Category Archives: DC Events with Kids

What to do around the beltway with the kids

Review of Disney on Ice Rockin’ Ever After

October 20, 2012

If your weekend plans aren’t jam-packed, I’d suggest you head to the Patriot Center and Be A Guest of Belle, the beast, Merida and the other fabulous characters in this year’s Disney on Ice Rockin’ Ever After performance. I attended the performance yesterday morning and it was delightful. In all honesty, I thought it was the best one they’ve had in a few years.

But first, a gripe. To the genius who thought hosting a Presidential campaign event starring President Obama himself at the same time and location as the Disney on Ice event, I think you ought to be fired. Particularly because these events let out at the same time, onto a two lane road with traffic lights not coordinated. We departed my house at 9:20am for the 10:30am performance. We got home at 2:45pm. The irony – I switched our tickets to the Friday morning show because it was a no-school day in Montgomery County and I thought it would be really nice to avoid rush hour traffic getting to the Patriot Center and to take the girls to an earlier show because it does run a full two hours and anyone who has read my past reviews knows that a common gripe of mine is it’s too late by the time it ends, if you hit an evening performance, particularly because this show is popular among the 3 and 4-year-old crowd. They typically can’t party until 9:30pm without drama, save for maybe Suri Cruise.

Sebastian during the show

Now to the show. Unfortunately we missed the first 10 minutes (thanks to the lack of parking for Patriot Center goers due to the campaign event, many people were still trickling in well after intermission because of the horror scene that was parking), so I don’t know how it opens but I do know Ariel is the first princess in the show line-up. I am a huge sucker for big scenes with lots of colorful costumes and spectacular dancing and the Disney on Ice Rockin’ Ever After version of “Under the Sea” knocked it out of the park. Some of the fish costumes were glowing, I marveled over how difficult it must be to skate as Sebastian, and the starfish costumes were outstanding. Also, I love a Disney princess nemesis and the Ariel portion of the show included none other than my beloved Ursula, whose costume absolutely did not disappoint. Again, I thought skating as Sebastian would be difficult, how about skating as Ursula, between her octopus arms and her girth?

#Remarkable.

Lanterns ready to be raised during the Rapunzel portion of the show

Next the show moves into Tangled, with Mickey and Goofy coming onto the ice in between acts, which is of course, a crowd pleaser for the youngest theater goers among us. The viking scene that opens the Rapunzel act was energetic and fun. Back to my fascination with skating in difficult costumes, how many people are Maximus the horse? It seems it would be two people but again, imagine the coordination and practice required to pull that off so elegantly. The lantern scene was absolutely beautiful which my iPhone picture here does no justice conveying.

After Tangled comes every parent’s least favorite part of the event, intermission, otherwise known as the 15 minutes you get to argue with your child on why you aren’t spending $30 on a Disney doll, how they should be grateful and thankful to be attending the show, and you aren’t spending $12 on 3 ounces of popcorn.

#ILoatheIntermission

The opening princess after intermission was THE event my youngest had been waiting for since she first laid eyes on the promotional postcard for the show way back in August: Merida. Despite making me leave the movie about 10 minutes before it ended because she was terrified, Merida remains her new favorite princess and with each act during the show, she kept asking “Where is Merida, when is she coming?”

Merida’s red-headed brothers

At long last, the wait was over. Merida in her fabulous long red curly hair came skating onto ice, and all was right in the world for the youngest Wired Momma’ette. Personally, I love the triplets in the movie and enjoyed them equally as much during the show. I was curious how they would handle three young boys for the show and sure enough, they had them as characters attached to barrels that moved around the stage. The Scottish kilts and make up on the opposing tribes and sons seeking Merida’s hand in marriage was so creatively done. In the end, we were all a little disappointed the Merida portion of the show was the shortest portion. One friend wondered if it was because there weren’t as many big musical scenes in the movie? I was really hoping for a few big bears and a longer stage presence from Merida. Maybe next year, Disney on Ice? But leaving us wanting more is never a bad thing in the arts, so it was a job well done.

As we were rounding 90 minutes after the Merida portion, I mistakenly thought the show was about to wrap, but think again – Belle is the final act. Cue my confession of loving large, singing and dancing scenes, and you better believe I was in heaven during their rendition of “Be Our Guest,” which really was made for live theater, what with the dancing forks, Lumiere and Cogsworth. My eldest loved chip and the fact that you could even seen bubbles from the tea on top of his teacup. I loved the dancing forks. I love the dancing forks in every live version I have ever seen. Show me something glittery, something gold, something happy and dancing in unison, and I am sold.

