November 19th, 2008 larry
Do your kids think that life is unfair? Do they often blame bad luck when things don’t go their way? If so, you may want to take them to see Holes, based on the book (and movie) by Louis Sachar. This production revolves around Stanley Yelnats, a boy whose circumstances take him on a soul searching journey where he learns to take responsibility for what happens in his life. Holes is an Adventure Stage Chicago Production playing at the the Vittum Theater in West Town through December 18, 2008. The show runs 90 minutes with no intermission and is recommended for children 10 and older (4th thru 8th grades). Tickets cost $17 for adults and $12 for children 14 and under.
Most of the play takes place at Camp Greenlake, a work camp for boys in trouble with the law, where there is no lake and nothing is green. This is where our hero Stanley has been sent for a crime he may or may not have committed. He blames a curse from his family’s past for his terrible luck.
The staging of Holes is very stylized. The set is very minimal. When the story flashes back to the mystery revolving around Stanley’s family curse, the characters in present time remain on the stage as characters from the past move around them. Many of the actors play more then one role, using costumes and dialect to differentiate the roles. This is all very effective and subtle, really adding to the theatrical experience.
This is an interesting production where the story is told with flashbacks from different places and times that intertwine with the present. It is a mystery that gradually develops, giving you a very satisfying plot progression. Little by little what begins as a confusing situation, for the main character Stanley (and the audience), makes more and more sense as the show progresses. Culminating in a great ending where all the loose ends come together.
If your kids are aspiring actors, they will love the discussion period after the show. The cast members are very young and inspiring, talking about how they have been acting since very young ages and answering all the kids questions concerning the show and themselves. This production of Holes is definitely for middle school aged children. There is some violence: boys in the work camp fighting with their fists and with shovels, and there is a murder with loud gunshots. I would not take younger siblings along. This a sophisticated production with important themes that I think children of the right age will really enjoy.
Mom Says: Holes was definitely a cut above most productions. It deals with a complicated story very maturely and does not pander to a “child’s” sensibility. Often I feel that theater appeals to girls more then boys, but this story is very male driven and will engage the boys in the audience as much as the girls.
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November 12th, 2008 larry
It is so much fun to see a great show! A friend and I took our 3 and 4 year old sons to see Disney’s Aladdin at Marriott Theater for Young Audiences and we all loved it. This production is filled with action, songs, comedy, and magic. The pacing of Aladdin is fantastic. If you’ve seen the movie it runs about 1 1/2 hours, this show lasts exactly 1 hour. They have edited the story so that all you have is action, no lulls. The audience was packed with young kids who were all engaged throughout the show. It is running through January 4, 2009 and all tickets are $12.
Of course the Genie was the huge hit of the show. His big first scene is really memorable. After Aladdin releases him from the lantern, the energy just pours onto the stage. They have given the actor an awesome costume with a stuffed body and platform shoes to make him a bit larger then life, but it is the actor that makes all the impact. Bringing an animated character created by Robin Williams to life is a tough job, but Bernie Yvon does it. His Genie has crazy energy and great comic spunk. Yvon also has a very strong singing voice. His song “Never Had a Friend Like Me” is wonderful and includes a silly tap dance that was a great addition.
The other cast members contribute great scenes as well. The bad guy in the show is Jafar (Jeff Max) and he’s the perfect balance of evil but not scary. His sidekick is a bird named Iago, who is played by a woman (Debbie Laumand-Blanc) with a puppet. It is really a creative way of incorporating the character. A favorite scene of mine was Jafar and Iago’s duet, “Poor Me.” There is great banter back and forth that gets a lot of laughs. Jasmine is played by an impossibly tiny woman named, Christine Bunuan. All little girls will fall in love with her. She has a spectacular voice that makes the ballad “A Whole New World” (that we’ve all heard a hundred times before) very magical.
There is a lot for parents to enjoy. Of course watching your children giggling during the show is the best part, but they have thrown in a bunch of pop culture references to keep things fun on the adult level. This is a great show for preschool and grade school children. I do not hesitate in recommending it. Please go and have a great theater experience with your kids!
