REVIEW: Super Scientific Circus

By Laura Richards

On Friday I dropped my three year old son off at my parent’s house and took my husband and 6 ½ year old twin sons to see the North Shore Music Theater’s Super Scientific Circus. The show is recommended for children ages 4 and up due to the concepts involved and some loud noises. When we arrived, the parking lot was teeming with kids and over a dozen yellow camp school buses. The theater said this show is one of their most popular children’s performances each year. After a quick snack at the concession stand, we entered the theater which is circular and no seat is more than 50 feet from the stage thus an excellent venue for kids. Plastic booster seats are readily available for kids who need them. The show began with the very high energy, and crazy-haired, Mr. Fish who bounded onto the stage promising the audience a show of magic and circus tricks all of which could be explained by science. The show had a circus theme but one should not expect a traditional circus per se with many participants and activities taking place at once. My twins were expecting a real circus of sorts but this show consisted only of Mr. Fish and his assistant, Trent the Mime, though was no less entertaining. Mr. Fish brought out a living 'human' robot and examples were made in a fun, engaging way that robots cannot do anything without the use of the humans who created them. Mr. Fish and Trent used a wonderful blend of comedy and slapstick humor to get the sometimes complex principles of science down to the kid level. They demonstrated the center of gravity and balance point, friction, sonic booms, speed of sound, centripetal and centrifugal force through spinning dinner plates, huge beach balls, metal rods, boomerangs and the old trick of pulling a tablecloth off of a table piled high with items. They even used a bullwhip to demonstrate the speed of sound. Audience participation was garnered through clapping and several volunteers were brought onstage to assist. At one point, Mr. Fish had to leave the stage and asked the audience to watch Trent to make sure he didn’t touch anything. My kids went wild over this and loved screaming “Nooooo” along with everyone else as Trent attempted to touch things. The duo stressed throughout that the power of imagination is often more important than knowledge and that science is fun and can explain almost everything. If you exercise your mind you gain knowledge. The show wound down in energy at the end with an entrancing demonstration of bubbles and things kids can do at home with a plain drinking straw and some bubble fluid. A perfect conclusion to a rip-roaring hour of scientific fun.

This was the only performance this year at The North Shore Music Theater http://www.nsmt.org/
For future performances check out http://www.superscientificcircus.com/

REVIEW: The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs

By Jennifer Lucarelli Shimer

Since I was a little girl, I have heard the stories of the Three Little Pigs, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, and Goldilocks and The Three Bears. But never have I seen such a wonderful story of all three tales put together in once fantastic children’s show.
This morning, I took my 4-year-old son Thomas along with my 1-year-old son Derek to see Foothills Theatre production of The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs and it was a wonderful show. My sons had never experienced live theater before and certainly never heard the story of the Three Pigs like this.
And as a special treat, we sat only a few rows from the stage (it’s a small theater setting, perfect for little ones), and boy did my sons enjoy that. Thomas sat quietly in his seat mesmerized by the antics of the pigs, the wolf, the goats, the troll, and goldilocks and the three bears.
The show was funny, age appropriate, and entertaining for children of all ages, and even with some jokes thrown in for the adults in the audience, as well. Derek, my 1-year-old, even enjoyed the twist on an old classic tale as well as all the laughing and running around of the actors.
And as a special treat after the show, the entire cast was available to meet the children and sign autographs. That is definitely something you can’t experience on Broadway. And each of the actors was engaging with the children after the show – and boy did Thomas love meeting all the characters after the show.
While I’ve seen theater productions growing up and even as an adult, the Children’s Theater productions at Foothills are a great way to introduce little ones to the theater and entertain them as well. I can’t wait to see Mother Goose, which will be playing July 22nd to August 2nd.
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The Surprising Story of the Three Little Pigs plays at Foothills Theatre in Worcester through Saturday, July 19th. Tickets are $10. www.foothillstheatre.com
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Arthur Live! is A Wonderful Show!