#ILoveDancingForks

See those dancing gold happy forks in the background? #LoveThem

 

As you would expect in any Disney production, although Disney on Ice is a Feld Entertainment production, the grand finale is just that – grande. Think lights, think characters, think singing and dancing and some odd 80s costumes and lights, and every kid was on her feet, dancing and waving. They always do a great finale at Disney. My youngest and her friend were on their feet, clapping and dancing away, with my youngest exclaiming “I LOVE waving at Merida. I LOVE Merida!”

Cue to her having another epic meltdown in the hall as I held strong and REFUSED to drop $30 on the Merida doll on my way out the door….and I wondered why she must ruin an otherwise great two-hour production.

Oh wait, was that or was it the EPIC TRAFFIC trying to get off campus that was going to damper our day?

You decide.

Bottom line – if you have some extra time this weekend, I would encourage you hit the Patriot Center for the final shows of Disney on Ice Rockin’ Ever After. If you miss it this weekend, you can catch it in Baltimore starting this Wednesday October 24 through Sunday October 28. You can purchase tickets for this weekend’s performances at the Patriot Center here. Shows are at 10:30, 2:30 and 6:30pm on Saturday or 12:30 and 4:30 on Sunday.

Disclosure: Feld Entertainment gifted the tickets to me for the performance but my opinions here are my own.

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DC Events with Kids, DC Parenting Blogger

Adventure Theatre’s “Big, The Musical”

October 11, 2012

Last Sunday, I was so grateful we had afternoon plans to go see “Big, The Musical” at Adventure Theatre MTC in Glen Echo Park. It was so rainy and so cold – it was fortuitous that we made such great indoor plans before knowing how dreadful the weather would be.

The cast of the musical Big. Photo Credit: Adventure Theatre MTC

I was also excited about embarking upon this Important Wired Momma Business Affair because I had a dear friend, Christiana, in town from Chicago and she is a true musical theater lover – so what a treat to take her to one of my fav children’s theaters of all time. Now full disclosure – heading into this production, I had some reservations about bringing my girls. They are now almost 7 and almost 4 and I worried the subject matter would be too mature for them but the show is recommended for kids ages 5 and older. I’ve been pushing it with the youngest Wired Momma’ette for a few years now, so what’s one more rainy day with a musical distraction, I reasoned?

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that sometimes, it’s best to trust one’s gut and the theatre’s age recommendations….but let’s be honest, my number was bound to be up on that lesson.

As it turns out, “Big, The Musical” is the first show at Adventure Theatre that I’ve seen starring actual children….real….live….children. This was a big change and one that I think, in particular, will appeal to the area tweens if they haven’t yet seen this production. My almost seven-year-old also delighted in seeing young tweens on stage and I think it further inspired her love of theatre and music. That said, I actually totally disagree with the Adventure Theatre on their age recommendations and honestly think this production is suited for those at least  9 years old and up.

First, as any child of the 80s knows, the subject matter of “Big” is just too complex for the younger kids in the audience. I admire Adventure Theatre

Creative recreation of Zoltar for the musical Big. Photo Credit: Adventure Theatre

for such an ambitious program; to tackle a Hollywood movie hit, that was later adapted for Broadway in the late 90s, to then pair it down to a 80-minute production for young audiences is no small feat. The set was simple, the wardrobe well suited to the 80s movie we all recall and the famous Zoltar was outfitted in the most creative and colorful costume in the production. Adventure Theatre also incorporated multi-media in this production which I thought was an interesting and dynamic touch.

I hadn’t seen the movie probably since the late 80s and must admit, the idea that young 12 year-old Josh Baskin (played by Marley McKay) would essentially go missing and his mother (played by Kate Fisher) would be satisfied with one call from him noting that he needs some time and will be back in a few weeks, now seems absolutely ludicrous to adult, parent moi. I bought it as a tween back in Tom Hanks’ day, however. Neither of my kids noted this as unusual or problematic.

I eagerly awaited the iconic piano scene from FAO Schwarz and wondered how this production would recreate it – and they did a pretty good job. Adult Josh (played by Greg Maheu) exuberantly portrays a child-like adult who happily joins MacMillan Toys CEO (played by Lawrence Munsey) on the floor piano for a rendition of Chopsticks. Maheu has no small task in front of him, taking on a role that requires child like gestures and enthusiasm while functioning in the adult world. I thought he did it very well and portrayed a convincing and believable child-adult.

Here’s where I cut to the Wired Momma children, however, and note that all of this was racing over their heads, and it was only the mixing in of dynamic and well sung dancing scenes and colorful toys that they wanted to play with, that enabled me to keep them seated and somewhat engaged during the 80-minute production. Again, I take the blame for bringing my youngest but given the age of the child actors in this production and the content of the show, I really believe that unless you have a 4th grader on up, this is not the production for you. I almost found myself wondering if Adventure Theatre is remodeling its approach to children’s theater in this area but a quick look at their upcoming shows makes me think they are not. The flip side is that I think it’s really nice and refreshing to actually see children performing in a children’s theatre, and I think the kids themselves really like to see that on stage, so if I did have older kids – this would be a show I would absolutely take them too.

