additional 12 performers will present 10- to 15-minute “olios”—short presentations—between the showcase productions. Featured short performers include La Strada, Faustwork Mask Theater and Theater of the First Amendment.

Showcase performances run from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 2:30 to 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 2:30 to 5:05 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, and from 8:30 to 10:20 a.m. and 2:30 to 3:25 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2. Tickets for single performances are $4 each. Passes good for an entire day’s performances are $24 for Thursday, $20 for Friday and $16 for Saturday. For a complete listing of performances and performers, visit www.pennpresents.org on the Web; To purchase tickets, visit the Web site or call 215-898-3900.

Conference

The performances are part of a conference that includes panels on the state of performing arts for youth, and presentations and exhibits from more than 100 organizations devoted to youth and the arts. For conference information, visit www.pennpresents.org, e-mail showcase@ac.upenn.edu or call 215-898-3900.