Yesterday, I attended Arthur Live! at the Hanover Theatre in Worcester.
It was the first children's show at the newly renovated theatre.
Below I comment on the show I wanted to say a view things about the venue.
I found the drive into Worcester easier than one into Boston -no construction detours. I also found the parking more convenient (directly across the street) and cheaper ($5 for the Sunday afternoon show.)
The theatre is beautiful and comfortable. The floor seats have plenty of leg room.
The theatre has a look and feel similar to the Colonial Theatre in Boston.

Now on to the show --- Arthur Live! Based on Marc Brown's books and Emmy-Award winning PBS series, this live stage show is worth the money. (There were very few empty seats on the floor on Sunday. There is also balcony seating)
The show (90 minutes including a 20-minute intermission) features everyone’s favorite aardvark and his friends in a musical tooth fairy adventure. The show adds music and dance to the familiar television episode - if your child is a fan of the PBS series. (If you haven't seen the episode -- here is a quick synopsis -- D.W. is jealous when her big brother Arthur loses a tooth and gets a visit, and a dollar, from the Tooth Fairy. Arthur explains that the Tooth Fairy comes only when you lose a tooth and put it under your pillow at night, so D.W. dreams up some hilarious (but unsuccessful) plans to trick the Tooth Fairy into coming. Finally, Arthur decides to reward D.W.'s efforts by playing Tooth Fairy, himself!)
All your child's favorite Arthur Read characters are in Arthur Live!-- Buster, Brain, Francine, Muffy Crosswire, -- even an appearance by Pal and Baby Kate.
I enjoyed the creative, innovative, page-turning pop-up storybook set of Elwood City.
The costumes were similar to what you would see at a theme park.
I found the Tooth Fairy character a bit over the top (although my daughter didn't share my opinion and I'm sure the rest of the children in the audience did not either.)
The songs were cute -- even the one about Mr. Ratburn's pop quiz - sung to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel. I thoroughly enjoyed the lunch room scenes and the glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs at the museum were a surprise for the children in the audience.
Many of the children in attendance sand and dance along with the characters.
If your child is an Arthur fan, this show is not to be missed.
Below is a few photos from yesterday's performance. (Bring your camera if you attend a future performance of Arthur Live!, as photography (but not video) is allowed at this show!

A Glimpse of Green Gables

It's been a long time since I thought about Anne of Green Gables, the first book in the series by L.M. Montgomery. I loved the books as a child, and I jumped at the chance to take my first-grade daughter to Theaterworks USA's musical adaptation today in Lowell. The production, which premiered Off-Broadway in 2007, was part of the UMass Lowell Center for the Arts 2007-2008 Discovery Series season.

I had forgotten how much was in the novel, which I poured over so many years ago, and this production reminded me. Trying to condense a 300-page book into a 60-minute performance for families cannot be an easy task. It would be easy to point out things that were left out, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss some of them. But the basic story of Anne Shirley, the orphan girl sent by mistake to an aging pair of siblings with a farm to tend to, came through even in the shortened timeframe. Even though they wanted a boy, the Cuthberts can't bear to send away a child who has never had a permanent family. Anne brings them more than they bargained for -- not only endless aggravation, but also love and joy. In turn, Anne finds friendship, love and acceptance from others and within herself.

It was an enjoyable production for all ages in the audience, although the generations may have experienced the story on different levels. The set was quite bare and left a lot to the imagination, almost to the point that, to a child, it might be confusing. When a buggy ride was necessary, a bench and a set of reins were all that was necessary. I thought that was clever, but to my daughter, a buggy is a Volkswagen Beetle rather than one of the horse-drawn variety. And she wasn't quite sure what it meant when the lights dimmed slightly and a character who died got up and walked off the stage. I'm sure others her age and younger had similar reactions. They just don't have enough experience with live theater to interpret those things confidently.

There was plenty of movement on the set to indicate the change of scenes, though, with actors quietly moving table and chairs, or desks and chalkboard, on and off the set as necessary. The songs were well-done and came frequently enough that the pacing kept the interest of even the youngest in the audience. Eva Berger conveyed Anne's dramatic personality and propensity for exaggeration and intense feeling; she made Anne seem immature, but not overly silly. Yet, I was a little thrown by the fact Anne, who is just 11 when she meets the Cuthberts in the novel, begins the play already looking like a grown woman, albeit with a pair of long red braids and an abundance of energy and impertinence. Sixty minutes later, she is 16 and a half and doesn't look appreciably different.

