June 9th, 2010 larry
Ribfest has great food, good drinking, good music and probably the best kids section of the outdoor festivals in Chicago. Ribfest is on Lincoln Avenue from Irving Park Road to Berteau and is open Friday from 5-10, and Saturday and Sunday from 12-10. The Kids Square is open from 12-5 on Saturday and Sunday. The festival has a suggested donation of $5 and the kids area and the music is worth quadruple the price of admission. We go every year and it is hard to get your kid to leave.
Just about right in the middle of the festival, you’ll find the kids area. It is right across the street from the CVS parking lot. The area highlights are typically the major bouncing activities including an obstacle course, standard bouncie (I think it was Curious George last year), and a maze. Right in front of the bounce area is usually a miniature golf course.
In front of the bounce area there is typically several booths set up with some kids activities. Several carnival games will be set up where they can win stuffed animals, blow up guitars and the standard prizes that don’t cost near as much as you paid until your kids won something. Nature’s Creatures will have their exhibit with turtles, snakes, and birds for a little close up one one experience for the kids from 12-5 on Saturday and Sunday.
Finally, there is a stage set up for a ton of kids entertainment. Here is a list of the highlights:
* Child’s Play Touring Theatre is doing a kid’s comedy show on Sunday at 1:30-2:30.
* Merry Music Makers will do a sing-a-long on Saturday and Sunday at 4:30.
* Super Stolie and Rock Star Tommy will perform a ukulele/guitar show on Saturday from 2:15-3:00.
* Nature’s Creatures will show off some of their animals in their interactive show on Sunday at 3:30
So grab some barbecque, grab a drink and let your kids go ballistic in the kids area at one of the first and best festivals for kids during the summer. There is some pretty good music entertainment for adults to with The Ike Reilly Assassination (9:00) and Robbie Fulks (7:45) on Friday, Bottle Rockets at 9:00 on Saturday, and Sunday has Whigs at 9:00.
Larry and Donna
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April 28th, 2010 larry
My son and I were lucky enough to get a “sneak peak” at Emerald City Theatre’s upcoming show, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, based on Mo Willems wonderful books. The show will not be premiering until January 2011, but it was fascinating to see the early process of staging a production. In addition to Pigeon (January-March 2011), the upcoming Emerald City Theater season consists of Pinkalicious (August-October 2010), The Wizard of Oz (November-December 2010), and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (February-May 2011). All shows will be at the Apollo Theater in Chicago, are recommended for children 3 and up, and are 60 minutes long. Even though the season doesn’t begin until August, Season Subscriptions are available now.
Emerald City is our favorite theater company for young children in Chicago. If you’ve been reading our reviews for a while, you’ll know we have recommend almost every show we’ve seen. They have a great knack for getting the kids laughing and participating that makes their shows really fun. Last week we were invited to a staged reading of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus that was performed for parents, children, educators, and theater folks. It was an opportunity for the director and cast to work through the script and get feedback from a small audience. Even though there were virtually no costumes or props we were all connected to the characters and stories.
It was especially fun to see the kids getting into the show- -they loved it and were totally involved. So it goes without saying that I whole-heartedly expect this show to be fantastic! They have created a 4 act format where the pigeon asks to drive the bus, eat a hot dog, have a puppy, and stay up late. I love the silly and dry humor of the books and even at this early stage they are hitting all the right notes. Can’t wait to see the finished product.
The other entries in the 2010/2011 season sound equally entertaining. It’s a great combination of current favorites and classics. Even though I do not have a daughter, I’d have to live under a rock not to know how popular the Pinkalicious stories are. The production they are putting on has had a super successful run Off-Broadway. It centers around our heroine getting sick and turning pink from head to toe. Mom, Dad and Little Bro have to convince her that eating greens will help her get better. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Wizard of Oz are adaptations of the timeless stories we all love. The challenge with these is how to pare down the stories to fit one hour time frames. Emerald City did a great job with Cinderella and Peter Pan, so I have faith that these new productions will follow in their footsteps.
