From left, "Go Dog. Go!" at the Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre; "Elf" at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre; and "The Music Man: In Concert" at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center.

Fall—when we once again hear the sweet sounds of the symphony and feel the excitement of live theater. Autumn brings the performing arts back to life with brand-new seasons at some of our favorites: Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre, Arkansas Repertory Theatre, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and more.

Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre
The Children’s Theatre’s milestone 35th season will include stage versions of classics like “Rumpelstiltskin” (Jan. 23-Feb. 8), “The Velveteen Rabbit” (Nov. 28-Dec. 21), “The Cat in the Hat” (March 6-29) and “The Legend of Robin Hood” (April 24-May 10). The season begins Sept. 17 with an adaptation of P.D. Eastman’s picture book “Go, Dog. Go!” Up next: The tale of a wooden marionette who just wants to be a real boy, “Pinocchio” (Oct. 24-Nov. 9).

Arkansas Repertory Theatre
The 2014-2015 season at The Rep gets toes tapping Sept. 3 with “Memphis,” a Tony Award-winning musical full of 1950s rock & roll and R&B. The story follows a disc jockey in Memphis—the first white DJ to play black music on the radio. The season really gets going for families with the holiday hit “Elf” (Dec 3-28), based on the 2003 film starring Will Ferrell. The musical follows Buddy, a human who was raised by Santa and the elves at the North Pole, as he spreads Christmas cheer and lots of laughs throughout New York City. Also sure to delight adults and children alike is the spring production of “Mary Poppins” (March 4-April 5). Expect all the charm of the 1964 Disney film, plus a few new surprises from everyone’s favorite nanny.

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
If you think orchestra performances aren’t for families, think again. In fact, the ASO offers the free Entergy Kids’ Tickets to students from kindergarten through high school. The program allows children to experience a Pops Live! or Masterworks concert at no cost. The first concert of the season is “Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto” (Sept. 27-28). Kids will especially enjoy the Pops shows, such as the ever-popular “Swingin’ Holiday Extravaganza” (Dec. 19-21) and “Ashley Brown’s Broadway” (May 9-10), featuring a soprano who recently played “Mary Poppins” on Broadway. Another highlight: “Bill Conti’s Academy Awards” (Oct. 4-5), a show led by Bill Conti, the conductor of the Academy Awards Orchestra and composer of film scores like “Karate Kid” and “Rocky.”

Celebrity Attractions
With the Robinson Center Music Hall undergoing renovations, Celebrity Attractions will host its Broadway season at the Maumelle Performing Arts Center. “The Music Man: In Concert” marches in to lead the big parade Oct. 3-5. Shirley Jones, who starred in the 1962 film version, is amongst the cast of the touring production. Youngsters will also enjoy the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table in “Camelot” (Feb. 13-15) and the jukebox musical “Million Dollar Quartet” (April 24-26), featuring the songs of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

University of Central Arkansas
The robust schedule at UCA’s Reynolds Performance Hall includes a variety of acts: musicals, concerts from country stars to gospel choirs, circus acts, comedians, dance performances and lectures. This fall, families will enjoy “The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley” (Oct 3) based on the beloved children’s book, the hilarious Broadway musical “Sister Act” (Oct. 23), the goofy multimedia show “Blue Man Group” (Nov. 3), and the trapeze artists, unicyclists, pole climbers and other circus artists of “Cirque Mechanics Presents Pedal Punk” (Nov. 17).