Mom In The City » Performances

Sister Act on Broadway Was “Fabulous, Baby!”

Kimberly — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 01:34:02 +0000

Last week I went to see Sister Act on Broadway with a dear friend. Originally, when I won the tickets at Mom’s Nite Out, I planned to take my husband Reggie with me, but he was kind enough to let me have a ladies night out. When I returned home, I told him that Sister Act was my favorite Broadway play of all time. “You like it even more than The Lion King?” he asked. It really is hard to compare, because they are such different plays. I answered “yes” though, because Sister Act was more of an uplifting production. I looked around as I was leaving and everyone that I saw had big smiles on their faces. (Of course that might have something to do with the fact that the closing number that was performed by the cast was “Spread the Love Around”!)

As soon as I entered The Broadway Theatre, I thought “I love the theater!” There is such a great medley of people. (For instance, there were two gentlemen with paisley brocade jackets – one in burgundy and the other in gold – who sat next to me. We became fast friends and shared our commentary with one another during the various breaks in the show.) Of course the production has to be great too…or the whole “loving the theater” mindset would disappear. Sister Act did not disappoint. Actually, I thought that it was better than the original movie. There was a lot of smart humor and a couple of sub-plots that were original…unless I totally missed them in the movie version. Take a peek at the musical for yourself:

The one minor hitch in the production was technical – the microphones dropped the sound of a few of the nuns’ dialogue during a couple of brief segments. The only other thing that was weird to me was that there was a giant Mary on the stage. At one point, she was draped in sparkly colored glitter as the sculpture swirled around the stage! (I know that Mary plays a huge role in the Catholic faith, but that huge one was freaky.)

Anyway, the musical grabbed my attention from the very beginning. “Use of recording devices is a sin. For heaven’s sake, turn off your phones. Can I get an Amen?” Those first three lines set the tone for the entire laughter-filled production. Some of the things that especially stood out to me because they were different than the movie included the following:

1. Deloris: Whoopi Goldberg did a great job in the original movie, but Patina Miller took the role to a more fabulous level. Ms. Miller reminded me (not her physical appearance but her performance) of a mixture between Beyonce and Tina Turner. She was very high energy and extremely talented. When she sang (I’m) “Fabulous, Baby!” the audience agreed.

2. Curtis Jackson: In the Broadway production, the villain is Black. (It took me a moment to figure out which character he was supposed to be playing!) He also has a nephew who is portrayed as a little “slow” socially…but the nephew is hilarious.

3. The monastery residents: They are much funnier on Broadway. Mother Superior had several one-liners that had the audience laughing out loud. The actress who played her also had really great timing with her delivery. Her “God loves us when we sing…even like that” line comes to mind. (That was Mother Superior’s commentary on the initially painful sounding nun choir.) One of the elderly nuns was rapping. They even had a “pope” sighting at the end!

4. The good cop: I might have to go back and watch the movie again, but I don’t remember there being a love interest between Deloris and the cop (Eddie) who was trying to protect her from Curtis. The play gives them a back-story. He’s this awkward (his nickname is “Sweaty Eddie”) guy who has had a crush on Deloris since high school. He definitely becomes more confident over the life of the play. He might even end up with the girl…

5. Mary Robert: Once again, it has been a while since I saw the original movie, but I don’t remember her questioning the choice to be a nun. (She’s the tiny nun with the beautiful, big voice.) In the Broadway version, she does wonder what it would be like to live the life that she never gave herself a chance to explore. It’s a very powerful sub-plot. (Then again, don’t we all have moments when we question the roads that we didn’t take?)

In my opinion, the differences combined to make the plot of the play even better than the move. The excellent acting, music, set design and choreography also all contributed to make Sister Act on Broadway fabulous (baby)!