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April 14th, 2010 larry
Magical, Surprising, Funny. If you have a young child (3-6 years old), please go see The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Other Eric Carle Favourites. I know you will love it. Three Eric Carle tales are read by a narrator and performed by truly gifted puppetry performers. The show has a short run at the Field Museum through May 2, 2010. Tickets cost $35 for adults and $25 for children 10 and under. Performances are every day except Mondays.
There are many reasons that this show is so perfect. First there is the wonderful puppetry. All the items glow under black lights, while the performers are dressed in black so they are completely invisible. This combination allows for very simple items to be used to great effect. The set pieces are just flat painted boards, but they elicit oohs and aahs from the kids as they move from one story to the next. The puppets range from flat boards for “Little Cloud” to more movable puppets for the “Mixed-Up Chameleon” and “The Very Hungry Caterpillar.” They are not complicated puppets, but they move with so much personality that the stories are delightful. Plus it’s a reverent and straightforward depiction of Eric Carles’ illustrations. Honestly you have to see the show to understand it’s simple beauty.
The intimate venue lends itself well to the production. If you are saying to yourself that you didn’t know there was a theater inside the Field Museum, that’s because there isn’t one. This show is in a large room, with a few chairs. Most of the audience sits on the floor. There is no stage, the set is on the floor in front of you. I was impressed that they do not pack the room. I was there for a sold out performance and it was very comfortable. Toddlers wandered around and all the older kids got to sit close to the performance.
Right at the start they announce that this is a “Non-Shushing Show.” This is good because I have been to few shows where the audience was so involved. Big “OH MY GOSHes” when Little Cloud broke the plane of the set and came towards them, to “WOOOW’s” at the set changes, to “HE’s GONNA EAT IT” as the Mixed-Up Chameleon admires the little fly. Of course the kids all got into saying the the famous line from Caterpillar, “But he was still hungry.” Adorable!
The three story structure lends itself very well to this age group. There is constantly something new to see and there is never a lull. The 50 minutes fly by and you want more. After the show the performers give away some of the secrets of the show and answer questions from the audience. The kids could not get enough of it as they were all so curious about the puppets and the effects. I’ll admit that I was fascinated too, and was shocked to learn that there were only two performers and one assistant. It was amazing what they accomplished - so simple and beautiful.
What more can I say - go see this show.
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March 30th, 2010 larry
On April 10, The Verve Pipe is in town for the next leg of Schuba’s Family Series Shows. The band that formed in 1992 had a number one hit with “The Freshman” in 1997, and has kept touring and making music ever since. As they have continued to innovate, the band has now recorded a kids album called simply “A Family Album.” We got a chance to catch up with Donny Brown, one of the original band members and founders to find out about teaching music to kids and today’s music landscape.
Donny has been playing music every since he was a kid, starting with drums and moving to guitar as he started writing his own music. He had multiple brothers that sang lead in rock bands. Donny now teaches drums and song writing to interested musicians ranging from ages 6 to 43. Donny has advice for parents trying to get their kids interested in music, “The key is really listening to your kid and getting them to talk about music. Getting them to tell you what they like and don’t like, and showing them that you are really curious.”
According to Donny, kids will then get curious as well, “Once they are curious, and you cultivate it, the kids will take it from there. I have kids 7 or 8 years old in my classes, coming up with their own music, having the best time singing and playing. I listen to the music and its really good and they came up with it all on their own.”
Last year, The Verve Pipe were approached to contribute a song to a family compilation album, called Calling All Kids. Creating one song wound up creating bits and pieces of several songs, “Brian (co founder) and I wrote an idea or two. We sweetened each other’s ideas, realized that what we had worked and put a smile on our face. When our manager heard it, he said ‘It has great spirit, let’s go down this road and see where it goes.’”
And so, A Family Album was born. The album is a collection of funny lyrics laid on top of upbeat rocks songs. The album starts with the upbeat ”Wake Up” which proclaims “Its fun to wake up early.” The album talks about true issues that kids face in ”We Had To Go Home” which documents the different reasons you may have to quit having fun and go home (like bad manners). The band really hits a homerun with the anthem, “Cereal” that screams the chorus, “I love my cereal!” The song has become a morning ritual at our house to see who can yell it the loudest. We also have giggle during the countryish tune “Suppertime” which asks the real difficult questions like, “Why do they call it a hamburger when there is no ham in it? Why do they call it a sandwich when there is no sand it? I don’t care, I am still having it.”
