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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September 7th, 2008 larry
Whether you live in the ‘burbs or the South Loop, Circus in the Park is worth a trip to north side of the city. It’s a unique event that your kids will be talking about long after it’s over. It’s a chance to see Chicago’s Midnight Circus perform outside and up-close in an intimate setting. Last year’s “Circus in the Park” was so successful the organizers have added a second weekend of performances to this year’s event. The Circus is coming to Welles Park, in Lincoln Square, on September 20th and 21st and Chase Park, in Andersonville, on September 27th and 28th. Showtimes on all dates are 3pm and 6pm and tickets are being sold exclusively online. (Only standing room tickets will be available at the shows.) I highly recommend buying these tickets in advance as this is a really popular event.
Midnight Circus has this unique vibe that makes the event feel small town and urban at the same time. You sit on bleachers in a half circle, eat popcorn and watch a great show. Don’t expect to see lions and elephants. The Midnight Circus performance is made up of acrobats, clowns, and musicians combined into a theatrical show. The only animal is the very talented Lola the Dog, who was a big hit with the kids on our street.
You never know what type of show Midnight Circus will bring as they change it every year. Last year, the clowns set the stage and provided comic and acrobatic relief as they set up the different acts. They move fast, act clumsy, and keep the crowd laughing.
Several different acts make up the full circus. A duo (or duos) or jugglers perform all of your favorite juggling acts, passing batons and bowling pins back and forth. But then they bring acrobatics into the show like standing on each other’s head while continuing to juggle together. They have kind of a high wire act, where they pull acrobats up on pulleys about 20 feet in the air. Using a combination of rings ribbons, and ropes, the acrobats flip, dive, and curl high up in the air. Lots of oohs and aahs from the kids.
Much of the show is group acrobatics with several people jumping, climbing, and flipping over each other and creating human building structures. One of the favorites is where they pile up chairs, tables, and people and a lone person balances on the top of what seems like a very precarious perch.
The real treat of the event is that you are sitting in a very intimate setting and the performers are just a few feet away from you. This is not like watching the circus at Allstate Arena. The kids all push themselves up to the front rows and sit in between the bleachers and get a very personal taste of great acrobatics, balancing acts, and creative performances.
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Larry and Donna
Mom Says: The Lincoln Square and Andersonville neighborhood have many great restaurants, ice cream shops and bakeries. Make a day of it by having a yummy lunch or dinner out, then seeing the Circus. Proceeds from all dates will be shared between both Welles and Chase parks to support their play lot renovation funds.
Dad Says: I am not a big circus guy, but this is a very enjoyable evening. My kid kept asking me, “What are they going to do next?” The performance is very original, moves quickly, and each act has a pretty big payoff at the end.
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September 2nd, 2008 larry
Nobody wants the summer to end, but it is not the worst thing to have the kids back in school. After all the pools, beaches, vacations, block parties, and lemonade it is time to reclaim some time for yourself and for the kids to hit the books. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we have organized the first Back To School Ice Cream Weekend.
The purpose of the ice cream crawl is for everyone to eat way to much ice cream this upcoming weekend. Let the kids have extra treats as they sulk (and parents celebrate) that school is back in session. We, of course, endorse ice cream eating of all kinds, all flavors, all venues, and we have cut deals with some local establishments to make the Ice Cream Weekend that much better:
Bobtail Soda Fountain - $1 kids scoop with purchase of adult scoop.
2951 N. Broadway
Cameron’s Ice Cream & Grill - $1 kids scoop with purchase of adult scoop.
1401 W. Diversey Pkwy
Drew’s Eatery – Free kid’s scoop
2207 W. Montrose
IceBox – Buy one get one free
2943 N Broadway Street
Baskin Robbins - $1 kids scoop with purchase of adult scoop.
5000 W. Irving Park
Baskin Robbins - $1 kids scoop with purchase of adult scoop.
1982 N. Clybourn Avenue
Baskin Robbins - $1 kids scoop with purchase of adult scoop.
6408 W. Irving Park
Sadly, Sweet Occasions is not on the list as they have finally gone out of business after a very sporadic year of opening and closing.
Just go to the Coupons section on www.crazykidschicago.com and download the Ice Cream Weekend Member Discount Coupons. Present the coupons at any of the participating shops to get your discounts. After the weekend, let us know which ice cream place is your favorite by voting for the ice cream shop in our new Polls section.
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Larry and Donna
Mom Says: We hope this will be a fun activity for the weekend. I’ll be hitting the gym this week to make up for all the extra carbs.
Dad Says: I don’t think I have ever had 4 milkshakes in a weekend, but this weekend I am going to try. I have eaten at all of these places (Sunday is Treat Day for my kid) and they all have something special to offer.
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