I'm a lover of order and routine, so I've decided to assign myself a topic for a couple of days a week -- Tuesdays are now "I Tried It Tuesdays" where I'll tell you about something I recently tried -- an item, a movie, an activity, etc.
This week, I tried taking my kids, 6 & 4, to the Erie Playhouse Youtheatre's production of "Around the World in 80 Days." It was that or "Horton Hears a Who?" (which is receiving mixed reviews from my mommy friends).
I weighed the cost ($10 for Playhouse tix vs. $$5.75 for a matinee at Tinseltown) and opted for live theater and the chance to give my kids some culture and support the Playhouse.
The skinny: It was a good show, but would've been better if we had been familiar with the story going into it. It took me a while to figure out what was going on & who was who. Most of the actors (mostly kids) were fantastic and ... what a crew -- they must've had 60 kids in the cast -- from teens to kids who couldn't have been more than 5 (they, alone, were worth the price of admission).
Did I like it? Yes -- live theater in Erie always amazes me. I sit in the audience thinking, "Who knew? Who knew there was such local talent...right here in my own backyard." It's amazing. That said...I've seen better Playhouse Youtheatre productions ("Frog & Toad" was fantastic), but I think it's just because I didn't find the story all that interesting.
Did the kids like it? It definitely held the 6-year-old's attention the entire time, the 4-year-old's interest, however, waned after the intermission and a trip to the candy counter in the lobby. Intermissions kill me -- at the Disney-on-Ice shows, at the Sesame Street Live shows, at the Circus -- they just kill me. Most kids can't come back from a break -- particularly one in which Mom must spend the entire time saying "No, you can't have a $14 balloon," "No, you can't have Skittles and Starburst," "No, you can't jump up and down on the chair."
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, but I'd caution that it might not hold the interest of a kid younger than 5 or a kid that just doesn't care about singing and dancing, like many young boys.
Want to try it yourself? "Around the World in 80 Days" is playing this Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. $10 for all seats.
FYI: The Erie Playhouse Youtheatre's next show is Snow White! I'm definitely taking the girls to that one.
Did you try "Around the World in 80 Days"? Feel free to add your two cents by commenting on this post!