Mom Says: For $12 per ticket this is a highly professional theater experience. The actors are strong , the staging is creative, and there is not a bad seat in the house. After the show the cast comes on stage to talk to the audience. They ask the kids “Who thought the magic was real?” Almost all the children raised their hands. To them the Genie really turned Aladdin into a Prince and they are truly surprised when the actors show them how the trick was done. Aladdin has a lot of magic for the whole family.
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November 3rd, 2008 larry
After downing about 8 Nestle Crunch bars and 12 Reeses peanut butter cups, we needed some way to burn off the sugar and calories. And what better physical activity is there than bowling. We hiked over to eSkape in Buffalo Grove and were surprised that it was much more than a bowling alley. eSkape is right off of Lake Cook Road which was not that hard to get to now that the Edens construction is done. eSkape bills itself as an Entertainment complex and it lives up to that name with bowling, laser tag, arcade, batting cages, a bar, and a restaurant.
We originally went there for the bowling. eSkape allows you to pay by the hour or the game. We knew we were not going to last long so we did by the game ($3.95 per person). Setting up the names on the computerized scoring was easy, but it was hard to find where we could set up the gutter bumpers for the kid. The associates were very helpful and we were off and bowling. One thing we really liked was that they keep the 6 pound balls behind the counter so that they can give them to parents with small children. The fun of bowling is always watching peoples’ body language as they try to steer the ball down the lame with their hips, arms, and legs. Our kid’s running man, jumping, and crawling routine to help his ball down the lane was pure art. He bowled a 72 and he only threw the ball in the wrong lane once.
Next up was laser tag ($7 per person for 15 minutes). Our kid had played laser tag at the outdoor festival on Southport this year, so we took a chance at this 5,000 square foot laser tag facility. The vest is about 2-3 pounds and the laser is a little less than a pound. Our four year old handled the weight no problem. There is also a requirement that you have to hold the gun in a certain way to make it fire correctly. We had to remind him a couple of times to reset his hands. The maze inside the laser park is pretty dark and he was a little hesitant at first, but once he started sprinting up and down the ramps and shooting Dad, the darkness was forgotten. When you get hit, the vest vibrates which he thought was hysterical. He had an absolute blast in the laser area and we came out panting and sweating.
The video arcade is not what eSkape focuses on. They did have the essentials like skee ball, basketball hoops, car racing, spider stomp, and the core military, secret agent games. The batting cages are for 10 and up and are actually behind the bowling alley.
We had a great Saturday afternoon at eSkape. They do a brilliant job of catering to all ages. They have drink specials at night and on the weekend for the adults, a fairly decent restaurant where we ate lunch, and bowling and laser tag that supports all ages. I think older kids, maybe 7 and up, will have an absolute blast with team laser tag and younger kids will just like the thrill of running and shooting and seeing all of the blinking lights. eSkape differentiates itself from the other indoor playgrounds in that they don’t have a heavy focus on video games, but really on phycial activity. They don’t have bouncies or cater to the really little children. So we would say for 4 and up, this is a great place that has enough variety to fill an afternoon or a birthday party.
Review eSkape
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: We went midday on a Saturday. The place was filled by families and children’s birthday parties, it was really fun. I would be hesitant to bring young children there in the evening, as they do host leagues and it looks like they may have a pretty big bar scene.
Dad Says: I thought I was going bowling and was pleasantly surprised that there was so much to do. Laser Tag is not the laser tag I played as a kid. It is a bit more complicated, but we had a great time, running, hiding, and shooting. We’ll be back.
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October 27th, 2008 larry
This week we saw two live performances: Little Red Riding Hood by the Chicago Kids Company and the Wee Hairy Beasties at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Little Red Hiding is performing Oct. 11 thru Nov. 22, Saturdays only 10am at the Wilmette Theater and Oct. 31 thru Nov. 26 at the Beverly Arts Center. The tickets to the show cost $10 per person.
