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TribLIVE: Kids can watch live-stage versions of seven popular children’s books, along with matching tunes, in one musical playing on several Pittsburgh-area stages for the next two weeks.
4 comments:
Jess Bergson
said...
This is a great idea, and I wish I got to see something like this when I was a kid. As someone who experienced a lot of theatre at a young age, I remember sitting in a Broadway house watching a production of Les Mis and having absolutely no idea what was going on. I only remember being inspired by the pretty lights and costumes, but, looking back, I didn't really get much out of it. I think much of why I didn't get a lot out of that type of theatre at a young age is because, like many children, I had a short attention span. I think opening a season at a children's theater with seven mini-musicals is a smart idea. Kids that visit the theater will get to (hopefully) keep their attention focused, and if they don't like one musical, they can move right on to the next! And parents who visit the theater will take pride in the fact that their children will be exposed to so much theatre in one night! It's a win-win.
The children's theater I worked at back home had a season of 5 shows, so the title drew me in wondering how a children's theater was to pull off 7 shows, so this article wasn't what I was expecting. I really like the idea behind this show. It's style is unique and kind of reminds me of theater geared towards school-day field trips and "fun for the whole family"-type theater. I'm glad that both the kids in the show and in the audience have a learning experience to take away from a show like this, and helps them all connect to books they either read now or read when they were younger.
I too thought this article was going to be different than it was. I was expecting seven different musicals, not seven stories in one musical. I still like the idea and am sure it was a big success with the kids. I grew up surrounded by children's theater so I know how important it is to pick a show that the audience of mostly children can be engaged in. Finding characters that the audience knows is magical for these kids. This show must have been fast paced with a lot of energy to be done in an hour. I think offering this type of show is such a great thing because we get the younger kids loving live theater. When we expose kids to the arts at a young age it opens their eyes to all kinds of worlds that they never knew before. My experience with theater at the age of 3 made a huge impact on my life and know it is one of the reasons I am here today.
It think this is a really fun idea. I like how all of the books are tied together by the children reading in the library. This cycle of stories makes the production sound like it was well-thought out and not random stupidity. I'm glad the theater is taking children's theatre very seriously. I know many companies that do not, and the final product looks like a sloppy afterthought. I also like how the play encourages reading and going to the library. With all of this new technology in the digital age, many libraries have lost funding from the government, and many children now revert to playing video games online or watching television. Perhaps this play will help get children more interested in reading and imagination as well as theatre. The set looks fun and colorful for the children. I see in the photograph that the walls are on wheels; I can only wonder what is on the opposite sides.
4 comments:
This is a great idea, and I wish I got to see something like this when I was a kid. As someone who experienced a lot of theatre at a young age, I remember sitting in a Broadway house watching a production of Les Mis and having absolutely no idea what was going on. I only remember being inspired by the pretty lights and costumes, but, looking back, I didn't really get much out of it. I think much of why I didn't get a lot out of that type of theatre at a young age is because, like many children, I had a short attention span. I think opening a season at a children's theater with seven mini-musicals is a smart idea. Kids that visit the theater will get to (hopefully) keep their attention focused, and if they don't like one musical, they can move right on to the next! And parents who visit the theater will take pride in the fact that their children will be exposed to so much theatre in one night! It's a win-win.
The children's theater I worked at back home had a season of 5 shows, so the title drew me in wondering how a children's theater was to pull off 7 shows, so this article wasn't what I was expecting. I really like the idea behind this show. It's style is unique and kind of reminds me of theater geared towards school-day field trips and "fun for the whole family"-type theater. I'm glad that both the kids in the show and in the audience have a learning experience to take away from a show like this, and helps them all connect to books they either read now or read when they were younger.
I too thought this article was going to be different than it was. I was expecting seven different musicals, not seven stories in one musical. I still like the idea and am sure it was a big success with the kids. I grew up surrounded by children's theater so I know how important it is to pick a show that the audience of mostly children can be engaged in. Finding characters that the audience knows is magical for these kids. This show must have been fast paced with a lot of energy to be done in an hour. I think offering this type of show is such a great thing because we get the younger kids loving live theater. When we expose kids to the arts at a young age it opens their eyes to all kinds of worlds that they never knew before. My experience with theater at the age of 3 made a huge impact on my life and know it is one of the reasons I am here today.
It think this is a really fun idea. I like how all of the books are tied together by the children reading in the library. This cycle of stories makes the production sound like it was well-thought out and not random stupidity. I'm glad the theater is taking children's theatre very seriously. I know many companies that do not, and the final product looks like a sloppy afterthought. I also like how the play encourages reading and going to the library. With all of this new technology in the digital age, many libraries have lost funding from the government, and many children now revert to playing video games online or watching television. Perhaps this play will help get children more interested in reading and imagination as well as theatre. The set looks fun and colorful for the children. I see in the photograph that the walls are on wheels; I can only wonder what is on the opposite sides.
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