The production retained some key dialog and showed just enough of Anne's character to see her lack of judgement getting her into trouble: accidentally dyeing her red hair green in the heat of emotion caused by a neighbor-boy calling her Carrots, then making her "bosom friend" drunk on what she thought was a special, but non-alcoholic, beverage. Both incidents got laughs from the audience -- they were funny -- but resulted in Anne's estrangement from those involved, a heartbreaking, even "tragical" circumstance for a girl who so yearned for close relationships. She is, after all, an orphan who has been passed from one family to another with no real love or stability in her life until she arrives at Green Gables with the old, worn, broken carpet bag that contains all her "worldly goods." (I couldn't help but think of today's foster children who are often moved from one home to another with nothing but a trash bag for their belongings). The audience was also able to see Anne's deep feeling and capacity to love winning the hearts of those around her -- mellowing even Marissa Cuthbert's strict and pragmatic nature.

As a child, I read Anne's personality as spunky, fun and imaginative. As a member of the audience today, I saw her much more as a girl with a desperate need for love and acceptance. As the story unfolds, it's clear that she's not the only one with that need. I hope the show will inspire many children in the audience to take a look at Montgomery's original novel and experience the full version of Anne Shirley and her beloved Green Gables. Perhaps adults, too. I know I'll be reading it again.

REVIEW: My Son Loved Go Diego Go Show

As soon as my son Thomas, 4, heard we were going to see Diego, he couldn’t stop asking me about it. He is a huge fan of the 8-year-old boy who goes on animal rescue adventures. It was also the first time we were going on a train to Boston, so Thomas could barely contain his excitement.
As a fan of the television show Go Diego Go, Thomas was well aware of all the characters including Baby Jaguar, Diego’s sister Alicia, the Bobo Monkeys, and his cousin Dora. He was so excited when the show started and he sat wide-eyed and attentive throughout the whole show.
The theatre show at The Opera House in Boston this weekend, which featured real actors as the characters, was lively, entertaining, and encouraged participation from the audience. Each child was given a Baby Jaguar mask when the sat in their seat and was asked to jump like a jaguar, scratch like a jaguar and growl.
The songs were energetic and filled with motions that the children in the audience could follow along. And the story line included a search for Baby Jaguar’s growl that had been taken by the Bobo Monkeys.
The sets were well designed beautifully, and the animal puppets were entertaining as well as amazing to watch. The show lasted over an hour with an intermission, which allowed children to get up and walk if they needed.
While the show was geared towards Diego fans, kids of all ages would enjoy the costumes, the songs and would certainly be entertained by the story told. What a great way to spend an afternoon with family.
I would recommend this show for boys and girls who love Diego.

-- Jennifer Lucarelli
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The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley!

I caught the opening night performance of this new show at the Colonial Theatre tonight. The 75-minute performance (no intermission) completely entertained the children in the audience, who laughed hysterically at the letter carrier and clapped their hands and tapped their feet to the musical numbers.
I wasn't as impressed with the costume design. (Don't expect Lion King type tricks -- you can tell Stanley is not flat -- but the children in the audience, ranging from age 3-10, didn't seem to care!)
Below are a few photos from tonight's performance.
If you child is a fan of the book, the stage production is worth the money!

Tickets are still available for tomorrow and Sunday's shows. There is a special 5 p.m. show tomorrow (Saturday) for Girl Scouts, too!

Broadway Across America-Boston presents the Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley at the Colonial Theatre on Saturday at 11 a.m., 2 and 5 p.m. and 11 a .m. and 2 p.m. shows on Sunday. Tickets are $15-$40 and can be purchased at the Colonial Theatre Box Office at 106 Bolyston Street, through www.broadwayacrossamerica.com and through Ticketmaster outlets.



GIRL SCOUTS: On Saturday March 8th at 5 p.m. Broadway Across America-Boston is hosting Massachusetts' Girl Scouts for a special performance of The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley. This night includes the chance to earn a Flat Stanley Girl Scout Badge, a night of theater with Girl Scouts from around the area, and a post show discussion with the Flat Stanely actors! Visit http://www.flatstanleyboston.com/GirlScoutNight.html for more information. Girl Scouts will receive discounted tickets to the show -- $11.25 for balcony and $21.25 mezzanine seats.