We all know the story of Little Red Riding Hood. This production takes the traditional story and interjects contemporary slang, dancing and music. The show started strong with a great song, Little Red, and was fun in that they came off the stage into the audience. The first act ends with a cautionary song from Red’s mom, Don’t Stray From the Path, warning Red of the dangers that lie ahead as she walks towards Grandma’s house.
The second act is when the show really loses it’s way. As Red walked through the forest to Grandma’s house she inexplicably runs into Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and Snow White. Truly just a walk through by each of these characters, it makes no sense and isn’t fun. This second act was a time-filler and the kids in the audience got really antsy and chatty.
The third act takes place at Grandma’s house. Grandma got a few laughs as she busted a move and did some silly dancing. True to the fairy tale the Wolf pretends to be Red and comes into Grandma’s house. I know this fairy tale is dark, but it was a bit disturbing that they played the music from Psycho as the Wolf attacks Grandma. In the end we find out that Grandma was just tied up in the closet, but at the time the audience really thinks the Wolf ate Grandma. I could see a bit of fear in my son’s eyes. Again, not fun. The show ends in a whirlwind of chaos and even though the production has a running time of just under an hour, it felt longer and we were ready for it to be over.
I cannot recommend this production. Unfortunately the whole effect of the show fell below my expectations. They lost their way in the storytelling and used chaos as a fallback.
On a much better note… the Wee Hairy Beasties has been a Chicago favorite for kids for several years now. They play everywhere from the Old Town Folk and Roots Festival to Kidzapalooza. Led by front man Jon Langford from the Waco Brothers and the Mekons, Wee Hairy Beasties is kind of a blues/country sound utilizing odd instruments like washboards, eggs, and other strange percussion. The music is funny for kids, enjoyable for adults, and there is always a surprise or two. At the Old Town School of Music this past Saturday, they played as the Wee Scary Beasties in honor of the Halloween season.
Kids, staff, and the band were in costumes. During the concert, they did a concert parade that included pirates, Goofy, Buzz Lightyear, witches, cowboys, and Curious George. But, of course, the star of the show is the music. The Beasties do a great job of introducing each song so that the kids know what they are about and what the chorus will be. This usually gets the kids engaged and yelling out the chorus for songs like Pumpkinhead, Slow Down (about watching out for animals in the road), and Wildthing (the classic song itself).
Some of the funnest moments were the supposed Public Service Announcements by the bands washboardist. These 45 second songs provide advice to parents that may seem a bit unconventional. These tidbits include eating ice cream for breakfast, don’t eat yellow snow, and “don’t hold it in, just let it rip” which referenced gaseous stomach issues. The Wee Scary Beasties are at their best during their most clever songs. “Dinosaur Christmas” tells the story of Santasaurus and how he keeps the dinasaurs’ spirits up during the Ice Age. “The Creepy Lullaby” was a special treat for the Halloween season. ”My Shadow is Following Me” helps explain that funny dark thing that you can’t get rid of. And our favorite song was the ”Smelly Belly Button Blues” which tells the story of Dave, a creature that lives inside the belly button of parents and guards against kids sticking their finger in their parents belly button.
Review Red Riding Hood
Review Wee Hairy Beasties
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: I really wanted to like Little Red Riding Hood, but the production falls short. In these tough economic times, please save your hard earned $$ for a more worthy production.
Dad Says: I was always a pretty big Waco Brothers fan and Jon Langford brings his clever style and sense of humor to kids music. Our kid likes the music, it isn’t too loud, and he giggles at lyrics that use the word belly button. By all of the kids dancing in the “mosh pit”, it looks like a great time was had by all. Try to catch Wee Hairy Beasties at their next show.
