Tiara’s Hat Parade

Tiara’s Hat Parade

A heartwarming one-woman show celebrating creativity, resilience, and the importance of community. Based on Kelly Starling Lyons’ award-winning, best-selling children’s book.

March 7 - March 22, 2026
The Starlight Theater at MYArts

Based on the
Book by Kelly Starling Lyons

Adapted for the stage
by Paige Hernandez

More Information On:

Group Discounts

Bring a Class

Ticket Policies

60 minutes | For ages 5 and up

Themes: Community – Kindness – Creativity

Tiara’s Hat Parade

Rolling World Premiere!

A heartwarming one-woman show celebrating creativity, resilience, and the importance of community. Based on Kelly Starling Lyons’ award-winning, best-selling children’s book, this touching story shows how one small gesture can impact an entire community and that kindness is always in fashion.

Adapted and Directed by Paige Hernandez

Co-commissioned and first produced by Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, Children’s Theater of Madison, Orlando Family Stage, South Carolina Children’s Theatre, and The Rose Theater.

Digital Playbill

VIDEO PREVIEW: LEARN MORE ABOUT TIARA’S HAT PARADE

Meet Paige Hernandez, Director, and Lydia Danielle, the actor of our One-Woman-Show, Tiara’s Hat Parade!

Want to enhance your theater experience?

Our enrichment guide provides additional learning, activities and resources. Filled with conversation starters and resources galore, this guide can be utilized to prepare young audience members for the show, introduce them to the theater, encourage them to reflect on their experience, engage them in an activity, and enrich their overall experience with the play.

Enrichment Guide

LEAD SPONSOR

Part of World Premiere Wisconsin, A state-wide festival celebrating new plays and musicals.

Show Times

Sorry! This series has no upcoming performances.

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Meet The Cast and Creative Team!

Lydia Danielle

Tiara

Bio

Lydia a proud native of Anson County North Carolina, was last seen at MYArts in the world premiere of Life Doesn’t Frighten Me: I Am Fearless Royalty. She is thrilled to be back, this time as one woman with heart, imagination, and a whole lot of hat magic! She invites you to sit up, lean forward, and journey with her – one hat at a time.

Alexa Christian

Tiara Understudy

Bio

Alexa is so glad to be working here at CTM for its 60th anniversary season. She has performed in Spring Green at American Players Theatre (APT) in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Winter’s Tale. Favorite performances include Kendra in the world premiere of The Barber and the Unnamed Prince (APT) and Julius Caesar (Ole Miss Mainstage). Alexa would like to thank God, her mother and family for support, and of all her wonderful friends.

Paige Hernandez

Director

Bio

Paige is a multidisciplinary artist from Baltimore, MD. Paige has been named a “classroom hero” by The Huffington Post, a “Citizen Artist Fellow” with the Kennedy Center, “40 under 40” by the Washington Post, and one of “Six Theatre Workers You Should Know” by American Theatre Magazine. Paige was recently named one of the Top 5 Most Produced Artists for TYA. With her company B-FLY ENTERTAINMENT, Paige continues to develop and tour original work.

Seth Howard

Scenic Designer

Bio

Seth is a freelance scenic designer based out of St. Louis, MO. Some of his design credits include Athena (The Rep St. Louis); Grease (Bucks County Playhouse); Mamma Mia! and Come From Away (Theatre Aspen); The Lightning Thief and Cinderella (Children’s Theater of Madison); Topdog/Underdog (Palm Beach Dramaworks); The Addams Family and 42nd Street (Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre). Check out @sethhowarddesigns on social media.

Rafael Colón Castanera

Costume Designer

Bio

Rafael is an accomplished Costume Designer whose work has been featured on stages nationwide. At Children’s Theater of Madison, he has contributed extensively, designing costumes for productions such as A Christmas Carol (2021), Stellaluna, Finder and the North Star, Hadestown Teen Edition, and most recently, Winnie The Pooh (And His Pals Too!). Costume and set designs for CTM include The Magical Forest, Elephant and Piggie’s “We Are In A Play!” and The Pigeon Gets A Big Time Holiday Extravaganza! Rafael has extensive experience as a freelance project coordinator and designer in New York City, as well as serving as General Manager for Izquierdo Studio, a company specializing in the creation of specialty costumes and props for film, television, and Broadway productions. In 2019, Rafael transitioned to the role of Director of Production for CTM, after dedicating seventeen years as the Production Manager for Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Jarrod Bainter

Lighting Designer

Bio

Jarrod is a veteran stage technician and designer with a career in live performance spanning over 20 years. He spent most of his career in the Chicago area working in the storefront theatre circuit. His range of skills include lighting, video, audio, and scenic production. He is currently employed full time at MYArts as the Technical Operations Manager, where his primary duties are to manage the Starlight and Sunrise theaters, maintaining the stage technology equipment, and supporting groups who use the theaters with the needs of their event.

Cresent R. Haynes

Sound Designer

Bio

Cresent is excited to be making her Children’s Theater of Madison debut with Tiara’s Hat Parade! Cresent received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Arts Technology, with a focus in Sound Design from Howard University in 2012 and has been designing ever since. She is also a freelance Live Audio Engineer and Visual Artist. She has aspirations to design on Broadway and continues to fill spaces with her art.

Anders Goodwin

Production Stage Manager

Bio

Anders is ecstatic to be a part of the stage and production management team at CTM! He’s worked with CTM since 2018 and he believes that CTM’s mission of community-building and spreading the joy of theater is more important than ever in an increasingly fragmented world. A graduate of Ripon College, he has a background in psychology and philosophy which informs his theatrical praxis. As a freelance stage & production manager, he’s helped bring shows to stages across the East Coast and the Midwest, including at American Players Theatre, Playhouse Stage Company, and Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Laura McMillan

Assistant Director

Bio

Laura is thrilled to make her directing debut with CTM. She has been fortunate to grace the stage as an actor for CTM and is so excited to take on this new role with the organization! Laura just assistant directed for Forward Theater’s Gutenberg the Musical. Most recent acting credits include: A Christmas Carol (Lucy), CTM; Cinderella (Ensemble), CTM; Clyde’s (Clyde u/s and Letitia u/s), Forward Theater Company; Peter Pan (Juke), CTM; The Revolutionists (Marianne), Mercury Players Theatre. Laura would like to thank her family and friends, especially her girlfriend, Cassie, and best friend, Lewis, who have always given nothing but their love and support throughout her career.

Production Team

Assistant Stage Manager………………………….. Mallory Topel

Audio Engineer………………………………………. Holly Johnson

Wardrobe Supervisor & Deck Crew…………………………….. Claire Twedt

Stitchers……………………..Alli Durst, Amy Gribb, Nancy Horns, Claire Twedt

Carpenters……………… Jordan Rockman, Ryan Seifert

Additional Load-in Carpenters………………… Michael Erickson, Ken Smith

Scenic Charge Artist…………………….. Katie Andreachi

Scenic Artists……………………………. Marlee Anderson

Lead Properties Artisan……………………… Karen Ebert

Plan Your Visit

This show is located at the MYArts Building at 1055 E. Mifflin, Madison, WI 53703. The Starlight Theater is on the 4th floor. Come early! The Ticket Box Office is located at the reception desk on the 1st floor and opens 60 minutes prior to curtain to allow enough time for a security inspection and to find your seat. There is plenty of free and 2-hour parking on the streets in the neighborhood around MYArts and Breese Stevens Field, especially on Dayton and E. Mifflin St.

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