Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre to Kick Off 2015 Children's Theatre Season with Schoolhouse Rock Live

The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre is kicking off their 2015 Children’s Theatre season with Schoolhouse Rock Live, based on the award-winning 1970s cartoon. Kids of all ages will enjoy singing along to classic Saturday Morning learning songs from February 24th through March 20th.

Schoolhouse Rock Live follows Tom, a new school teacher who is nervous about his first day of teaching. He tries to relax by watching television 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 songs as “Just A Bill,” “Interplanet Janet” and “Conjunction Junction.” It’s a fun-filled musical that will have children laughing, singing, and learning (without them even knowing)!

Schoolhouse Rock Live will be at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre February 24th through March 20th, 2015. The ticket price is $17 for kids of all ages for meal and show with a special group discount for groups of 16 or more. A limited number of show-only seats are available for $15. Call 717-898-1900 to make a reservation or order your tickets online at DutchApple.com.

Words Cannot Describe the Magic of Matilda on Broadway

 

I have to admit that I didn't know what I was getting myself into when I got tickets for my family to see Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical on Broadway. I'm usually pretty familiar with a musical before I go to see it, but this time I really didn't know much about the show other than the 60-second promotional video that I watched with my sons before buying the tickets. I think I read the book when I was younger, and maybe I saw the movie too, but I really don't remember much of either.

I had done my research on the show, so I knew it would be a decent show for the whole family, including my 4- and 7-year-old boys. I expected some fun songs. I expected maybe a few cute and talented kids. I expected a neat effect or two. What I didn't expect was to see one of the best productions I've ever seen. Quite possibly the best production. And I've seen a lot of productions.

The story follows a smart little girl, Matilda, who doesn't have the kindest of parents. Mrs. Wormwood is too focused on her appearance and her dancing career to be bothered with a daughter. Mr. Wormwood is busy scamming people. And both parents much prefer their son, Michael, who mindlessly stares at a TV all day, to their intellectual and (mostly) well-behaved daughter. I'm far from the perfect parent, but these parents make me look like mom of the year!

When Matilda starts school, she befriends her kind teacher, Miss Honey. Miss Honey recognizes that Matilda is special and is determined to help her succeed. But the brute of a headmaster, Miss Trunchbull, has different plans for Matilda (and all the other children for that matter).

At the performance I saw, the title role of Matilda was played by Eliza Holland Madore. Little Eliza puts most actors - even adult ones - to shame with her extraordinary talent. I have never seen someone so relaxed and natural on stage. She didn't miss a beat. Her diction was impeccable. She even spoke Russian in one scene! From her loveable yet powerful voice to her appropriately childish movement and mannerisms, I can't imagine anyone playing this role better (though there are three other girls who also play this role at different performances). At only 8 years old, Madore has a very bright future ahead of her!

The rest of the cast is nothing short of magnificent as well. Both adults and children alike are perfect fits for their roles. From the sweet voice of Alison Luff (Miss Honey), to the obnoxiousness of Lesli Margherita (Mrs. Wormwood) and Matt Harrington (Mr. Wormwood), to the mischievous innocence of the children, the cast is a gold mine of talent. Even the glazed-over looks and one-word grunts of "Telly!" and "Backwards!" from Alex Brightman (Michael) are perfectly and hilariously executed. Also impressive was Sean Montgomery, the understudy for Miss Trunchbull. At one point I was amused to see my 7-year-old frantically looking through his program after Montgomery came on stage. I knew exactly what he was looking for, and at intermission I made a point to answer his unspoken question that Miss Trunchbull was in fact played by a man.

Tim Minchin's music provides a perfect blend of power rock songs like "Revolting Children," sweet melodies like "This Little Girl," and upbeat childish tunes like "Naughty." The choreography by Peter Darling also stands out, especially in the energetic numbers with the children performing all over the stage (and even throughout the theatre). Other notable movement scenes include a scene done on swings a scene with children doing gymnastic-type bouncing and tumbling.

And oh the set! The amazing set! The second I walked into the theatre I was immediately impressed. The theatre is filled with letters. Letters to the left, letters to the right, letters everywhere! The letters are similar to scrabble letters, only they almost give the feel of another world. It really transported me into the show before the show even started. Once the show begins, the set changes countless times to become a birthday party, a hospital room, a home, a school, and more. Desks come up from the stage. Swings come down from the ceiling. A chalkboard comes from the back of the stage.  Everywhere you look something new is coming out of somewhere. It was truly amazing. (And as a side note, I'm still clueless as to how the chalk wrote on the board by itself!)

