Families looking for an afternoon of laughter, learning, and something a little different will find all three when Doktor Kaboom returns to Bradshaw Performing Arts Center with Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure!, a Kennedy Center–commissioned production coming to the Owens Auditorium on Saturday, January 17 at 5 p.m.
The hourlong performance brings together interactive science demonstrations, physical comedy, and messages of personal empowerment in a way that keeps audiences engaged from the first moment to the last. Equal parts educational and entertaining, Under Pressure! uses the science of pressure as both a visual spectacle and a metaphor for the mental and emotional pressures students — and adults — face in everyday life.
At its core, Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! is designed to make science approachable, exciting, and fun. Through live experiments and audience participation, the show explores big scientific ideas without ever feeling like a lecture. Instead, learning happens almost by accident, tucked between laughs, surprises, and moments of awe.
The show’s creator, David Epley, has built a reputation for crafting performances that engage young audiences without talking down to them. Under Pressure! continues that tradition, presenting scientific concepts in ways that are clear, imaginative, and memorable. From understanding how pressure works in the physical world to recognizing how it affects emotions and decision-making, the show connects science to real life in ways that resonate with students and families alike.
One of the defining features of a Doktor Kaboom performance is its emphasis on interaction. Audience volunteers are not just helpers — they are often the stars of the show. Children are invited onstage to assist with experiments, solve problems, and experience firsthand the thrill of discovery. These moments are carefully designed to build confidence, showing young participants that curiosity, courage, and creativity are strengths worth celebrating.
That sense of empowerment is central to Under Pressure!. Alongside the science demonstrations, the show acknowledges that many students feel pressure to perform, to fit in, or to succeed. By framing pressure as something that can be understood and managed, the performance offers tools and perspectives that extend beyond the stage. The result is a theatrical experience that entertains while also reinforcing positive messages about resilience, problem-solving, and self-belief.
Parents and educators often note that Doktor Kaboom performances appeal just as strongly to adults as they do to children. While kids are drawn in by the humor and spectacle, adults appreciate the thoughtful way complex ideas are communicated and the emphasis on emotional well-being. The show creates a shared experience — one where families laugh together, learn together, and leave with something to talk about on the ride home.
Live performance plays an important role in that connection. In a world filled with on-demand entertainment, Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! offers something screens cannot: a collective experience shaped by the energy of the room. Each audience brings its own reactions, questions, and excitement, making every performance feel fresh and immediate. The laughter is real, the surprises are shared, and the lessons land more deeply because they happen in the moment.
Since 2022, Bradshaw Performing Arts Center’s Family Fun events inspire curiosity, creativity, and community engagement, particularly for younger audiences.
For families searching for an event that feels both fun and meaningful, Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! offers a rare combination. It is a science show without boredom, a comedy without emptiness, and a children’s performance that respects its audience. Whether attendees come for the laughs, the learning, or simply a memorable night out, they are likely to leave with all three.
Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! Is for ages 5 and up. Showtime at Bradshaw Performing Arts Center’s Owens Auditorium is January 17 at 5 p.m. Tickets are available now at ticketmesandhills.com
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Contributed.