“Big, The Musical” is only running through October 28. Tickets are $19 each and can be purchased online. The Wired Momma kids are really looking forward to the next production, The Little House Christmas, because they are still talking about last year’s Christmas show.

Disclosure: Adventure Theatre MTC gifted the tickets to me. My opinions here are all my own.

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DC Events with Kids, Theater for kids

Final Stretch of Summer: Indoor Activity Fun

August 13, 2012

I don’t know about you but I just cannot believe Back to School really is around the corner. Some mornings, I am thrilled with this realization. Other days, I am actually sad about it and dread the stress of getting everyone out the door on TIME. So, with a few weeks left in summer, if you’re anything like me and looking for:

A. A reason to get indoors because everyone has had enough of the pool

B. A fun activity that includes air conditioning

C. A rainy day activity

The evil witch & note use of multi-media in the background with the dwarves. Photo Credit: Bruce Douglas

Look no more friends, here’s an idea for a fun morning – head to the Puppet Co. in Glen Echo Park to see Snow White & the 7 Dwarves, billed as a puppet show appealing to those from Kindergarten through 6th Grade, but in classic moi-form, I ignored the age recommendation and brought my almost four-year-old. Both my girls really enjoyed this 40 minute production which incorporates rod puppets as the dwarves, in this version the dwarves are actually seven bachelors who each have a special power and work for the evil, rotten Queen Rosenrot. The Puppet Co. also uses a multi-media presentation to incorporate the Queen’s magic mirror and enhance the story later in the show. Finally, Snow White and the Prince are performed by live actors.

Noteworthy, I adored the bright red dress the Rose Queen first appears in, showing us only her back, with her absurdly high collar. She was both intimidating and striking in this brilliant costume. My little one kept asking, “When are we going to see the Queen’s face?” but never seeing her face made her all the more scary. Also, the Queen’s son, Prince Stefan, opens the show in a costume fitting only for a Prince in a Grimm fairy tale. Admittedly, I was a little distracted wondering what it would take for me to convince Mr. Wired Momma to wear something similar for Halloween.

The Snow White production was one of the most diverse shows I’ve seen yet at the Puppet Co., in terms of combining puppets, actors and the use of multi-media, which frankly is a remarkable feat in just under 40 minutes.  For skittish kids out there, the witch/Queen did not scare even my youngest one, who despite her love of Superheros and bullying her older sister, actually scares pretty easily. In the end, the dwarves use their special powers to work together to help Snow White and Prince Stefan. I quite enjoyed how the story was altered from the Disney version, where we didn’t meet the Sleepy or Grumpy dwarf but instead encountered these strange seven bachelors who each have a unique (but useful) power. Bottom line: after a week of unpacking and obsessing over paint colors (anyone tired of hearing about my move yet? Cause I am), heading to the Puppet Co. to catch this delightful version of Snow White was a welcome and much-needed break for me and my girls. As for the age recommendation, if you have a real theatre lover, then given the short run-time of this show, I do think kids 4 and up will enjoy the show.

The seven dwarves. Photo Credit: Bruce Douglas

To round out your morning, avid WM readers know that I LOVE any activities at Glen Echo Park. You can combine a great show with a ride (or four) on the carousel, a picnic on the benches, a jaunt to the playground and even a hike down to the creek on your way back to the parking lot.

Details on Snow White:
When: July 21 – Sept. 2
Times: Thursdays & Fridays at 10 & 11:30am; Saturdays & Sundays at 11:30am & 1pm
Where: the Puppet Co. Playhouse
Recommended: K – Grade 6
Running Time: 40 minutes
Tickets: $10 for everyone 2 and older.  Group rates available.
Disclosure: I am proud that the Puppet Co. is one of my newest advertisers on my blog, in addition they gifted the tickets to me and my girls for this show. My opinions here, however, are all my own.
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DC Day Trips with Kids, DC Events with Kids, Puppet Shows for Kids, Summer Survival with Kids

Summer Fun 2012: Beauty & The Beast at National Theatre

June 14, 2012

The Beast roared into town this week and he’s only here for two short weeks until June 24, so I’m adding him to the list of Summer Fun 2012. As a special way to celebrate the end of the school year, I took my rising first grader to see Disney’s Beauty & The Beast, produced by NETworks Presentations, at National Theatre on Tuesday night. Little delights a 6-year-old more than a favorite Disney movie coming to life in a musical production and I figured, what better way to treat her to a special night in honor of how hard she worked all school year-long.

