Ellington

"Journey of Hope"
• Thalia Mara Hall
• Tickets $15-$35

Comprised of 7- to 11-year-old African children, many of whom have lost parents to war, disease or poverty, the message of the African Children's Choir is simple: hope. "Journey of Hope" is the choir's touring show, which infuses traditional African instruments, dance, and puppetry with gospel and contemporary music. The children have performed across the world with such people as Sir Paul McCartney and Bobby McFerrin, and have sung for Kofi Annan and Nelson Mandela. The children come from seven countries, many of them war-torn, including Sudan, Rwanda and Somalia. Proceeds from their show go, in part, toward supporting nearly 8,000 underprivileged children, and in doing so, helping to improve the future of their home countries.