Dallas Children's Theater will ramp their schedule back up to five productions for the 2026-2027 season, with each of them being first-time shows for the company.

It's a hopeful return to form for the only professional live theater in North Texas dedicated exclusively to young audiences and their families.

After initially announcing five productions for 2025-2026, they trimmed that season down to three due to budget cuts.

The company's 43rd season since debuting in 1984 will kick off with the the Texas premiere of Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed: The Rock Experience, an musical version of Mo Willems’ book.

Running in September and October 2026, the production features Wilbur and all his fellow naked mole rats in the Tunnel, who have always been, well ... naked. Wondering what other possibilities are out there, Wilbur discovers a love for clothing and style.

A special lesson and rock show all in one, Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed has energetic songs, quirky characters, and a story unlike any other. It is recommended for ages 4 and up.

That will be followed by the holiday show Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, running in November and December. The holiday classic soars off the screen in this musical adaptation of the beloved television special.

When a storm threatens to keep Santa's sleigh from taking flight, what makes Rudolph different turns out to be what helps him save Christmas.

Recommended for ages 4 and up, the musical is filled with holiday hits and favorite characters like Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, and, of course, Rudolph.

Kicking off the 2027 portion of the season will be Corduroy, a visually imaginative, highly physical stage adaptation of Don Freeman’s beloved children’s book.

Running in January and February and making its professional Texas premiere, it features a story in which Corduroy’s button has gone missing, and he can’t go home with kindhearted Lisa without it.

The beloved teddy bear takes a rollicking ride up the escalator and begins a delightfully destructive romp through every section of the department store to find it. The production is recommended for ages 3 and up.

Dallas Children's Theater will leave Earth for their fourth production, Marooned! A Space Comedy, running in March 2027.

An astronaut traveling 87,000 light years into space crash-lands on an uncharted planet where she must resort to emergency measures to seek rescue.

From the award-winning team Alex and Olmsted, the show features elegant puppetry design and joyful, meaningful storytelling, incorporating live performance, shadow puppetry, and marionettes. It is recommended for ages 5 and up.

The final show of the season will be The Secret Garden: Spring Version, in which the classic of children's literature is reimagined in musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of 'Night Mother.

Orphaned 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her uncle Archibald and his son Colin. The estate's many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the spirits from Mary's past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden's compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal.

The production is recommended for ages 7 and up.

“This is a meaningful moment for Dallas Children’s Theater,” said DCT Executive Director Michael Meadows in a statement. “We’re strengthening our financial foundation, supporting the artists who make this work possible, and ensuring that every child who walks through our doors experiences the transformative power of live theatre."

Tickets for the 2026-2027 season go on sale Friday, May 1 at dct.org or by phone at 214.740.0051.