Viewers in Northeast Ohio can watch The Remember Balloons Live! on PBS Western Reserve on Nov. 20 at 8:30 p.m. The filmed dance-and-music production, taped at E.J. Thomas Hall in Akron, follows a boy and his grandfather as they navigate memory loss. A community resource fair is scheduled for the next day.
The production has toured nationally since 2024 and returned to Akron this summer for an expanded hometown performance, according to Akron.com. After the Nov. 20 broadcast, the program will be available on demand on the PBS Western Reserve website, YouTube and the free PBS App.
Choreographer Dominic Moore-Dunson and composer Theron Brown created the show, according to PBS Western Reserve. Ashley Moore-Dunson, Dominic's wife, produced it. The stage work draws on Jessie Oliveros' children's book and family experiences with Alzheimer's disease and dementia. Nel Shelby directed the filmed version, with video production by Nel Shelby Productions.
What Is Confirmed—and What Differs
Published accounts give different figures for the filmed production. Akron.com reports a 120-minute program with five dancers and a 19-piece live chamber orchestra. PBS Western Reserve describes an immersive 90-minute expansion of the original adaptation, featuring 20 musicians and four dancers. Both accounts say the program includes behind-the-scenes insights from the cast and creative team; the available information does not resolve the differences.
Dominic Moore-Dunson has described the Akron performance as a new stage in the work's development and said he hopes families will find recognition and connection in its story, according to the Akron.com account cited above.
Resource Fair and Attendance Details
PBS Western Reserve's first Northeast Ohio Memory and Care Resource Fair is set for Nov. 21. Akron.com lists the event hours as 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and its location as House Three Thirty. The fair is described as free and open to all, with registration required. Separately, PBS Western Reserve's production page lists 4415 Northfield Road in Warrensville Heights as the preview screening location; the available information does not clarify the discrepancy between the listed locations.
PBS Western Reserve says the fair will bring together more than a dozen local organizations supporting older adults and people navigating memory loss. The program includes a preview screening of The Remember Balloons Live! followed by a question-and-answer session with Dominic and Ashley Moore-Dunson and Carole Klingler, executive director of Dementia Friendly LIFE.
Why the Station Is Pairing a Performance With Resources
PBS Western Reserve President and CEO Natalie Pillsbury said the station wants to make memory loss a community conversation as the aging population grows. She described the fair as a way to connect the discussion prompted by the production with local resources.
Other Local Dementia and Caregiver Resources
Support is available beyond the one-day fair. Summit County Public Health says its free, telephone-based Care Compass program serves residents of Summit, Portage, Stark and Wayne counties. JFS Akron also offers a no-cost live support group for caregivers and others who have a person with dementia in their life, according to JFS Akron. Local community and arts efforts have also addressed inclusion and connection. Downtown Akron Partnership reported that Summit County was recognized as a Dementia-Friendly Community on Jan. 11, 2023, through a coalition led by the Akron-Summit County Public Library. Separately, the Akron Art Museum says its Creative Aging Institute offers workshops focused on creativity and connection for adults aged 55+, according to the Akron Art Museum.
The project has had earlier broadcasts and performances. A PBS Western Reserve broadcast special of the show premiered in May 2025, according to the Downtown Akron Partnership. The organization's listing also describes a June 20, 2026 performance at E.J. Thomas Hall at the University of Akron, billed as a 90-minute expansion with 20 live musicians and 30 minutes of new choreography and music, and slated to be captured live for PBS Western Reserve.
Registration and more information for both the Nov. 20 broadcast and the Nov. 21 resource fair are available at pbswesternreserve.org/remember-balloons.