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October 19th, 2008 larry
Many adjectives are used to describe our kids: cute, loveble, smart, sloppy, hungry, small, and sometimes a little smelly. But I also think that kids are some of the funniest people I know. The things they say, the order of their words, and the phrases they put together (”Look at me, I am upside over” or “I can’t like that”), just makes me laugh as much as any comedy on TV. To see if our kid could be the next Chris Rock or Jerry Seinfeld, we went to ComedySportz on Belmont for his first encounter with professional improvisation comedy. Every Saturday at 2:00pm, ComedySportz does ComedySportz4Kidz which is a 50 minute participation show for kids. Tickets are $8.
ComedySportz is a small venue that is about 7 or 8 rows deep in an intimate setting. The show is performed by two “players” and their coach who is really the master of ceremonies. Coach Tam ran things and got the audience of kids participating immediately. The audience practiced yelling “Kids,” “Hush,” and “Go Go Go” which got them in the right mood for the show.
Before the show, the actors collected names of the kids and their favorite lines from their parents, songs, movies, and TV shows. The first improv game was called “Do Stuff, Say Stuff.” The actors played a scene and when they needed a line, they would pick up a piece of paper from the floor that had one of the kids’ lines on it. These lines like, “Barnacle head,” “I don’t know,” or “He’s a demon on wheels” usually changed the trajectory of the scene.
The next game was “Dr. Know It All” in which the actors take a kid from the audience and the three of them answer questions from the audience. The catch is they answer the question by each person saying one word at a time. Other games included re-enacting a fairy tale, the barnyard symphony (where several kids get on stage, each kid is assigned a farm animal noise, and the coach conducts the symphony by pointing to the different kids), and a “complete the sentences” improvisation where the actors have a conversation and ask two kids on stage to finish their sentences. The show ended with a topic generated by the audience (in our case dinosaurs) and the actors created a song and did a dance. The kids got a big kick out of Max the Dinosaur and the fun dance that went with it.
ComedySportz4Kidz just began in September at ComedySportz and you can tell they are still working out the kinks. They recommend this show for children 10 and under. At our performance the oldest kids were 6 years old and the youngest were 3 and 4. The 6 year olds could hold their own, but the younger ones didn’t know what to do once they got on stage. This made it challenging for the actors. We expect that when the audience has a better mix older children (6-10 years), with the younger ones, the show works more smoothly.
But the actors need to be ready to spoon feed the kids a little more and lead them into something funny more obviously. They can’t expect kids to be as quick as adults. Though some of the actors seemed familiar with kids’ stories and popular culture themes (Thomas, Sesame Street, Disney), others weren’t and that causes a disconnect between some of the kids’ improv ideas. The actors also need to rebound better when they get a quiet kid or someone gets stage fright. Our kid was very vocal from the audience but melted down on stage. Looks like Conan will get Jay’s show after all.
We would say, if you have little kids give this show about 30 more days and then go and see it. If you have older children you will have a great time now. The laughs were great and when they smooth some of potholes, this is going to be very cute and funny.
Review This Blog
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: Going to comedy clubs was something I enjoyed doing before I had children. As I’ve said before, I love it when venues like this make it possible for me to do these activities again - with my son. This is very fun and we all had a good time. It will only get better as the performers get more comfortable performing with children and are better able to play off their unpredictability. (On another note - this would be a great place to host a birthday party for a child 6-10 years old.)
Dad Says: Kids are the funniest people I know. The exuberance, energy, and complete unpredictability of what comes out of their mouth makes these improvisation games very fun.
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October 13th, 2008 larry
Welcome to our first Halloween Guide. With the enormous amount of Halloween events in the area, we have assembled a short list of some of the best pumpkin patches and events in the Chicagoland area for you to visit. In this Blog, we review Didier Farms Pumpkinfest and the Haunted Sanitarium to give you a taste of some of these places. While you are trying to figure out your kids’ costumes and the trick or treating plan, these places will keep you occupied and entertained.