Post Image courtesy of Sister Act on Broadway

Disney On Ice: Disney Princess Wishes Was Magical

Kimberly — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:29:36 +0000

Update: I try to be fair – in real life as well as on this blog. In my review (see below) I had mentioned being disappointed that Princess Tiana was not included in the show- although I could understand why she was not. One of the people who I have worked with at Disney let me know some of the backstory on Princess Tiana not being in the show, so I’m sharing it with you…

“Disney On Ice – Princess Wishes” was a production that was produced and went on tour a couple of years ago, prior to the existence of the Tiana character. While it would have been very difficult to re-stage the show itself, Disney On Ice was able to include her in the Princess Pre-show and she has been met by hundreds of enthusiastic little princesses prior to each performance. However, Disney On Ice did feature Tiana in a more recent production, “Let’s Celebrate,” and I’m certain she will be represented in other future shows too where she will continue to take her place among the other beloved Disney princesses.

It’s good to know that my timing assumptions were correct and that Tiana will be included in future shows. Thanks to Disney for the confirmation!
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Back on this Disney On Ice – Princess Wishes Family Four Pack Giveaway post, I was able to give away a family four pack of tickets to the opening night of Disney On Ice – Princess Wishes to Mom in the City reader Mona. She emailed me from the show saying, “Kim, This is amazing!!! My daughter is enchanted, thanks so much! Xoxo”. I also went to the show with another mom and two little girls. Below are my thoughts:

Just in case you are intending on going to this show, I have a word of advice: Have your little girl dress like a princess! If she doesn’t she might feel left out, because MSG was full of little ones in cute princess and fairy costumes. The actual show was excellent – the set design and special effects were stellar. Of course, the Disney-inspired costumes were also beautiful and colorful. It really was magical and the little girls were captivated from start to finish. Mickey and Minnie were the co-hosts of the evening and Tinker Bell would wave pixie dust to mark the beginning of each new segment of wishes becoming reality. The dancing during the Jasmine/Alladin segment was especially impressive. I remember thinking, “I can’t dance that well on land!” regarding some of the moves that they were performing on ice. The seven dwarfs received a lot of cheers during the Snow White segment. The Belle segment went by really quickly. The Ariel session was extended and fun. There was a really cool sailor portion that even the little boys in the audience enjoyed. Sebastian, the crab with the Jamaican accent, was very popular with the crowd too. There was even a portion of this segment when a few little girls from the audience were chosen to go on a coach ride on the ice. Fortunately, intermission was right after this portion because a gaggle of little girls had rushed down to the front to wait their turn for a coach ride! See images of the show for yourself:

The Little Mermaid ended after the break…after the kids yelled, “Boo!” to Ursula,the villainess. (I’m so glad that I had the little girls with me. They were my little narrators – telling me all of the characters and such!) Mulan was next. Although she is not “technically” a princess, this was my favorite segment of the night. The lessons of being gentle while being tough was a great reminder to the girls. As Mulan said, “The world is full of opposites. So are you.” The trick is to bring everything into balance. Then, it was on to Aurora/Sleeping Beauty. It was a little scary as the prince was attacked by a monster as he tried to reach Sleeping Beauty. However, with his “shield of virtue” and “sword of truth”, he prevailed. The last princess of the night was the beloved Cinderella. The kids were engaged the whole evening (the show lasted about two hours). They reacted to everything and sang along to the popular songs. I was truly impressed overall.

There were only two things that I think could be improved about the show. The first thing is the Disney Princess Pre-Show that started one hour before the performance could be more organized. The gowns and exhibits were beautiful and the little girls loved the appearances by the live Disney princesses – especially Princess Tiana. I’m not sure if it was just a location thing (MSG has a lot of seats) but the other mom and I were afraid that we would lose the girls in the crowd.

The second thing has to do with who was missing from the show. It was great that Tiana was part of the pre-show, but I really hope that she will be included in future shows – simply because the little brown girls need to see someone who looks like them. For instance, I overheard a conversation between two of the little girls at the show. The first little girl (who was brown) commented to her friend, “You could be one of the princesses (I think that it was Belle). Your skin is white like hers. Your hair is dark like hers and your face is pretty/cutie like hers.” Her little friend could not return the compliment… Although Tiana was not included in the show bill, her pre-show appearance caused many of the attendees to think that she would be performing in the show. As the event ended, I saw and heard several of the little girls…of all colors…wonder aloud what had happened to Tiana. Granted, Tiana and Rapunzel are two of the newest Disney princesses, so it’s understandable that they were not included. Hopefully, both will be a part of future shows. Beyond representation, I just like the grit of both princesses!

