Tag Archives: 2016 DC Summer Live Entertainment

January 7, 2017 · 1:10 pm

Giveaway! Join the Monster Jam at the Verizon Center

El Toro Loco gets crazy big air | Photo: Ross Dettman

The HUGEly popular Monster Jam Triple Threat Series presented by AMSOIL® is returning to the Verizon Center January 28-29 with an adrenaline charged motorsports experience for families. Giant bonus: You have a chance to win a Family 4-Pack of tickets to catch the action at the Saturday 1pm show through the giveaway below!

This AMSOIL series can only be seen in select cities across the country and features the most extreme athletes of Monster Jam. Here in DC, fans will witness a fierce battle for the championship with each competitor using customized high-powered vehicles: Monster Jam Speedsters, Monster Jam ATVs and the famous Monster Jam trucks.

Approximately 12 feet tall and about 12 feet wide, Monster Jam trucks are custom-designed machines that sit atop 66-inch-tall tires and weigh a minimum of 10,000 pounds. Built for short, high-powered bursts of speed, Monster Jam trucks generate 1,500 to 2,000 horsepower and are capable of speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. Monster Jam trucks can fly up to125 to 130 feet in distance and up to 35 feet in the air.

The premier athletes slated to compete to be the nation’s capital champion are Grave Digger, El Toro Loco, Pirate’s Curse, Shark, Alien Invasion, Zombie, Monster Mutt Rottweiler, and Blue Thunder.

Tickets start at $15 for seats in the stands. (I’ve also seen deal for select seats on Goldstar) You can also join Pit Parties from 10:30am – 12pm for an opportunity to meet the Monster Jam athletes and get up close to the Monster Jam trucks. Pit Passes are available for $10 at the arena box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or Charge by Phone at 800-745-3000. Same day event ticket along with Pit Pass are required for entry.

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Giveaway: For a chance to win a Family 4-pack of tickets Monster Jam at the Verizon Center on January 28 at 1pm, simply leave a comment below telling me what you would name your Monster Jam vehicle (make it as creative or simple as you want). To be eligible to win, you must follow KidFriendly DC on Facebook (get an extra chance to win by entering there, too). This giveaway will run through next Friday, January 13, then a winner will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!

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Filed under DC

Tagged as 2016 DC Summer Live Entertainment, Children's Shows, DC Events, DC Winter Entertainment, Family Activties, Fun Things to do with Kids in the Washington DC Area, Monster Jam AMSOIL Series, Ticket Giveaway, Verizon Center, Winter 2017

December 11, 2016 · 9:27 pm

Review: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at Adventure Theatre

The holiday season always brings an extra big selection of family shows to local stages, and it can be difficult to decide which to see. Well, I’m about to make it a little easier for you with this: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe at Adventure Theatre should definitely make the cut.

This unique take on the C.S. Lewis classic literally tells the tale of the four Pevensie siblings’ well-chronicled adventures in Narnia. The play begins with Lucy and Peter actually relaying the story to the audience years later, then recreating it for us as we’re drawn into the wardrobe — and back to that time — with them and the several other characters in the show.

Yet, there are only two actors in this production. If you’re wondering how they can possibly pull this off, the quick answer is a fantastic balance of great acting, clever stage direction, creative costumes and props, a well-designed (and beautiful!) set…and a little magic.

Dazzling tricks and neat surprises keep the audience delighted during the adventure as the brothers and sisters enter the land of Narnia, eventually encountering and battling the White Witch along with Aslan the lion. And while the hour-long play doesn’t capture all of the details, it still gets to the pulp of the story — and with fun, imaginative flair.

One of my favorite aspects of the show was interaction with the audience. From the very beginning, Lucy and Peter turn around with surprise to see us there. Our presence is what actually launches them into their story, and they continue to engage throughout. They reach their hands out to people, ask us to weigh in on decisions, even listen to a little girl in the front row as she unexpectedly reveals Lucy’s location during a game of hide and seek.