This is one of the rare shows where I enjoyed the second half more than the first. It's kind of like enjoying a sequel better than the original. It doesn't happen very often. But this show just keeps getting better and better every second. Just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any better, it did. The show is full of energy and also contains a good bit of humor scattered in for both adults and children.

And speaking of children, my kids really enjoyed the show as well. Both of my boys sat mesmerized through the entire production. Usually close to the end of a show they start to get a little wiggly and I start getting questions about how much longer or when can they have a snack. Not this time. Don't tell Disney, but my 7-year-old even said he liked Matilda more than The Lion King on Broadway...and I agree with him!

If you want to see a musical that has everything, a musical that has that special "something," go see Matilda! Everything about this unforgettable production is spot on. The story. The casting. The acting. The singing. The set. The lighting. The choreography. The special effects. I feel like I could talk all day about how incredible this production is and it still wouldn't accurately portray how magical Matilda is. It's just something you have to experience for yourself to fully understand and appreciate.

For the first time in Row L Seat 1 history, I'm giving a production 10 out of 10 standing ovations!

This review is based on the January 25, 2015 performance of Matilda the Musical. Matilda is currently playing at the Shubert Theatre on Broadway. For show details, photos, videos, and ticket information, please visit us.matildathemusical.com. (Photos were obtained from the show website at us.matildathemusical.com/gallery/photos.)

DreamWrights Youth and Family Theatre (York, PA) Announces New Sensory-Friendly Series

In honor of National Autism Awareness Month, DreamWrights Youth and Family Theatre in York, PA has launched a new Sensory-Friendly Series to make its performances more accessible to children and adults with autism or sensory sensitivities. Productions in the new series will include one sensory-friendly performance within the show schedule. The first production to be included in this new series is Doctor Dolittle which runs from May 9-25. 

DreamWrights Presents Dr. Dolittle. From L to R – Andrea Unger (playing Sarah Dolittle); Jim Tyson (playing Doctor Dolittle); and Jonah Unger (playing the Crocodile)

 
As a part of the new Sensory-Friendly Series, the Doctor Dolittle production will include a “Meet Your Seat” event on May 14 at 6:00 p.m. and a sensory-friendly performance of the Doctor Dolittle show on May 18 at 2:30 p.m.

The “Meet Your Seat” event will offer children and adults with Autism the opportunity to see the theatre, tour the lobby, pick their seat for the show, and experience purchasing concessions in advance of actually attending a performance. Pre-registration is not required for the “Meet Your Seat” event and this public event is FREE to attend.

The sensory-friendly performance on May 18 at 2:30 p.m. will include small customizations to make the show more enjoyable for those with sensory sensitivities in ways that do not disrupt the show for other audience members. The sensory-friendly performance will avoid turning the theatre completely dark and will provide physical cues to warn the audience before a loud noise takes place. In addition, if members of the audience need a break from the show, there will be a quiet room to the side of the theatre where guests can continue to watch the show on a monitor in a calmer setting.

“The goal of the Sensory-Friendly Series is to reduce the amount of anxiety those who have autism may experience when coming to a show at DreamWrights,” said Shannon Hallisey, director of education at DreamWrights. “The combination of the “Meet Your Seat” event and our new sensory-friendly performances mean that Doctor Dolittle and future shows will be more accessible for those with special needs, and that’s critically important to us.”

The Doctor Dolittle show, which includes 72 performers ranging in age from 7 to 68 years old, will be the first DreamWrights performance to be included in the new Sensory-Friendly Series. The show will bring to life the 94-year-old children’s story of Doctor Dolittle whose talent of speaking to animals leads him to travel to Africa to aid in saving the seriously ill monkey population. Upon their return from Africa, Doctor Dolittle and his family of animals join a circus in an attempt to earn enough to pay their debts. The story will come to life for audience members through the use of three very different sets — including a visual depiction of an ocean journey and ship wreck!

“We’ve already heard from a number of local families who are excited about the opportunities that the Sensory-Friendly Series will open for them, starting with the Doctor Dolittle production,” adds Hallisey. “Families that include children and adults who have these types of sensitivities are looking for activities they can enjoy together, and we’re proud that our theatre can meet that need.” 