In any event, you can still get tickets for Disney On Ice presents Princess Wishes. They are available at arena box offices, all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster Charge By Phone at (800)-745-3000 or ticketmaster.com. The girls in your life will love you for it!

(Thanks to Feld Entertainment for providing the tickets for me to review Princess Wishes.)

Playing Along With The Ohmies

Kimberly — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 03:46:51 +0000

Earlier today Sean and I went to experience The Ohmies at the Daryl Roth Theatre as media guests. At the end of the show, Sean shared that he “loved the show” and expressed an interest in going back to see it again with his older brother Michael. Although Michael thinks that he is too old for the show, I think that the messages of friendship and teamwork are universal.

Every since I showed Sean the invite for the show, he has been referring to the Ohmies as “Beetle Bugs” or “people dressed up like bugs”. Despite messing up their names, he was entranced from the opening words. He wasn’t the only one. There was a mom seated behind us, who kept saying to her child, “Isn’t this magical?!” in a sing song voice. Although the show is primarily geared towards kids ages 3 – 5, I saw a lot of really young kids (under 3) who had a really great time running and playing around on the fitness mat seating.

From the moment that the Ohmies poked out their heads, the kids were focused on the brightly dressed, animated actors. Bella Butterfly was the enthusiastic lead actress who went on an adventure with her determined little brother, Carlin Caterpillar. This interactive experience follows the siblings as they travel to go wake up Mr. Sun. They need his sunshine because it is the last ingredient needed to make wishes in the wish garden grow.

On their journey, Bella and Carlin encounter several friends. Standouts include the laughter-filled Grasshopper who sprinkles information into the show by using and explaining words such as metamorphosis and canine. Then, there is the dancing dog and the sweet snake with the beautiful voice. When the friends encounter the bad guys/the “worries” they take a deep breath, sing, dance, laugh and shake them off. (I have to remind myself to do that!) Then, Carlin reminds the group that “Every adventure is a dream if we work as a team.” By working together as a team and listening to each other (even the younger sibling), do you think that the Ohmies are able to wake up the sun? I won’t tell, but I will say that the kids in the audience were giving the Ohmies high fives and hugs at the end of the show.

As I mentioned, the entire show was very interactive with the audience singing, dancing and moving (stretching, hopping, doing the downward dog yoga pose, and slithering like a snake). The kids and adults alike all seemed to enjoy participating. (I know that I did. I need to take a yoga class – that stretching was relaxing!) In any event, the The Ohmies will be playing on Thursdays – Sundays at 11am and 1:30pm until January 30th. The show has general seating, so if you can make the Thursday or Friday shows, I recommend those because you will have more space to move around…

The Ohmies
Daryl Roth Theatre
101 East 15th Street (Between Union Square East and Irving Place)
New York NY 10003
www.ohmies.com

Thanks to BP MEDIA RELATIONS for the comp tickets and the top post image.

Big Apple Circus “Dance On”

Kimberly — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:40:09 +0000

A few weeks ago, Sean and I went on a “date” to see the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center as part of a special blogger/media day. (Reggie and Sean have seen to so many circuses that they did not want to come with us.)

It was really great to actually spend some alone time with Sean at a special event. Since he is my second child I don’t usually get to see things through his eyes alone. He loved the circus! He was intrigued the entire time – clapping, laughing and moving to the music. Sean really loves music, so I think that is why this particular circus appealed to him. They had a great variety of musical styles – from traditional to soul to Latin music. They were rocking. The acts were excellent as usual and “Grandma” was also in top form. (The dogs and miniature white horses were the highlight for Sean.)

