Friday, January 21, 2011
‘Angelina Ballerina’ musical gives many kids first taste of theater
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: "As much as children — particularly little girls— love reading the 'Angelina Ballerina' book series by Katharine Holabird, something extra-special happens when fans see the dancing Angelina onstage, in front of them, says the artistic director of the musical version.
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2 comments:
Stories like these are truly wonderful for me to hear. I agree that it is important for young children to get exposed to theatre early, and for it to be meaningful. I never read any of the Angelina books however, they fact that they decided to bring it to the stage was brilliant. The mere fact that the author says that the children are shaking with excitement before the curtain even goes up, that is the magic of theatre. Yes there is a televsion show about Angelina but how can that compare to an in person, so real that you can feel it experience? I think that Children's Theatre is some of the most important work that we can do as an industry. How else are we supposed to keep in alive and a passion burning for something that is not appreciated like it used to be? I am confident that Angelina Ballerina will do well and I hope more shows come to Pittsburgh geared towards these younger audiences.
I have a special place in my heart for childrens theatre. All through high school Theatreworks USA, a traveling group that produces shows which elementary schools have field trips to see, would rent out our theatre as their venue, and I would always work for them. As the article stated, it is absolutely amazing to see the excitement of kids preparing to see their favorite books and stories come to life in front of them. They literally would be jumping up and down in their seats. I've never seen such rapt attentiveness by children that young. It is so important for kids to have experiences like this so that they gain an appreciation for theatre and want to continue to see it. Being a part of that joy reminds me why I love what I do so much.
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