‘Night Train 57’ to take a music-filled, sensory-friendly journey April 5 at Eisenhower
Enter the freewheeling musical world of Grammy Award-winning singer Dan Zanes, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Claudia Zanes and percussionist Yuriana Sobrino for “Night Train 57,” a sensory-friendly comic folk opera that will take audiences on a far-out ride to the galaxies and back. The family show comes to Penn State at 4 p.m. Sunday, April 5, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Purchase tickets, which are $15 each. A grant from the University Park Student Fee Board makes Penn State student prices possible.
A People magazine critic called Dan Zanes “the crown prince of contemporary kid’s music. A New York Times reviewer observed that he creates “true children’s music, but executed with such sweet (and un-gooey!) humor, casual multiculturalism and shambling groove that you can call it your own.”
During a joyous dusk-to-dawn trip through the stars, “Night Train 57” passengers will discover the power of friendship and community through the sounds of 21st-centruy handmade sing-along music.
It’s an adventure welcoming to all, including young children, people with autism spectrum disorders and those with other sensory sensitivities. A relaxed atmosphere will be established, in which singing along and wiggling in seats are expected.
Festive original folk singing — backed by guitar, trombone, mandolin, flute, harmonica, ukulele and percussion — powers the train. Homespun sets and video projections generate an intergalactic atmosphere.
Patrons should expect to visit psychedelic stars, navigate the challenges of whimsical space travel and celebrate communal music-making while singing, laughing and dancing toward a deeper understanding of life’s best possibilities.
Learn about the modifications being made to help this show be welcoming to everyone.
Watch a performance of a song from “Night Train 57.”
Kids Connections, which is free for ticket holders and includes a craft-centered, child-friendly activity, takes place in Eisenhower one hour before the show. Due to space and time restrictions, Kids Connections participation is limited.
McQuaide Blasko Endowment provides support for the presentation.