At one point in the show, Sean looked around and realized that there were a lot of people in the stands surrounding him. “There are a whole lot of strangers,” he whispered as he snuggled closer to me. As I snuggled him, I thought how much I love the 3 year old stage of life. The kids are getting to be more independent (yes!), but they are still very sweet and snuggly. It goes too quickly…

We ended up having a great day at the circus. At the end, Sean declared, “I had so much fun today.” “Me too,” I replied. “You know what would have made it even better?” Sean asked. “What?” I responded. “If Daddy and Michael would have been here!” Oh well, so much for our special Mommy/son time…

In any event, the Big Apple Circus is consistently one of my family’s favorites. This particular showing was especially entertaining due to the musical variety (Gloria Estefan, Michael Jackson, “I Had The Time Of My Life”, etc.). Everyone in the audience seemed to enjoy it too. You can see the circus at Lincoln Center until January 9, 2011. Ticket prices range from $15 -$92 for the show that lasts 2 hours (including intermission).

Big Apple Circus’ Dance On
Lincoln Center Plaza in Damrosch Park
(Amsterdam Avenue & West 62nd Street)
New York, NY 10023
(800) 922-3772
http://bigapplecircus.org

The 101 Dalmatians Musical (NYC): Review, Giveaway & Discount

Kimberly — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:55:41 +0000

Congrats to the winner: Lisa

Update: I found out that the winning tickets are for the Sunday, 4/18 at 5pm performance. As such this giveaway is being extended to Wednesday (4/14) at noon.

Dog lovers are going to be thrilled with this promotion…

The 101 Dalmatians Musical is beginning today. My kids are so excited that MSG Entertainment invited us to attend the show along with a preshow meet & greet this upcoming Friday. It’s their consolation prize. Over Spring Break, we had finally decided to get a small dog until our building’s superintendent told us that we could not. It’s a “cats only” building (although I see little dogs living here, but that is another story)…

Update: I saw the show with my sons and their fake big sister last Friday. All three of them have been talking about it every since then. They loved taking pictures with Rascal (one of the 12 live dogs) in the show. When I asked them what was their favorite part of the show, they all responded, “Everything!”. I thought that it was cute how the “dogs” narrated the show – referring to their human “pets”. Everyone especially liked the end where the live dogs did various tricks. Besides the actual show, I especially liked that the dogs used in the show were dogs that had been rescued and that will be put up for adoption after the show. You can learn more on the main 101 Dalmatians Musical site. Meanwhile, here is a photo of my two “rascals” with Rascal.

Anyway, I have not seen the show yet, so below is what MSG has to say about it:
The 101 Dalmatians Musical is an experience for the entire family about what it means to be a family, canine and courageous. More than a simple story about good versus bad, the family bands together to overcome every hurdle and hardship in the most difficult times.

Led by the creative team of Jerry Zaks (La Cage Aux Folles, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Everybody Loves Raymond), B.T. McNicholl (Spamalot, Billy Elliot, Cabaret) and Dennis DeYoung (founding member of the rock group Styx, The Hunchback of Notre Dame), The 101 Dalmatians Musical will transport audiences to a slightly topsy-turvy, exciting, and altogether fantastic reality that gives grand license for song, dance and spectacle in a one-of-a-kind show that will leave everyone cheering.

(I’ll let you know my opinion of the show after we see it.)

One of you will also get to take her family to see The 101 Dalmatians Musical at The Theater at Madison Square Garden because MSG Entertainment is giving away a four pack of tickets to one lucky Mom in the City reader. The show only runs from April 7th – 18th, so this will be a special 2 day giveaway. To win, let me know what you think it means to be a family in the “Comments” section below by Friday (4/9) at 6pm. Good luck!

Even if you don’t win, I have a special 25% off select ticketsdiscount for Mom in the City readers. Simply use the code PAWS at The Theater at Madison Square Garden site. Please note that this offer is only valid on select performances and expires on 4/18. (As an FYI: you can avoid Ticketmaster surcharges by purchasing directly from The Garden Box Office.)

Literally Alive’s A Christmas Carol Review

Lesley — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:14:52 +0000

Mom in the City member and reviewer Lesley Thompson wrote the following:

This past Saturday, December 12th, my family and I saw Literally Alive Children’s Theatre’s latest musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”. Since our last visit in September, where we saw “The Selfish Giant,” we have been eagerly awaiting their next production.

