Children's Theater 2025: A Guide to 11 Works

This musical, now in its third season, explores the life and work of La Boca painter Benito Quinquela Martín . The production can be seen at the Teatro de la Ribera, a space donated specifically by the artist to be converted into a cultural venue. His iconic paintings depicting life in the La Boca neighborhood at the beginning of the 21st century can still be seen on the walls of the theater. The musical explores the life of the port painter, from his birth in 1890 and his abandonment in an orphanage to his adoption by the Chinchella family, owners of a coal mine.

Premiered in 2023 with an original idea and general direction by Lizzie Waisse, it features a luxury cast that includes Roberto Peloni, in the lead role (the actor who stands out in El Esprout ), Nacho Pérez Cortés (he stands out as Sandro in Sandro, the great show ), Belén Pasqualini, Natalia Cocciufo and Julián Pucheta. The musical direction is in the hands of Gustavo Mozzi.

Regarding the show, Lizzie Waisse maintains that “when I began my research on Benito Quinquela Martín and discovered the full magnitude of his work, I felt the need to highlight an Argentine artist who proposed an exemplary model of conduct that was distinct from the hegemonic one. An artist who, with the money he earned from his paintings, decided to donate establishments to his community. Someone who found happiness in giving more than in receiving and maintained a coherence between word and action. Benito's spirit has been my guide, and the show is a tribute to him. A man who paints his village and becomes universal. Like the Greek myth of Atlas, he carries La Boca on his shoulders.”

*Fridays, at 2 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays, at 3 p.m., at the Teatro de la Ribera, Don Pedro de Mendoza Avenue 1821. Recommended for ages 10 and up.

This musical is on par with Broadway productions. The book is by Doug Wright, the music by Alan Menken, and the lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater. Based on the 1989 Walt Disney film of the same name, which is itself an adaptation of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale, the show features an outstanding local cast, including Albana Fuentes (in the lead role of Ariel, the Little Mermaid); Evelyn Botto (as the evil Ursula); and José María Listorti (as Sebastian the crab).

*Performances at 3, 5:30, and 8 p.m., depending on the day, at the Gran Rex, Corrientes 857.

At this time of year, just before the winter break, Konex usually offers a "classic" program for the little ones. Just like last year, the children's ballet The Nutcracker returned to the program, in a special adaptation by the Konex Foundation and the Art and Culture Association, featuring performances by dancers from the Federico Fernández Youth Ballet (a distinguished leading figure at the Teatro Colón) and choreography by Emanuel Abruzzo.

The show, featuring celebrated music by Russian composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky for a work originally premiered in 1891, follows the story of Clara in ballet style. She receives a nutcracker as a Christmas gift and is immersed in a fantastical world of candy and colorful characters. Towards the end, those who keep the program can request an autograph or a photo from the dancers in the show, which is divided into two 40-minute acts and a 15-minute intermission.

*Sundays, at 11 a.m., at Ciudad Cultural Konex, Sarmiento 3131. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Nicte is a string puppet show. More than twenty handcrafted puppets create a story suitable for the whole family. Nicte is a little girl who can't sleep. She's in her room, surrounded by her toys, fantasizing and playing with visits from different animals and each of their ways of getting to sleep, waiting to fall asleep.

*Saturdays, at 4 p.m., at Muy Teatro, Humahuaca 4310.

This show takes place deep within the Konex. Not in the courtyard, nor in the main hall upstairs. It happens in a secret space, at the back, almost where this cultural venue ends. Like Alice in Wonderland, a door opens and another—magical—world begins. The organizers say it's "a unique fusion of magic, humor, and music for ages 5 to 99." They also state that "the company is not responsible if, during the course of the performance, someone decides to become a magician."

*Sundays, at 4 and 6 p.m., at Konex, Sarmiento 3131. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Sofía and Martín are two traveling actors who tell some of the Brothers Grimm's famous stories. However, this time they can't agree on how to do it: he wants to narrate the tales, she wants to act them out; he wants to tell them as they were written, she wants to retell them with her own inventiveness; he tries to adhere to tradition, she tries to break away from convention. Between these two opposing perspectives, they will seek, throughout the course of the play, to find a middle ground that contains both perspectives and builds a whole that integrates them into the show of which they are the protagonists. On this tour, they go through some of the classic children's stories such as Little Red Riding Hood , Rapunzel , and Cinderella .

