Tag Archives: DC Live Entertainment for Kids

September 6, 2022 · 10:08 am

Take Kids “To Sail Around the Sun” & Celebrate National Dance Day!

 

This National Dance Day, September 17, kids can take an enchanting trip across the globe to celebrate movement, music, and the planet we call home.

‘To Sail Around the Sun,” a catered-to-kids production from Company E, DC’s leading contemporary repertory dance company, is returning to the Kennedy Center Family Theatre. Through dance, live music, and storytelling, the performance takes audiences on one child’s journey to gather all four seasons before dinner time.  The show travels beneath the springtime waves of the Australian shores, through the summertime rainforests of Argentina, among the autumn leaves of Japan, and in the wintry snows of Kazakhstan.

Designed for families and children of all ages, the story unfolds through a mesmerizing performance by Company E dancers alongside live string quartet, Sound Impact.  It’s all fittingly set to Antonio Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” with a one-hour run time, ideal for young audiences.

There will be two performances of “To Sail Around the Sun” on September  17, at 11am and 2pm.  Tickets are $30 and available for purchase through the Kennedy Center website.

 

About Company E
Using science as a source and art as an inspiration, Company E engages audiences and cultures around the globe and at home with art and education programs, emphasizing international collaborations with the great choreographers, dancers, composers, filmmakers, and artists at work today.

 

This post is sponsored by Company E, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think would appeal to KFDC readers.

 

 

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December 1, 2019 · 11:28 am

Review: Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical!) at the Kennedy Center

(Photo credit: The Kennedy Center – Jeremy Daniel)

[Note: This review was written by KFDC contributor Emily Moise, who is helping cover activities geared toward younger children as mine have aged out of them.]

Spoiler alert: the Pigeon may not get to drive the bus, but he does fly to new Kennedy Center-worthy heights. What a treat for Washington, DC, area families and holiday season visitors to experience the world premiere of Mo Willems’ and Mr. Warburton’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical!), running now through January 5, 2020, at the renowned performing arts center. After that, the Pigeon flies off on tour.

Willems’ simple tale of a tantrum-prone pigeon with a see-it, need-to-have-it affliction is elevated with a thicker plot, toe-tapping musical score, seamlessly choreographed dance and puppetry, and a highly-talented ensemble. Not sure who stole the show more, the personified bus engine getting all the laughs or the surprise tongue-wagging character getting all the wide-eyed stares. And this children’s show is made complete with obligatory, city-themed one-liners for the adults.

If you’re familiar with Willems’ engaging writing style that makes his award-winning books (and readers) come to life, you may be expecting lots of audience interaction. I was anticipating direct solicitation of kids reactions or conversations with the characters — but the Pigeon only veered off-stage once to engage with the audience. Despite this, the one-hour show kept everyone, toddler to adult, captivated. The mostly elementary school-aged audience and their parents were enthralled in the non-stop action, quickly escalating story, and life message-carrying ending.

KFDC Tip: Get some energy out before showtime with a Pigeon-guided, augmented reality tour of The Kennedy Center. You can download the “Tour the Kennedy Center” app on your smartphone, in which you are instructed to scan various kiosks throughout the center. Complete the tour to receive a few cute mementos at the Information Booth. Show memorabilia is also available for purchase in the Family Theater lobby and Gift Shop.

And if your kids are yearning for more, they’ll be happy to learn that Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical!) is part of The Kennedy Center’s new Education Artist-in-Residence program, Willems being the very first resident. He has developed a series of multidisciplinary programming that lets kids experience the traditional arts in non-traditional ways. Next up from Willems is “Jazz Doodle Jam!” where kids are actually instructed to doodle during the live jazz concert, the band improvising based on the artwork.

Learn more and find tickets to all of Mo Willems’ upcoming events at the Kennedy Center, including sensory-friendly showings of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical!) here.

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! (The Musical!)
Where: The Kennedy Center | Foggy Bottom, DC
When: Through January 5, 2020
Tickets: $20


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Filed under 2019, All ages, DC, Fall, Live Entertainment, Theatre, Weekdays, Weekend, Winter

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December 18, 2017 · 8:58 am

Go ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ with The American Pops!


A Daring Race Against Time!

No one thinks Phileas Fogg can do it.

But this eccentric adventurer won’t be stopped. He believes he can achieve the unthinkable and sets out on a race against time. With his butler Passepartout (who is terrified of ships, trains and anything adventurous), Phileas must travel around the globe and return to London in just 80 days. And if that weren’t difficult enough, Detective Fix is hot on his heels and trying to stop him!

In this hilarious and epic adventure, Phileas leaves the solitary life he loves and must learn to rely on new-found friends if he’s going to complete his goal. He’ll need your help too, to avoid getting caught by Detective Fix!

Told through songs from the great American songbook, this world premiere production revisits Jules Verne’s timeless classic Around the World in 80 Days, in a musical adventure for all ages.

Join The American Pops for this fantastic journey Around the World in 80 Days!

When: January 6, 2018 at 2pm & 5pm
Where: Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
Location: 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC
Tickets: $15/child, $30/adult

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The American Pops, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will be of interest to KFDC readers.

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December 2, 2017 · 1:34 pm

Giveaway: ‘Frosty the Snowman’ Brings Holiday Fun to Adventure Theatre!



Do you want to build a snow man? How about watch him spring to life in front of you for one day of adventures before he melts away?

You can at Adventure Theatre’s latest production, Frosty the Man! This merry wintertime romp is chock-full of chuckles and comic antics. Frosty dances into the hearts of kids and adults alike — even the heart of one near-sighted cop — through his uproarious antics.

The show is running now through December 31 at Adventure Theatre in Glen Echo Park. Recommended for all ages, there are performances Tuesdays – Sundays at various times. Tickets are $19.50 and can be purchased online or at the Box Office (I recommend buying them in advance). You can also try to win them through the giveaway below.

* * * * *

Giveaway: For a chance to win a Family 4-Pack of tickets to see Frosty the Snowman at Adventure Theatre, simply leave a comment below with your preferred date to see the show. Get an extra chance to win by entering on the KidFriendly DC Facebook Page, too. The passes can be used on any date the exhibit is open. This giveaway will run through Thursday, December 7, 2017, then a winner will be drawn at random and notified shortly thereafter. Good luck!


This post is sponsored by Adventure Theatre, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will be of interest to KFDC readers.

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Filed under 2017, All ages, Christmas, Giveaway, Live Entertainment, Maryland, Seasonal, Sponsored Post, Weekdays, Weekend, Winter

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November 27, 2017 · 10:29 am

Go ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ with The American Pops in January!


A Daring Race Against Time!

No one thinks Phileas Fogg can do it.

But this eccentric adventurer won’t be stopped. He believes he can achieve the unthinkable and sets out on a race against time. With his butler Passepartout (who is terrified of ships, trains and anything adventurous), Phileas must travel around the globe and return to London in just 80 days. And if that weren’t difficult enough, Detective Fix is hot on his heels and trying to stop him!

In this hilarious and epic adventure, Phileas leaves the solitary life he loves and must learn to rely on new-found friends if he’s going to complete his goal. He’ll need your help too, to avoid getting caught by Detective Fix!

Told through songs from the great American songbook, this world premiere production revisits Jules Verne’s timeless classic Around the World in 80 Days, in a musical adventure for all ages.

Join The American Pops for this fantastic journey Around the World in 80 Days!

When: January 6, 2018 at 2pm & 5pm
Where: Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater
Location: 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC
Tickets: $15/child, $30/adult

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by The American Pops, however, I only promote programs, places, and events that I genuinely believe in and think will be of interest to KFDC readers.

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