As we walked into the theatre, we saw the stage lined with teal paper, white frames sprinkled about and glue bottles clustered. The excitement of the children grew as we waited for the show to begin. As usual, it started with an optional workshop, which I highly recommend. A few of the main members of the company, including the artistic director, Brenda Bell, sat on the stage and broke down the performance – the storyline, the choreography, the music. I especially liked the way the choreographer, Stephanie Smith, explained why she chose specific movements and had the audience try them out. Then Eric Fletcher, who played the ghost of Jacob Marley, talked about how he made his lines sound more ghost-like. My children have been saying “Doooooooooooommmmm”in their best ghost voice the entire weekend. Mr. Fletcher then went on to familiarize the kids with the ghost costumes, the “scary” sounds and the movements, so they wouldn’t seem so scary when the show was going. For parents like me that have sensitive children, this was a lifesaver!!! Then the kids were called up to the stage for a craft that kept in the theme of the play – giving and generosity. They decorated frames that they could give as a gift. The buzzing hum of creativity at work consumed the theatre, until finally the masterpieces were revealed and the proud artists exited the stage with their creation in hand.

A few minutes later the lights dimmed, and the show began with “Deck the Halls,” sung by the company. The song broke into a very humorous exchange between Scrooge and the singers, imagine all of the different innuendos “Fa La La La La” could have. The company did a great job of keeping the momentum of the story, while finding places to pause and exchange jokes and add some comical movements, which kept the kids laughing and engaged the entire time. I especially thought Stephanie Smith’s choreography was stand out. She kept it simple, but really has a gift at communicating the emotion and the tone of the scene clearly. My 4-year-old son loved watching the “Ghost of Christmas Future” glide across the stage, never uttering a word, only pointing its boney hand. And my 6- year-old, loved the “Ghost of Jacob Marley” and his dancing chorus. When asked why this was his favorite part, my 6 year old replied, “Because it just looked so cool!” The message of the play stayed clear throughout, and it ended with the entire cast singing, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” I am always looking for ways to instill the true message of Christmas – one of giving and generosity –into my kids. This was a fun, festive musical that does just that. In fact, I left making specific decisions about how I was going to change and give more this holiday season. Perhaps the play was more for me than my kids after all.

“A Christmas Carol” will be shown through December 30, 2009 and is appropriate for all ages. For full details on the show and to purchase tickets, please visit Literally Alive’s site. Meanwhile, you can see a snippet of the performance below:

More Than Materialism: The Radio City Christmas Spectacular

Kimberly — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:15:11 +0000

The reason that New York City is so crowded during the Christmas and holiday season is that there is so much to see and to do! The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is one of the things that you don’t want to miss. It’s a classic. That’s why I was so excited when my family attended a special MSG Entertainment sponsored bloggers’ party followed by watching a performance of the Spectacular.

There were several bloggers at the event whom I had never met before along with some of my favorites – Isabel, Kelcey, Onica and Victoria. It was fun for my entire family (my husband doesn’t attend a lot of things) to be able to see some of the people that I interact with on a consistent basis. As I typed that last sentence, I realized that my husband holds out for the best events…hey! Anyway, there were a bunch of fun activities at the party.

-The kids took photos with Santa and the Rockettes. Before we went, Michael declared that he was not going to go anywhere near Santa. However, he was one of the first kids to go jump on Santa’s lap. (Normally, I would be concerned if my son was so eager to sit on some stranger’s lap, but it was alright this time. It was “Santa”.) Later, Santa and one of the Rockettes stopped by our table. It was cute to see the kids whisper what they wanted in his ear. They don’t really believe in Santa, but I guess that they figure the more people that they tell what they want, the better chance they have of receiving it. (It just so happened that Santa Daddy and Mommy are getting them what they desired with one exception. On a total side note, does anyone know if the Sunny Patch Kids television show has toys? Sean keeps asking for one, but I don’t think that they exist!)

-Then they decorated cupcakes from Magnolia bakery. My sons primarily like the frosting on any cupcakes. Once the frosting is finished, they are too. Oh well…I liked the entire cupcake.