The Haunted Sanitarium on Fullerton and Lakeshore Drive is $10 for adults and $8 for kids and students. The Sanitarium advertises that it is for kids over 13 (PG-13) and we would have to agree (maybe 11 or 12 years old is OK). The Sanitarium paces people as they enter the haunted house so that you’ll be all alone in each room. To test it, we did not bring our kid on Saturday night and instead we went through the Sanitarium together. With Mom vice-gripped to my arm, nails digging into skin, the tour starts off by having to squeeze through some black bumpers in the pitch dark. They repeat this a couple of times and it is pretty creepy as you don’t know when it will end and if you will get stuck.
The key to this haunted house is the costumed people that ambush you, sneak up on you, yell at you, and spook you. There is an exorcist scene with someone spewing vomit, there are silent people dressed in black with white faces following you, large 10 foot trolls shouting and chasing you, and a mirror room where you have to figure your way out while a nasty thing yells in your face. Probably the most startling point is an ugly guy coming out of the wall with a roaring chainsaw (this received the largest of the many screams from Mom). The nastiest thing is walking through a pitch dark hallway with tiny, wet stringy things hanging from the ceiling.
The Sanitarium seems a little expensive for an 8 minute tour. But it has some pretty good laughs and you’ll probably scream or jump at least twice (Mom jumped about five times). If you are trying to create an intimate moment with your spouse, it is not a bad call. The other events we are recommending this season includes Festival of Happy Haunts at Kiddieland, Franken Plaza, Spooktacular at Cosley Zoo, Boo at the Zoo at Brookfield Zoo, Halloween Hayday in Geneva, The State Street Halloween Happening, Trains Tricks and Treats at the Botanical Garden and Spooky Seas at the Shedd Aquarium.
We went out to Didier Farms on Friday for a little pre-Halloween fun. Even though it was packed with families and field trips we did not have to wait for any of the attractions and had a great time. It is spread out over a large enough space to disburse the crowds, but is very manageable for the little ones. My four year old loved the burlap sack slide, the inflatable jumper and the corn maze, while my two year old nephew loved the mini carnival attractions and the hay ride. Admission to Didier Farms is free, but each of these activities costs about $3. ($3 for one trip down the burlap sack slide seems a little much) For the two kids we bought 40 tickets. At $1 per ticket this is pretty pricey, but if you don’t use all your tickets on activities, Didier will let you use them towards buying pumpkins or food.
Our kids did enjoy some of Didier Farms free activities as well. They loved putting their faces through all the cutout figures for pictures, looking at the bunnies and chickens, and playing in the tee pees. On Thursdays between 2-6pm you can do unlimited rides for $12, but there’s a catch. Not all activities are available during the week. If you want to get the most out of Didier, go on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
For more pumpkin patches, check out Bengston’s Pumpkin Farm, Butterprint Farm, County Line Orchard, Dollinger Family Farm, Goebbert’s Farm & Garden Center, Goebbert’s Pumpkin Patch, Johansen Farms, Kinsch’s Autum Fun Fest, and Kuipers Family Farm Pumpkin Patch.
Click the links above to review any of these items.
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: This is such a beautiful time of the year and there is an abundance of opportunities to make great memories with your children. Get out there and take advantage of the fun.
Dad Says: Halloween has become as big as the December holidays at our house. The planning for the costume starts in March and continues up until the last minute. Going to some of these other great events just builds up the suspense and the big moment on Halloween for our kid.
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October 4th, 2008 larry
Our quest to try every indoor water park in the area continues with the Mayan Adventure at the Holiday Inn in Elmhurst. Elmhurst was surprisingly not that far from the city (about 30 minutes) and the Holiday Inn makes their water park available to people not staying at the hotel for $30 a person.
The Mayan Adventure is simple, easy to navigate, and has most of what you need. There are two large water slides for adults and bigger kids, one you can ride with an intertube. There is a lazy river where you can ride tubes, float and bounce around the whole park. I walked next to my four year old around the lazy river about 5 times while he tried to stand, kneel, and float on a tube, only to flip into the water every few minutes. There is a small pool with basketball hoops where you can swim, jump, and take free throws. There is also a huge hot tub to relax in.