Click here for the special badge requirements: http://www.flatstanleyboston.com/GirlScoutsRequirements.html

School House Rock Live! Entertaining for Children (and Parents)!

My daughter starts first grade in two weeks, so I told her we would do a few more "fun things" before her summer vacation ends.
Today, we attended a performance of Schoolhouse Rock Live! at Foothills Theatre in Worcester. She had a great time bopping and swaying to the music. She sang some of the songs, that I sung as a child, all the way home; and is still singing some tonight as I put her to bed.
* "Conjunction Junction, what's your function? Hooking up words and phrases and clauses."
* "Lolly, Lolly, Lolly, get your adverbs here."
* "Interplanet Janet, she's a galaxy girl, A solar system Ms. from a future world"
* "A man and a woman had a little baby, Yes, they did. They had three in the family, And that's a magic number"
* "I find it quite interesting, A noun's a person, place, or thing"
* "Ouch! That hurts! Yow! That's not fair givin' a guy a shot down there!"
Below is a few photos from the performance, sponsored by Bay State Parent magazine:

The theatre show is based on the Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, science, and politics through clever, tuneful songs. (I can tell you I wasn't the only one humming The Preamble in my fourth grade civics class on our test about the U.S. Constitution. )
And although every child in the audience was born way after the cartoon series was created and last aired (1985); they thoroughly were enjoying the songs and the performances.
Show Synopsis: Tom, a nerve-wracked school teacher nervous about his first day, tries to relax by watching TV when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music, through such beloved Schoolhouse Rock songs as Just A Bill, Unpack Your Adjectives, Mother Necessity and Conjunction Junction. The theatre show was created in the early 1990s.

Tickets are just $10 per person. Shows are 10 a.m., tomorrow through Saturday, Aug. 18 and Wednesday, Aug. 22 through Saturday, Aug. 25.

(The first 2 readers to e-mails me at editor@baystateparent.com , and can pick up tickets in Holden, can have a voucher for 4 FREE tickets to the show.)

Wiggles Race Into Worcester

"Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car..."
The Wiggles chugged into Worcester today for two shows at the DCU Center in Worcester, as part of their Racing to the Rainbow Live tour!
And while Greg (he's the original yellow Wiggle) is featured in the DVD of the same name as the show; the tour features Sam, as the Yellow Wiggle.
Children in the audience didn't seem to care as they sang and danced to their favorite tunes.
"Doing The Romp Bomp A Stomp..."
"Stop at the Light, Look Both Ways..."
"Cold spaghetti, cold spaghetti ..."
Check out photos from the 3 p.m. Worcester show below...

The show features The Wiggles beloved friends , too - Captain Feathersword, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog & Henry the Octopus.
"I'm a Rooster, I'm a Rooster, I'm a Rooster in Worcester," joked Captain Feathersword before breaking into the song Captain Feathersword Fell Asleep On His Pirate Ship.
The show had enough funny moments, like that, to keep parents awake, if not entertained. Many dads, in the audience were drawn to the big screens pre-show when The Wiggles aired a taped skit withe members of the New England Patriots. Dads, also enjoyed, that The Wiggles donned Red Sox baseball caps, as they drove onto the stage in their Big Red car.
It's hard to believe The Wiggles are celebrating their 16th season - although they weren't introduced to American audiences until they appeared on the Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney segments in 2002.
It seems there is no stopping this tour; while children will inevitably outgrow The Wiggles; new toddlers & preschoolers take up singing "Hot Potato, Hot Potato" almost daily.

Good news, if you missed the Worcester shows, The Wiggles will chug into Lowell in October at Paul E Tsonas Arena on October 25 for a pair of shows at 3 & 6;30 p.m. Tickets for Lowell are available through all Ticketmaster locations (www.ticketmaster.com) and the venue box office. Prices range from $23-$35. Seating for tickets purchased at the $35 level will take place in the “hot potato seats” and will include a customizable limited edition Wiggles picture frame.