-Lastly, they were able to make some crafts with ideas and materials from Kate’s Paperie. I LOVE Kate’s Paperie stores. They are like drug stores … I could spend all day in one of them. As the kids created cards (Michael did a “Thank You” one for his aunt while Sean did a “?” one for my visiting mom), I realized that I need to expand their art drawer. There were so many adorable stamps, blank card stock and such that I had to pull myself away.

Then, it was time to go and see the show…

I mentioned on an earlier post that my husband had seen the Spectacular as a young kid. (It really is a New York tradition.) We were waiting for our kids to be a little older so that they could enjoy the show. I asked one of the organizers what was the best age to start bringing kids. She responded, around three. I would agree with that. Sean (who is almost three) enjoyed the show equally as well as Michael (who is almost six).

Before I went to the show, I read this interesting article which provided a Jewish perspective: A real showstopper. Prior to reading the review, I though that the show was all about Santa, the Rockettes and the Wooden Soldiers. I didn’t realize that at the end it actually showcased the true reason for the season (the birth of Christ). I could see how it would be disconcerting if I were a viewer that did not believe in Christ. However, as a Christian, I was excited to see the portrayal. I was not disappointed. My family loved the bright lights and splashy numbers during the majority of the show. (There’s even a 3-D element to the show this year!) I was also really impressed by the Christmas nativity scenes at the end. It wasn’t long, but the depiction was beautiful. My kids asked, “Is that baby Jesus? Why is everybody staring at Him?!” As a Christian, that is the point of Christmas – to “stare” at Jesus/ to remember that He was the greatest gift of all time. That is why I am so glad that my family was able to experience this together. (If that message is not what your family wants to share with your kids, I totally agree with the Jewish writer’s perspective. You would probably want to leave after Santa leaves the stage near the end of the show.)

I have already shared one Spectacular discount on this post. They also gave me the following discount for Mom in the City readers:

Now through Sunday, December 6th we’re offering Orchestra tickets starting at $49.99! This offer is valid for 32 performances of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular playing between now and December 13 at the legendary Radio City Music Hall. Use code NOV when purchasing tickets. If you’d like to see a full listing of the valid performances, click here: http://www.radiocity.com/tickets/promotion.html?p_id=NOV

(I would advise comparing the two offers and seeing which one makes the most sense for your family. Enjoy!)

Thanks to MSG Entertainment for the event, show and gift bags for my kids. This was an amazing NYC experience.

Big Apple Circus Review

Jodi — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:45:48 +0000

Mom in the City member and reviewer Jodi went to see the Big Apple Circus this past weekend. Below are her thoughts…

On Saturday, I took my 4 year old daughter and 5 year old nephew to see the Big Apple Circus at Lincoln Center. I had heard about it long ago, but never gone. It turned out to be a lot of fun for both me and the kids.

For those of you who have never gone, the Big Apple Circus is a circus in a very intimate setting. The worst seat is probably only ten rows back from the circle where the performers act. Even in such a small intimate setting, the Big Apple Circus had a trapeze, contortionists, acrobats, clowns and enough other circus type performers to entertain and amuse the kids. (I must admit that they entertained me as well.) The only bad thing is that there are not a lot of animals – just a dog and horse. Being that the arena is so small, I’m not sure where an elephant could fit anyways.

My daughter thought all the performers were princesses and my nephew thought they were superheroes. I even think my 22 month old son would have enjoyed it as well.

The Big Apple Circus is at Lincoln Center until January 18, 2010. I definitely recommend it for an afternoon of fun with the kids.

For everyone else, the circus has provided a discount for Mom in the City readers. To save up to $30 per ticket to the Big Apple Circus:

• Online: http://bigapplecircus.org/mommy.aspx and submit the code MOMMY10 in the Promotional Codes box.

• By Phone: CALL 888-541-3750 and mention code “MOMMY10″

*Offer good on select seat locations and performances. Performance schedule subject to change. Offer is subject to availability; not valid on prior purchases; cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions. This offer can be revoked at any time. Discount amount varies. Limit 8 tickets per order. No refunds or exchanges. Telephone and Internet orders are subject to standard service fees.