 Doctor Dolittle Show Dates and Times:

·       May 9, 10, 16, 17, 23 and 24 at 6:30 p.m. – Traditional Performances

·       May 10, 11, 17, 18, 24 and 25 at 2:30 p.m. – Traditional Performances

·       May 17 at 2:30 p.m. – Audio Described Performance 1:30 – Touch Tour

·       May 18 at 2:30 p.m. – Sensory-Friendly Performance

·       May 24 at 9:00 a.m. – Playlet Character Breakfast including breakfast with the show characters and a shortened performance for ages 3 to 6

Doctor Dolittle Sensory-Friendly Series “Meet Your Seat” Event:

·       May 14 at 6:00 p.m.

General admission tickets for Doctor Dolittle are available for $8.00 and reserved seating tickets are available for $12.00. To order, visit www.dreamwrights.org or call 717-848-8623.

Introducing Kids to Theatre (Part 1)

My dad loves skiing. He's been a skier for most of his life, and it's still one of his favorite things to do. He couldn't wait for the day that I took my first steps as a child so that he could take me up on the slopes with him. So the year I started walking was also the year I started skiing.

I skied for a good many years of my life, and was actually pretty decent at the sport, but at some point I realized that skiing just wasn't the best sport for someone who can't stand cold weather. Despite my straying from the skiing world, I can still relate to my dad's love of skiing since I have a love of my own now -- theatre. So you can bet that I couldn't wait for the day that my boys were old enough for Chad and me to start taking them to theatre performances.

But just as my dad didn't throw me on a black diamond ski slope when I was two, I didn't take my boys to a Broadway show as their first theatre experience. We had to work our way up to it. Now that my boys are four and six, I can proudly say that my 6-year-old has been to his first Broadway show, and my 4-year-old will be going to his first Broadway show in June. And they couldn't be more excited about this.

Alec, at age 5, just before his very first Broadway show

But some of the looks I receive when I tell people that I'm taking my 4-year-old to a Broadway show are downright scary! I can literally see what's going through their minds... "You mean you're taking  your son into a theatre where he has to sit still for three hours?" "You must be out of your mind - what a waste of money!" "I'd hate to be in that audience!" By some of these looks,  you'd think I'm that mom bringing my screaming 18-month-old on an airplane!

So in the hopes of convincing the "lookers" that my boys actually will sit through a theatre production (willingly and excitedly at that), I'm going to share some of my secrets. These tried and true tips have helped my two boys work their way up to the black diamond ski slope of theatre - Broadway. Maybe these tips will even help other parents share the wonder of the theatre with their children... At least I can hope!

1. Start small. Many communities have small community theatres that often produce kid-friendly shows. Some even have children's theatre groups that produce short 20-30 minute plays that are perfect for kids. Chad and I have been taking our kids to see productions by our local children's theatre group (The Popcorn Hat Players) since they were two. In fact, tomorrow Chad is taking them to see their production of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Children's theatre groups are a great way to introduce kids to the world of theatre. Chase still talks about the time he got called on stage to be The Burglar in a Popcorn Hat Players production of The Golden Goose (yep, that's my little burglar up there with the sunglasses on!).

2. Check out local high schools and colleges. Many high schools have at least a play in the fall and a musical in the spring, and many colleges do even more than this. Just in the past month, high schools in my area put on musical productions of The Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek and Seussical the Musical. Seussical was the first musical I took Alec to when he was three (also at a local high school), and I took Chase to see it this year. Alec got to see The Wizard of Oz for the first time this year. Tickets are usually only $5-10 per ticket, so it's a pretty safe way to introduce kids to the world of theatre without spending a fortune.

3. Listen to the music before you go. I'll throw the soundtrack in the car CD player for weeks before we go to see a musical. We don't listen to it non-stop, but it gets mixed in there with Kids Bop and Frozen. My boys love it when a show starts and they know all the songs!

4. Do your homework. Before buying tickets to anything, make sure you know what you're going to see. Does your child have a huge fear of green ogres? Maybe Shrek wouldn't be a good choice for his first show. Some shows will provide a suggested age, and some even have age requirements for patrons. For example, my boys love listening to the Wicked soundtrack, so I decided to look into tickets. Their official website states, "Recommended age for children is 8 and up. No children under 5 admitted." I'm glad I looked! Hopefully this one will still be on Broadway in another year or two. :)

For more tips on what to do once (if?) you finally make it to the theatre with your kids, check out Part 2 of Introducing Kids to Theatre!