The stellar supporting cast of Beauty & The Beast. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

The production did not disappoint. Coming down from the high of Arena Stage’s Music Man, I am beginning to think we are very spoiled in DC due to the breath of musical theatre productions at our disposal. What I most looked forward too were the costumes – how would they display Mrs Potts, Lumiere, Cogsworth and the Beast? Having taken a sneak peek at the video montage of the show in advance, mainly to make sure my daughter wouldn’t be afraid of the Beast, I knew the costumes would be first-rate and they really were. Lumiere quickly became the favorite character among our little group of friends (the moms, that is). His quick wit, charm, fantastic French accent and effortless desire to flirt added humor and pizzazz to every scene he was in. We marveled over Mrs Potts and how much her arm must have hurt to hold it out as the sprout on the tea-pot for the duration of the show. Beasts’ voice was disarmingly similar to Beast’s voice in the Disney movie production and his costume and posture walked the line between being intimidating and beast-like but stopped short of scaring the little kids. I applaud his ability to so realistically portray the Beast we’ve all come to know and love from the Disney movie. Gaston came in a close second on my list of favorites; his ego, obnoxious personality, fantastic black velour pants and fake chest hair livened up every scene he was in. My daughter adored Gaston’s side kick because she’s entered that age where nothing beats physical comedy. And last but certainly not least, was Belle, played by Emily Behny. Belle’s strong personality, sass and Behny’s beautiful singing voice make her an excellent and totally believable Belle.

The supporting cast in the production is so strong that there were times I wished for more scenes with a fuller stage of the broader cast singing and dancing,

Be Our Guest...my favorite scene in the show. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

probably because we were completely spoiled by “Be Our Guest.” I wished for a chance to watch that scene on repeat about 10 more times for fear I was missing details, mainly because I was mesmerized by the gold spoons and forks. Not to mention the skill of the dancer inside the dancing carpet – how did he do THAT? During the “Be Our Guest” scene, which nears the end of the first act, is when you are given an artful and beautiful reminder that any musical associated with Disney is going to knock your socks off at least once during the show.

I would be remiss in failing to mention the beautiful music that accompanied the production. As you would expect, the orchestra performed exceptionally all night long and acted as an important part of the cast. This production actually features the animated film’s Academy Award®-winning score with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by the late Howard Ashman, and true Belle fans will quickly notice the additional songs, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice.

So at this point – you’re wondering- should you go and what is an appropriate age for your kids if you’re going to take them? Yes, you should go, especially if you have a child who deserves a really special night out. Here’s where I differ from the marketing of the show, however, because it is billed as appropriate for ages 3 and up. First, there are several times when a younger child could easily be scared. My daughter’s friend, who just turned 5 last week, was clinging to her mom a few times. My advice for anyone going with younger ones would be to show them the 3 minute video montage in advance so the kids know what to expect with the Beast. My rationale for thinking the youngest I would pay to bring a child – is five years old – is really based on the length of the show. On Tuesday, it started around 7:30pm and ended at 10:15pm. It is a long show with a brief 15 minute intermission. Even a matinée doesn’t change the reality that, at least in my experience, getting a 3 or 4-year-old to sit for almost three hours is near impossible but of course, every kid is different, so I am happy to be challenged on this one. I just know that I wouldn’t bring one of my kids until they are 5.

 

Belle & the Beast. Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

Tickets for Disney’s Beauty and the Beast begin at $39 (plus applicable service charges) and are currently on sale now through Telecharge only at (800) 447-7400 or online. The show is only here for two weeks – here’s the schedule:

Tuesday, June 12 – Thursday, June 14 at 7:30p

Friday, June 15 at 8:00p

Saturday, June 16 at 2:00p and 8:00p

Sunday, June 17 at 1:00p and 6:30p

Tuesday, June 19 – Thursday, June 21 at 7:30p

Friday, June 22 at 8:00p

Saturday, June 23 at 2:00p and 8:00p

Sunday, June 24 at 1:00p and 6:30p

Before I headed out to the National Theatre on Tuesday, I perused their web site and was reminded that they offer a fabulous and free Saturday morning program for kids. Here’s a link to the Summer 2012 program if you’re looking to fill in a Saturday this summer, especially if it’s a rainy one.  In the meantime, enjoy this show while it’s still here. I’d love to be Lumiere’s and Cogsworth’s guest anytime.

Disclosure: I was gifted tickets for the press performance but my opinions here are my own.

 

 

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DC Events with Kids, Summer Survival with Kids, Theater for kids, Uncategorized
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