FEBRUARY 2025

Grandmaster Storyteller David Gonzalez & Pianist Daniel Kelly

A zoo full of animals comes alive in this fast-paced performance that teaches children about sharing and friendship. Aesop Bops! has ample amounts of audience participation and offers positive lessons for social and psychological growth. This performance is sensory friendly for children with autism.

How might a tiny mouse help a giant lion? Could a talking flounder really be an enchanted prince? Why does the turtle have a checkered shell? Audiences will be dazzled by the answers in this physical, fast-paced, and funky show by master storyteller David Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez, one of this country’s most talented and sought-after storytellers, retells the favorite fables of Aesop in Aesop Bops!, a funny music-filled theatrical production that’s packed with audience participation.

Hailed as “an engaging performer with a supple voice and a command of gestures” by the New York Times, Helen Hayes Award winner Mr. Gonzalez has created one sold-out show after another, from Broadway to London.

Grandmaster Storyteller David Gonzalez has a knack for cracking up children and parents at once— his fast-paced physical comedy keeps kids rapt, while his clever wordplay and winking sidebars are comic relief for adults. For Aesop Bops!, Gonzalez reinvents classic fables for contemporary audiences—with fresh takes on old characters like the lion in ‘The Lion and the Mouse’ who happens to be a rapper from the Bronx; the investment-savvy fisherman in ‘The Fisherman and his Wife’ and the trash-talking turtle in ‘The Turtle’s Shell.’ Accompanied by jazz pianist Daniel Kelly, Gonzalez brings the stories to the stage with song, dance and a rousing dose of audience participation.

David Gonzalez

Mr. Gonzalez is the proud recipient of the  International Performing Arts for Youth “Lifetime Achievement Award for Sustained Excellence.” David was named a Joseph Campbell Foundation Fellow. He was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for “Unique Theatrical Experience” for his production of The Frog Bride at Broadway’s New Victory Theater. He has created numerous productions, including the critically acclaimed Sofrito with The Latin Legends Band and MytholoJazz, both of which enjoyed sold-out runs at New Victory Theater.

David’s work, Wounded Splendor, was the result of a two-year residency and commission from the University of Maryland. Sleeping Beauty, co-commissioned by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Brooklyn College, and The McCallum Theater, premiered in March 2010 and has gone on to tour nationally including a run at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. David was a featured performer at the 2007 National Storytelling Festival, and has performed at festivals in Spain, Switzerland, France, Costa Rica, Norway, Puerto Rico and throughout the United States. He also appeared for three seasons at the Royal National Theatre in London. Mr. Gonzalez is the Artistic Director for The Alliance for a New Humanity, an international service organization dedicated to peace and sustainability. He received his doctorate from New York University’s School of Education.

Daniel Kelly

An artist who has been called “stunningly original” with “a visionary imagination,” composer and pianist Daniel Kelly explores the meeting place of music with literature, visual art and journalism, captivating audiences across the country. A prolific composer and tireless musical explorer, Kelly continually seeks out new avenues for his creativity.

All the World’s a Song: Shakespeare in Jazz is Kelly’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s works into fresh and dynamic jazz songs that have audiences singing along in sheer delight. Blind Visionaries is his stunning multi-media collaboration with the pioneering group of visually impaired photographers, the Seeing with Photography Collective.

Making connections is one of Kelly’s strengths, whether it’s exploring connections between art forms or connecting with audiences. Gifted with an uncanny ear for music and story, it’s his deep sense of empathy and humanity that impacts audiences the most, making performances uplifting and emotional experiences.

Coming Soon!