When I asked Owen and Sasha about their favorite parts, she named that very game, and he described a snow ball fight. Mine was the moment Narnia was revealed, and we saw the ingenuity of the set. We all agreed, though, there were loads of great moments we could have chosen.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe is running at Adventure Theatre through December 31, with both weekday and weekend performances. Tickets are $19.50 and can be purchased in advance online or by calling 301.634.2270.

This post is sponsored by Adventure Theatre, however, all opinions expressed here are entirely my own, and I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will appeal to KFDC readers.

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Enter to Win a Family 4-Pack of Tickets to Cirque Italia!

Cirque Italia, the first traveling water circus in the US, is returning to the DC area for its third year with a brand new production that promises a dynamite show like no other. The majestic white and blue big top tent will pop up in three locations here this summer, welcoming audiences into the magical world of acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, and more exciting acts. And you have a chance to win a Family 4-Pack of tickets to see it — enter through the giveaway below!

You can experience the magic July 8-10 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaithersburg, MD; July 28-31 at Potomac Mill in Woodbridge, VA; and August 4-7 at the The Great Frederick Fair in Frederick, MD. Tickets are $10-50 and can be purchased online or by phone at 941.704.8572. *Special offer: Get one free child (age 2-12) with the purchase of a regular price adult ticket in Level 2 or 3.

Giveaway: For a chance to win the Family 4-Pack of tickets to the Cirque Italia show on July 10 at 2:30pm in Gaithersburg, simply leave a comment below telling me your favorite activity with your kids so far this summer. To be eligible you must like KidFriendly DC on Facebook and subscribe to the KFDC blog (see sign-up near the top left). This giveaway will run through Friday, July 1, then a winner will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Viva Arts LLC in association with Cirque Italia, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will appeal to KFDC readers.

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Filed under All ages, DC, Giveaway, Live Entertainment, Maryland, Summer, Theatre, Virginia

Tagged as 2016 DC Summer Live Entertainment, Cirque Italia Water Circus, DC Area Summer Events, Fun Things to do with Kids in Maryland, Fun Things to do with Kids in Northern Virginia, Fun Things to do with Kids in Washington DC, Ticket Giveaway

June 21, 2016 · 6:27 pm

Dive into the Magical World of Cirque Italia this Summer!

A dinosaur, mermaid, and human sized bubbles… oh, my! This definitely isn’t Kansas or the Land of Oz. It’s the Cirque Italia water circus, and it’s returning to the DC area for it’s third year with a brand new production that promises a dynamite show like no other.

The first traveling water circus in the US, Cirque Italia invites audiences into the magical world of acrobats, aerialists, contortionists, and more exciting acts. They perform around an extraordinary stage that holds 35,000 gallons of water and features a dynamic lid that lifts 35 feet into the air, allowing water to fall like rain from above as fountains dazzle below! This incredible show takes place under a majestic white and blue big top tent transported all the way from Italy. Inside, the intimate and theatrical setup just might make you forget you’re under a circus tent. (And don’t let that word fool you — this extravaganza is completely animal free!)

So what can you expect to see at this unique show? A contortionist who is able to bend her body in ways you would never imagine! An Italian singer balancing atop stacks and stacks of chairs…on his hands! A crazy clown, Alex, plunging off a diving board during his acrobatic trampoline excursion! A jetski act that may get you wet! Breathtaking aerial divas soaring like beautifully colored birds of paradise! A Laserman causing all kinds of explosions to scare away the large dinosaur that has invaded the show! All of this, plus thrilling high wire feats, twin juggling maniacs, elegant chiffons, photo ops with a mermaid, and much more!

All of this will take place in three locations during July and August. Experience the magic July 8-10 at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds in Gaitherburg, MD; July 28-31 at Potomac Mill in Woodbridge, VA; and August 4-7 at the The Great Frederick Fair in Frederick, MD.

Tickets are $10-50 and can be purchased online or by phone at 941.704.8572. *SPECIAL OFFER: Get one free child (age 2-12) with the purchase of a regular price adult ticket in Level 2 or 3.

Visit the Cirque Italia website for more information and follow on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with the latest news.