The Verve Pipe has been touring all over the east coast doing rock and kids shows and it will be great to have them in Chicago. Donny talks about what is different about playing in front of kids, “You take strength from the innonce of the kids. There is no fooling them, they are going to tell you what they like and what they don’t. They have no filter and its a beautiful thing.”
And what would they like to teach the kids, “We feel so grateful to be able to play our music and to be listened to. We want to teach that lesson to the kids, be grateful to your parents and be grateful for life. Things cost money and that is why Dad has to work that extra shift. That is the way my Dad did it.”
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March 25th, 2010 larry
Friend, member and city-mom-of-3 Allison took her 5 year old daughter to see Beauty and the Beast Wednesday night at the Cadillac Palace Theatre and LOVED IT. The show is having a brief run in Chicago, March 25-April 4, 2010. Just checked and there are still tickets available for the Wednesday March 31st matinee. It would be a memorable Spring Break activity. Tickets are priced from $15-$77.50. Read Allison’s review here:
My daughter and I had the pleasure of seeing the fantastic performance of Beauty and the Beast tonight!!! It is the classical Disney story in all of its glory, complete with over the top costumes, dancing and of course, all the favorite songs. Parking near the theater is tricky and the parking garage is expensive. I recommend using the brownline to the Washington/Welles stop, walking the one block North to Randolph and the theater is right there.
The show is not just for the young Disney fans either, the crowd was filled with both men and women alike of all ages. Of course, it was extra entertaining to see all the “young Belle’s” dressed up and singing along. Although the performance follows the Disney tale we all know, there is added adult humor along the way to keep the grown-ups laughing too. My 5 year old daughter was highly entertained from start to finish, but I do recommend trying for an afternoon performance if you can. The show is long, about two and half hours total with a 15 minute intermission. It made for a late night, but definitely worth it! If you are unable to see this show, there are several other kid friendly Broadway shows to check out at the theater this summer and early Fall.
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March 10th, 2010 larry
We had a great time during the 1 hour production of Peter Pan. It is fast paced and cleverly staged, with a little something for everyone. Our group had a 5 year old boy and a 4 year old girl - both of them loved it. The Emerald City Theater production will be playing at the Apollo Theater through June 6th. It is recommended for children 3 and over. Ticket prices are $15 for adults and $12 for children.
This version of the story focuses on Peter Pan and Wendy. Wendy is having a hard time growing up, so a little trip to Neverland helps her learn that growing up is not a bad thing. “Just Fly” is a fun song that uses clever staging to simulate flying. Emerald City is great at using simple devices to great effect. Of course Captain Hook and his sidekick Smee are there to cause some trouble. Their song, “A Pirate Needs a Plan,” will surely put a smile on your face. They lend a huge amount of laughs, as well as a few fun sword fights. Little girls will love the character of Princess Tiger Lily. She is a strong girl who does some fighting of her own.
There are a few great touches that made the show extra fun. The crocodile that follows Hook around is an actor in a really cute costume that the children absolutely loved. For the parents, the visit to Mermaid Lagoon is sure to bring on big laughs! (I’m not going to give away the surprise.) There was more audience participation at Peter Pan then any other show I’ve been to. The children were just so into the show. Take your kids to see Peter Pan, it’s fun for the whole family.
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February 9th, 2010 larry
This weekend, Monster Jam invades the Allstate Arena. Brought to you by the United States Hot Rod Association, Monster Trucks like Grave Digger, Escalade, Tazz and Nitro Circus will be jumping, racing, and crashing, and flipping their huge automobiles in order to get to the championship tournament in Las Vegas in March. Tournaments are at 7:30 on Friday, 2:00 and 7:30 on Saturday, and 2:00 on Sunday. Tickets cost $10 for kids, $20 for adults and there is some VIP areas for $30 and $50. We caught up with George Balhan, the driver of Escalade, to learn a little bit more about Monster Jam.