*Saturdays in June, at 3:30 p.m., at Ítaca Theatre Complex, Humahuaca 4027.

To say "Vivitos y coleando" is to say Hugo Midón and Carlos Gianni. These two leaders of children's theater formed one of the most important creative duos in musical comedy for families: they worked together for four decades and created some twenty shows and around 300 songs that are now part of children's popular songbooks. Each in their own field: Midón, as playwright and director; Gianni, as musical composer. The former passed away in 2011; the latter, at the age of 85, is possible to bump into at these kinds of performances.

The general direction of this classic, first premiered on stage in 1990 after having originated a year earlier as a television proposal, was left in the hands of Chacho Garabal: “The sensitivity and purity of the message of Vivitos y Coleando is the banner of this production that also seeks to be completed with a careful look at the care of the environment, the reuse of waste, as a possible element of beauty,” considered the current director.

Midón and Gianni's productions include humor and tenderness, as well as a dose of irony and social criticism, always valuing national culture and supporting families. Last year, the play sold out performances at the Teatro Regio (in the Buenos Aires Theater Complex), and a similar response is expected when it returns to the Belgrano Auditorium during the winter break.

*There will be dates during the winter break, at the Belgrano Auditorium, Virrey Loreto 2348. Recommended for ages 4 and up.

Written and directed by Francisco Pedreira and starring Elena Zago, the play features substitute teacher Anita, who spent the night preparing to teach a class on mammals. Upon arriving at the classroom, she discovers, with some concern, that the class she was supposed to teach was on Greek mythology. The play is a one-woman show in which the actress plays the teacher and, through her, all the characters in the Odyssey myth, Homer's classic, drawing the audience into the story of Ulysses and his traveling companions.

*Sundays in June and July, at 3:15 p.m., at Ítaca Theatre Complex, Humahuaca 4027.

With an interactive format, Beatles for Kids offers a musical journey filled with some of the legendary Liverpool group 's most memorable songs, including "Yellow Submarine," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," and "Penny Lane." The show, at Bebop Club, is hosted by Nube 9, one of Latin America's most prominent Beatles tribute bands. Led by Fernando Blanco, they have toured stages in Argentina, the Americas, and Europe with performances of the Beatles' repertoire. Their approach combines respect for the original sound with a unique style that connects with audiences of all ages.

*From July 22nd to Friday, August 1st, Tuesday to Friday, at 1:00 PM, at Bebop Club, Uriarte 1658.

After several international tours this year, including their second visit to Spain and shows in Chile, Mexico, and Colombia, Canticuénticos is preparing for their usual winter stop in Buenos Aires. They will then continue with their shows in Uruguay and will visit Ecuador for the first time. With over 17 years of experience, Canticuénticos has become a benchmark in children's music in Latin America.

Their songs combine Argentine and Latin American folk rhythms with lyrics that are respectful, moving, and thought-provoking, always from a playful and loving perspective. Tracks like "La cumbia del monstruo de la laguna," "Noni noni," "Acá tá," and "El pulpo cocinero" have hundreds of millions of plays on digital platforms (more than a million listens per day) and continue to be the soundtrack of kindergartens, schools, and homes across the continent.

*From July 19th to August 3rd, Tuesday through Friday at 3pm and Saturday and Sunday at 2pm, at the Teatro El Nacional, Corrientes 960.

After selling out three performances at the Devoto Theater, El viaje sinfónico is now presented for the first time at the Belgrano Auditorium. The show, a creation of Galaxias Creativas, explores the work of Japan's most iconic animation studio as a tribute to the films of Miyazaki and Hisaishi. The show combines the magic of the great Studio Ghibli's works with the excitement of live music, performed in all its splendor by a first-class symphony orchestra conducted by Maestro Clara Ackermann with the idea and general direction of Chacho Garabal. The audience will be able to enjoy music from the most famous soundtracks such as My Neighbor Totoro , Princess Mononoke , and Spirited Away , among others, accompanied by projections of iconic scenes. Designed for the whole family.

*Sunday, June 15, at 7 p.m., in the Belgrano Auditorium.