Jodi’s tickets to the performance were provided by Big Apple Circus.

Broke-ology (NYC) Giveaway

Kimberly — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:41:31 +0000

Congrats to winner: Cindy

As my regular readers know, I love the theater. That’s why I was delighted when I received two preview tickets for Lincoln Center Theater’s fall play Broke-ology. I took a girlfriend with me, because it wasn’t my husband’s “thing”. I am so glad that we went though because it ended up being such a compelling piece.

The first act did not grab my attention at all. In fact at the end of it, I thought, “Oh no! This is going to end up being a stage version of Good Times!” (The play begins with a young Black couple pregnant with their first child. They are poor, but they are sharing their hopes and dreams for their future and that of their child.) I looked at my friend to see what she thought. During intermission, she shared that she had been thinking along those lines also.

From the second act until the end of the play, Broke-ology was fully engaging. I’ll write about themes of the play. (If I write about the details of the actual plot, it will kind of ruin the experience for you.) First of all, the name of the play Broke-ology is a word that one of the sons in the play comes up with to define “the science of being broke”. As such, the show involves being stuck in a cycle of poverty. Despite the initial dreams of the young couple, their family is still stuck in poverty decades later. That brings me to the second issue – being “stuck”. I found it very interesting to see that the entire audience (which was very diverse and filled with people from various economic backgrounds) could relate to this theme as portrayed on stage by a Black family of four. Then – come to think of it – I am not. Who hasn’t felt stuck at some point in life? Stuck: stuck in a job; stuck at home with the kids; stuck in an unforeseeable life situation; stuck with an illness – those are the same the issues addressed in the play. Lastly, the issue of life choices – whether you choose to do what is best for you personally or you choose fulfilling family obligations. It’s not an easy choice and there are no definitive right/wrong answers. That’s what makes those type of choices so gut-wrenchingly hard. Making such choices was the primary plot of this piece. The outcome – sad and sweet at the same time. (Let’s just say that I left the theater in tears.) That’s life sometimes though…some major life decisions don’t have easy answers.

Below is a short clip of the play:

In any event, if you live in (and or will be visiting) the NYC area, I definitely recommend that you go to see this play. Here’s the fun part. One lucky Mom in the City reader will win two tickets to see Broke-ology. To win, please share a time/situation in your life when you felt “stuck” in a situation in the “Comments” section below by October 31st.

The giveaway and review tickets were provided by Broke-ology.

The Selfish Giant at The Players Theatre

Lesley — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 02:09:01 +0000

This past Saturday, September 19th, I had the pleasure of taking my family to see a musical adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s tale “The Selfish Giant” at the Players Theatre on MacDougal Street in Greenwich Village. It was put on by the Literally Alive Children’s Theatre and was written and directed by Brenda Bell. I am never sure what to expect with children’s theater and have seen some weird ones to say the least. So I was pleasantly surprised, when the playwright and actors all came to sit at the edge of the stage and talk to the kids about what goes into a theater production. They really broke it down to their level, asking questions, explaining why they made certain choices about movement, lights and music. Then all of the kids were invited on stage for a craft project. They made flowerpots and planted flower seeds inside. The energy of the kids was great and so were their big smiles.

The play started with a great musical number called “Wilde Imagination.” My kids were on the edge of their seat the whole time. The characters are engaging, especially Hailey and Hector, played by Stefanie Smith and Dustin Cross. They portray hail, tap dancing and joking around the stage. My kids were laughing hysterically the whole time. The story has a great message about not allowing our fears to build walls around us that make us miserable. It also reminds us to hold on to the inner child inside of us all. The company does a wonderful job bringing the stage to life and making some innovative choices that had my kids full of wonder.

“The Selfish Giant” was a big hit with my family, and we will be looking forward to seeing more shows that Literally Alive Children’s Theatre puts on in the future.

-By Mom in the City Reviewer, Lesley Thompson

The Selfish Giant runs from September 13-October 25, 2009 on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets range in price from $25 to $40. (There is a FREE WORKSHOP one hour prior to each show.)