“Most of the guys come up through the ranks as a mechanic and then transition to driver,” said George. “But my parents got me into motor cross early with ATV’s and 2 wheels as well.” Driving for Monster Jam is grueling as the circuit takes you all over the country and the world each week. George is a seven year veteran, four of those years behind the Escalade. This year George has been criss crossing the country in Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Tampa, Atlanta and other cities. So George, a native from the Chicagoland area, is happy to be home, despite the snow.
The show is broken into two parts. George explains, “The first half is drag racing. Winners are based purely on time. But the second half is freestyle where you can really show what you can do. Guys will be jumping forward, backward, sideways. Anything to impress the judges.”
And can we expect anything special from George? “I am known for my big Mohawk and big donuts. I have a quick release steering wheel that I hold up during the donuts. The crowd gets loud.”
George, a father of 3, says the kids make him think twice when he is out on the track. “I may go 4 weeks without flipping the Escalade. Then I might flip it four weeks in a row. The crowd loves it. But there is a lot more dangerous stuff you can do than that. The kids make me think twice before doing anything really stupid.”
And how does being a Monster Jam impact fatherhood? “I really appreciate my time at home. We also work quite a bit with the Make-A-Wish foundation so it really make me think how lucky it is to have healthy kids.”
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Larry and Donna
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January 27th, 2010 larry
Whether your family reads the books or watches the cartoons, this show excels at bringing the characters to life. Curious George LIVE! is a new musical that is packed from start to finish with songs that tell the tale of George’s adventure from New York City to the streets of Rome. In this original story, George sets out to prove to the world that his friend, Chef Pisghetti, makes the best meatballs in the world. Performances of the show run between Thursday, January 28 - Sunday, January 31, 2010 at the Sears Center Arena in Hoffman Estates. Tickets are priced from $15-$38.
The production successfully creates a believable translation of the characters to the stage. The Man with the Yellow Hat, Professor Wiseman, Chef Pisghetti, and the Doorman are protrayed by actors who do spot-on impersonations of the characters voices and mannerisms. Their larger-then-life costumes translate perfectly. George’s animal friends Hundley and Gnocchi are cleverly depicted through simple puppetry. Of course George is the most difficult to portray. They did a great job with the costume, and tried their best to match his frenetic movement with some pretty cool tumbling. My 5 year-old was a little disappointed though. He wanted to see more climbing and “monkey stuff,” and I would agree. Overall they did an exceptionally believable job bringing these beloved characters to life.
Our favorite musical numbers were the opening productions of the first and second acts. “Special Delivery” followed by “Big Brown Box” makes for a bustling street scene. Both song are very catchy - they were what the kids were singing during intermission. The second act opens with a super fun song, “Straighten Up and Fly Right.” There is a cute gimmick with flashlights that makes for a cool visual effect. This song revolves around George stowing away on an airplane to Italy. It started the second half of the show off on a great note.
The low point for me is the pacing of the show. Pretty much the entire story is told through song. At times this is very successful, but at other times I would have preferred some of the story to have been told through dialog to move the production along. There was a great deal of antsy-ness going around around me near the end of the first act. The show is 1 hour 40 minutes long including a 15 minute intermission. For this age group I think a far shorter running time is more successful. The 5 year-olds I was with were able to sit through the entire show, but at times they were bored.
Even with some faults this is a fun show. From the festive lobby displays, to the intermission’s strolling vendors, to the great characterizations, this is a cute show for the pre-school aged Curious George fans in your life.
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January 6th, 2010 larry
The 101 Dalmatians Musical will be arriving in Chicago for a run at the Cadillac Palace Theatre from February 16-28, 2010. The show was in Boston in December and we covered it through Crazy Kids Boston. We loved it and gave it 5-stars. You’ll want to purchase tickets in advance as the show will probably become fairly popular. The show tickets are currently on sale and cost $18-$85.
Director Jerry Zaks has taken Dodie Smith’s classic tale to the stage. The 101 Dalmatians Musical presents the topsy-turvy, inside out world of the Dalmatians from the dogs’ point of view. Dalmatian characters are portrayed by adult actors while pups are portrayed by child actors. Humans are “differentiated” with exaggerated clothing and mini stilts that make them “larger than life.”