The Mayan personality really shows in the kids area of the water park. There is a zero depth area with three slides, water guns, a large coconut that spills over every 5-10 minutes, and plenty of water jets coming out of the ground and elsewhere. We spent most of our time in this area, where we needed to make sure each slide was working under full stress: so we went down each slide about 30 times. After each slide my kid would run (of course running is prohibited) around the entire kids area, under all the showers and sprayers, and back up to the slides.
Uniquely at the Mayan Adventure, the water is surrounded by a video and game arcade. They have some great video games (motorcycles, Galaga, etc.) as well as skee-ball, air hockey, basketball hoops. You can easily go into this area when you get out of the pool, play a couple of games and get wet again. The food is not bad but closes early (around 5:00 on Sunday). We actually had a great time at the ice cream vending machine where an electronic vacuum looking thing finds your choice, descends on it, and deposits it into the basket. We had three ice cream sandwiches just to see it work.
The Mayan Adventure is clean, fun, and seems to be a little less crowded than other venues. Even with three birthday parties there, we could easily navigate the park, ride on anything we wanted to with minimum wait, and also do a little swimming. It is too bad they don’t have medium sized water slides in between the large adult ones and the kiddie area, something in the middle. The lifeguards were great and allowed the kids to have fun without skimping on safety.
Review Mayan Adventure
Dad Says: I really liked the fact that the lifeguards weren’t always on the kids cases and let them play in the water park without constantly hearing a whistle, but I still felt safe. The Mayan Adventure does not have all of the bells and buzzers of some of the other water parks, , but it is also less crowded, easy to navigate, and the arcade games in close range is nice.
Posted in Water | 2 Comments »
September 28th, 2008 larry
Everybody has their favorite Happy Days episode. Maybe its the dance contest, maybe its when Al’s burns down, or maybe its even when Fonzie jumps the shark (which lives in infamy as in when a TV series goes south). Mine is definitely the demolition derby; waiting for the Malachi crunch and rescuing Pinky Tuscadero from the roof of her car. We recently relived that episode by going to Route 66 Speedway in Joliet for the Demolition Derby Finals. We liked it enough that we plan on going back to Route 66 this weekend for the Monster Mash which features Monster Truck racing. Pricing is $16 for adults and $6 for kids before Saturday and $20 for adults, $10 for kids day of. The Derby sold out, so don’t wait too long for Monster Mash tickets.
We always kind of thought that Demolition Derbies were pretty much based on the last man standing concept. Basically, the car that is still drivable wins, but we were wrong. The way it works is that two teams race to finish 5 laps around the muddy track. The first team to get 5 laps wins. Of course, there are no rules other than that as the cars crash into each other to stop them from making it around the track. It seems most teams employed a strategy of having one or two cars actually race the laps, while the other 3 cars try to stop the opposing team from getting around the track. You see cars crashing head to head, rear-ending each other, slamming them against the wall, some Malachi crunches. And just because your car has stalled out, doesn’t mean that somebody won’t crash you just for good measure. We saw 2 cars light on fire.
Our night started with the 14-0 Junkyard dogs battling the Green Machines, which the Junkyard Dogs won. As they cleaned up the cars, they played the Scorpion’s ”Rock You Like A Hurricane” over the sound system. Then Stranglehold played Havoc with Stranglehold as the victor. Cinderella’s “Nobody’s Fool” was the song of choice after this match. Then we saw Killer Bee’s versus Driven. The Killer Bees were victorious and we celebrated to Great White’s version of “Once Bitten, Twice Shy.”
After this race we got sidetracked by the bouncies that were set up out front. They set up 2 or 3 bouncies (an obstacle course was there last time) for the kids to play on before the race starts as well as during and after. You can pay $7 for “all you can bounce” or $2 for one bounce.
