"Hero Elementary," the most ambitious project in Twin Cities Public Television's history, is one step closer to flying into action. PBS executives announced this week that the animated children's series will join the PBS Kids national lineup next summer. TPT received a $36.7 million grant in 2015 from the Department of Education to start developing the show, which features children using their superpowers to tackle science problems. "We have carved out a unique hero universe for young kids that uses all the excitement of the superhero genre to empower them to solve problems by actively doing science," said Carol-Lynn Parente, a former executive producer for "Sesame Street" who is running the new program. "Our kid heroes are a diverse team, still learning how to save the day, and the excitement for the audience is finding out the superpowers of science are powers anyone can use to solve a problem and be a hero." While almost all of the writing, voice-over work and animation is taking place outside of the Twin Cities, Minnesota students have been offering feedback on possible story lines.
NEAL JUSTIN
Walker fills long-vacant post
Walker Art Center hasn't had a chief curator for nearly three years, but come January that will change. The Walker has hired Henriette Huldisch, a native of Hamburg, Germany, who has nearly two decades of curatorial experience, most notably as co-curator of the 2008 Whitney Biennial; she is currently curator and director of exhibitions at the List Visual Arts Center at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It's the first major hire by the Walker's new executive director, Mary Ceruti, who called Huldisch "passionate about the collection" and savvy about "what it means to follow artists and to work with living artists." Read a Q&A with Huldisch in Sunday's Variety.
ALICIA ELER
Caravan del Cid
Album release parties are fun, but how about a celebration spread over five weekends in seven cities? That's what eclectic folk-pop tunesmith Reina del Cid is offering around "Morse Code," a largely acoustic and collaborative collection based on her popular "Sunday Mornings" YouTube series (30 million views and counting). Reina, aka Rachelle Cordova, and her band are playing the usual hometown release gig Friday at the Cedar Cultural Center (8 p.m., $15-$20). Then they partnered with nonprofit booster Minnesota Music Coalition's Caravan du Nord series to perform at Austin's Paramount Theatre (Saturday), Shattuck-St. Mary's School in Faribault (Oct. 11), Detroit Lakes' Holmes Theatre (Oct. 12), Red Wing's Sheldon Theatre (Oct. 18), Moorhead's Junkyard Brewing (Oct. 25) and Halling Recital Hall in Mankato (Nov. 1).
CHRIS RIEMENSCHNEIDER
$20K for a next-gen musical
Theater Latté Da has one of the world's most popular musicals on stage now, but there are only so many "Chicagos," so it also produces new works. To that end, the company is offering a Next Generation Commission. Aimed at musical-theater makers who are women and people of color, it includes a $20,000 grant and creative support. What does Latté Da get? The right to stage the world premiere. See details at latteda.org/next-generation.
CHRIS HEWITT