The tale follows the lives of Dalmatians Pongo and Missis Pongo who fall in love and are married. After a brief honeymoon “in the bushes” the Pongo’s are faced with the reality of impending parenthood. It is very well played. Their first musical number together “A Perfect Family” questions how hard parenthood could be. They’re both certain that their kids will be angels. There is humor at many levels. No family member will feel left out.
Rachel York made me think Cruella De Vil had stepped out of the Disney movie and onto the stage. She was wonderful and masterful. She brought forth an incredible lust for puppy fur. Cruella kidnaps the puppies and takes them to Castleville where they will soon become wardrobe. Pongo and Missis Pongo realize that their human “pets” will not be able to get their pups in time and realize it’s up to them to find the pups and bring them home. They send out the K-9 version of the Amber Alert and are soon on their journey.
I don’t want to spoil the adventure. My family enjoyed an exciting night of twists and turns. Something was there for everyone. Leaving the theatre I heard many people singing the catchy tune “Be a Little Bit Braver.” It’s still in my head at this point.
Probably best for children 4 and up (or a mature 3). Though I did see several toddlers be-bopping to the music.
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Ryan - Crazy Kids Boston
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December 2nd, 2009 larry
Wow - here we go again! We’re winding down another year of fun with our children in this great city. The holidays offer many, many special events to experience with the family. So whether your kids love art, music, dance, animals, or sports, there is an activity for your family. If any of these shows/events/classes interest you, I urge you make reservations ASAP. Many sell out in advance and I’d hate for you to be disappointed. So here we go…
Long Grove Holiday Festivities 2009, November 13 - December 31, Downtown Long Grove
The Nutty Nutcracker Christmas, Nov. 14, 2009 - Jan. 2, 2010, Apollo Theater, Chicago
Caroling at Cloud Gate, Fridays, Nov. 27 - Dec. 18, 2009, Millennium Park, Chicago
Wonderland Express, Nov. 27, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
Gingerbread Workshop at Emerald City Theater School, Saturdays and Sundays, Nov. 28 - Dec. 27 and Wednesday, Dec. 23rd, Emerald City Theater School, Chicago
Winter Wonderfest, Dec. 4, 2009 - Jan. 3, 2010 (Closed Christmas Day), Navy Pier, Chicago
Zoo Lights, Dec. 4-6, 11-13, Dec. 18-Jan. 3, (Closed Dec.24 & 25, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago
Holiday Magic, Dec. 5 - Dec. 31, 2009, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Breakfast with Santa, Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 5- Dec. 20, 2009, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Dance-Along Nutcracker, Dec. 6, 2009, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago
28th Annual Holiday Treasure Hunt and Tea Party, Dec. 6, 2009, The Modern Wing of the Art Institute, Chicago
Hanukkah Arts Workshop, Dec. 6, 2009, Spertus Museum, Chicago
Make a Gingerbread House, Dec. 8, 2009, American Girl Place, Chicago
Joffery Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Dec. 11-27, 2009, Auditorium Theater, Chicago
The Civic Ballet’s The Nutcracker, Dec. 12 - 13, 2009, Centre East, Skokie
Polar Adventure Days, Dec. 12, 2009, Northerly Island, Chicago
Barbie at the Symphony, Dec. 12, 2009, Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont
Milly’s Almost All Kid Holiday Spectacular, Dec. 13, 2009, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago
Hanukkah Dinner and Concert, Dec. 13, 2009, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
Welcome Yule! with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, December 18-23, 2009, Symphony Center, Chicago
Supper With Santa and Hot Chocolate with Mrs. Claus, Dec. 21 & 22, 2009, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe
Chicago Sports Fest, Dec. 27 & 28, 2009, Mc Cormick Place, Chicago
Zoo Year’s Eve Celebration, Dec. 31, 2009, Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield
Of course there are many other activities available, but these are the ones that really stand out to us. If you have a favorite activity that didn’t make the list, please let us know about. Have a wonderful holiday season!
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