This weekend’s Monster Mash looks just as fun. Families are encouraged to go as early as 12pm for the pre-race pit party. Kids are encouraged to wear costumes and there will be a costume contest. Other features of the pit party include face painting, pumpkin decorating, trick or treating. And most importantly, they will get to look at the monster trucks up close and personal, meet the drivers, get in the trucks, and they may even get a ride. At 3pm the Monster Mash starts. Monster Trucks will race each other, presumably by driving over small cars, ramps, and other obstacles. At the end of the Demolition Derby, we got a taste of Monster Trucks as one of the trucks was jumping/running over a few of the dead cars from the Derby.
We thought Route 66 Speedway was an absolute blast and something very different to do. It is absolutely worth the drive to see cars and trucks racing in mud. The middle grand stand fills up pretty quickly and you can stand right up against the fence. We chose some seats way over to the left where you can see everything easily. Our kid just stood smiling the whole time, fascinated that cars were crashing in to each other just like the Hot Wheels do at home. The parking situation is pretty bad, so get there early because it takes some time to get into the lot. Beers were $6 (same as at the Bears game) and they had standard carnival like food (pretzels, ice cream — Dove bars –, hamburgers, snow cones, etc.). This is a family event, but also expect your kid’s vocabulary to expand a bit.
Review Route 66 Speedway
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: I loved the Demolition Derby. The crowd was a bit rough around the edges, but that’s to be expected. This weekend’s Monster Mash is much more “kid focused” and should be a great time. We saw one monster truck last week and it was very, very loud - so be prepared.
Dad Says: Cars crashing into each other at full speed, fires, bouncies, and heavy metal music. This was a fantastic time, a great show, and pretty unique.
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September 21st, 2008 larry
The Emerald City Theatre Company began their 2008-2009 season this week with their production of If You Take a Mouse to School, based on the popular book by Laura Numeroff. The show is at the Apollo Theatre at 2540 Lincoln Avenue in Chicago and will run until November 2, followed by Hansel and Gretel (November 20 to January 4), The Voyages of Dr. Doolittle (January 17 to March 14), and Cinderella (February 14 to April 19). The show is $12 for kids and $15 for adults.
Emerald City is an expert in children’s adaptations, playing to over 100,000 children and parents each year, and If You Take a Mouse to School does not disappoint. The production combines acting with sound effects and interactivity to provide an enjoyable, fast paced 45 minutes. It is a 3-man play, the Mouse (Rawson Vint), the Boy (Matt Olson), and the Mom (Mary Williamson) who also plays the Bus Driver, Teacher, Millie the friend, Mother Mouse, and the Gym Teacher.
The show begins with the Mouse trying to convince his friend that he should take him to the school. While they brush their teeth together and wash up, the Boy explains that it is progress report day and if he gets bad marks, his parents may not buy him the new video game console he wants. The argument ends in a tantrum by the Mouse and the boy relents.
At this point, the show introduces its integration with the book. At each point in the show after the Mouse makes a demand, the spotlight shines on the boy where he recites the words from the book: “If you take a Mouse to school he’ll ask you for a lunchbox, etc, etc…,” adding on to the list each time. The kids start to get the hang of the monologue and by the middle of the show are saying the lines with the boy.
Interactivity plays a great part of the show. The kids are given homework before the show where they answer questions about shapes. When the Boy and the Mouse get to their first grade class, the teacher quizzes the audience on their answers. The cast is more then tolerant and plays off of the conversation by the kids, whether it is planned or not.
There is no singing during the play, but Emerald City uses music, sound, and light as another comedic actor. When they get to first grade, there is a hysterical hip hop rendition of “First Grade in the House” where the Mouse, Boy, and School Teacher all get down to business. Toward the end of the show, the Boy and Mouse jitterbug to Brian Setzer’s Dirty Boogie. And of course whenever the word “Principal” is uttered, the lights go out and ominous, foreboding music plays over the speakers.
If You Take a Mouse to School is a really funny, cute, and entertaining play. The Mouse and Boy have a great banter going as they consistently remind each other to use their manners (”Please” and “Thank You”). Mary Williamson, who plays about 5 roles, is hysterical. We don’t know if we like the hip shaking, goofy teacher the best, or the nerdy, allergic, crazy haired Millie, or the south-side, bumbling, know-it-all gym teacher. The play keeps the set simple, integrates the book, and provides creative gags and laughs for kids and parents.
Review If You Take A Mouse To School
Larry and Donna
Mom Says: I really enjoyed this production. The cast was hilarious and I loved the use of repetition that gets the kids engaged in the show. My whole family was laughing out loud and there were big smiles all around.
Dad Says: For me, I think the teacher cracked me up the most. She was this strange lady that borderlines on slapstick and creepy. Just when you get to the end and you think you are going to have a soft landing, the Dirty Boogie kicks in for a fast-paced dance number.
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September 14th, 2008 larry
The Q101 Block Party was completely washed out this weekend and over 20 bands did not get to show their stuff but The Terrible Twos, starring Matthew Pryor, rocked out for a kids show at Schubas. Schubas is putting on a Family Series of shows this year, which the Terrible Twos were part of. The next in the series is Paul Green’s School of Rock (yes, the School Of Rock that the movie is based on with Jack Black) on September 27 with their Tribute to Freedom Rock. The School of Rock is $10 before show day and $12 at the door.
The Terrible Twos newest album is Jerzy the Giant which features a full four piece band, but in concert they used a two piece band with an acoustic guitar and a stand up base. Actually, it was a three piece band since they handed out tambourines to the kids in the crowd so they could play along. Kudos to the kids at Schubas for good sharing throughout the concert at Schubas.
Matthew Pryor, who played guitar and sang lead vocals, is no stranger to the music scene as his resume includes fronting The New Amsterdams and The Get Up Kids. He sounded absolutely great on Saturday and the music is upbeat and fun in the pop spirit of the Monkeys, New Pornographers, and Green Day. What immediately struck us was that it wasn’t kid music with kid lyrics (Wiggles, Barney, etc.). It was really great music that you could easily hear on WXRT or the The Mix with funny kid lyrics. More like a Dan Zanes, which makes it entertaining for parents as well as kids.
Chairs and tables are set up around the perimeter of the venue so kids can dance, jump, crawl, lay down, and run around the dance floor. Examples of some of the fan favorites were “Jerzy the Giant” (apparently named after his youngest kid), “Smickey” (about burping with a chorus of “Excuse Me”), and “Jump Jump Jump” - which is really cheating since anytime you ask kids to jump they are going to go crazy, which they did. Matthew really shows off his cleverness and wit in songs like, “Pizza and Chocolate Milk” (which my kid thought was such a great idea we had it for dinner), the coming of age song, “When I Get to Eleven”, the educational song regarding household tools, “A Rake, A Broom, a Mop, A Shovel”, and the inspiring commentary on race relations, “We Can All Get Along With Dinosaurs”.
Throughout the concert there is clapping and stomping, especially during “A Rake, A Broom, a Mop, A Shovel”. Of course, it is always great to see how parents try to dance with their kids. There was plenty of carrying, throwing, rolling, and falling (parents and kids) throughout the concert. The show ended with a rousing rendition of the “Math Stomp” which teaches you that multiplying anything by 0 continues to sadly be 0.
If you get a chance to see the Terrible Twos it is a fun, quick hour that we highly recommend. Schubas is a great place to see a show with kids and, during the day for Family Series concerts, parking should not be too bad. The next show with the School of Rock will be a little different kind of concert, as it will be electric, performing classic rock and roll songs, but the kids that make up this band put on a great show.
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Larry and Donna
Mom Says: I love that Schubas is offering us kid’s shows during the day, by musicians who are playing to adult audiences at night. At the show I spoke with another mother who was saying she had not seen a show at Schubas since she was 8 months pregnant with her now 4 1/2 year old son. As parents, it’s great when you can merge your pre-child interests with your new life as a mom or dad.
Dad Says: What a great surprise to go to a kids concert and actually hear great music. Kids were dancing and I even found some die hard kids that new the words to the songs. As an added benefit, there is a Batman pinball machine outside the concert area that my kid made a break for as soon as the concert was over.
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