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Disclosure- I received tickets to this show in order to review it. All opinions are my own and honest.
This past weekend, we headed out to Symphony Space to see the “Treehouse Shakers” preform their latest show, “Hatched”. A puppet show about life on the farm (complete with lots of farm noises and even several chances to “pet” and interact with some of the puppets), this music and dance show was aimed at the younger audience members.
Kids Theater
“Hatched,” written and directed by Mara McEwin, this dance-play offers a generous mix of things that kids love; it’s part farm, part museum and all theatre. Performed via movement, handcrafted puppets, music and minimal human dialogue, the story is set at an American family farm. An adorable, fluffy chick meets a feisty old rooster, a wobbly calf learning to walk, a gaggle of dancing chicks, a lamb, and a noisy nest of baby birds.
Intimately staged to live music performed by Anthony Rizzo, young audience members are encouraged to interact with the newborn animals as they explore their worlds. Through movement and music, the calf learns to walk, the baby birds attempt to fly, and the lamb makes a new friend with the curious hatched chick. Audience members interact and play with the characters on stage; they give the chicks their feed, milk bottles to the lamb, are licked by the cow, and feed worms to the baby birds. Babies in the audience will be enticed by the animal sounds and textures, while toddlers and preschoolers will love watching and imitating their favorite farm animals as they come to life.
Preschoolers will delight in learning about life on the farm, and older kids will be entertained by the delightful storytelling, live music and dance.
Treehouse Shakers Hatched Promotional Video from Treehouse Shakers on Vimeo.
Before the show even started, the kids were able to color some farm scenes with crayons and coloring sheets provided by the theater. There was no assigned seating, so we were glad we got there early- though with such a small and intimate theater, there were no “bad” seats in the house.
This is a great way to introduce your kids to the theater, or spend the morning out without breaking the bank. With tickets starting at only $13, and the perfect audience (if your kids are loud-ish, it’s ok- so are everyone’s, these are little, little kids) and place to teach your kids “theater manners” and how to sit nicely in an audience.
The next few shows coming up are-
Justin Roberts and the Not Ready for Naptime Players’ “Recess” concerts on November 16th, or Smithsonian Folkways artist Elizabeth Mitchell’s homespun holiday show featuring Natalie Merchant and other special guests on December 14th. Also coming up, and one we are excited about, is a fun reggae show that can introduce your family to a new culture and interesting music.
Asheba Brings Rare Reggae and Calypso Concert to Symphony Space on Saturday, November 23rd
In his first NYC concert in six years, musical storyteller Asheba will bring his interactive calypso and reggae music-making to the Upper West Side on November 23rd.
The Trinidad-born artist has been featured on six Putumayo Kids albums, and tours nationally. This Parents’ Choice and NAPPA award winner will perform his hits and debut a couple of bouncy new songs from a forthcoming 2014 release, Asheba: Island Party.
Stories of hope and happiness are the focus of Asheba’s songs, which range from original lullabies, to fast tempo tunes, to remakes of classics like “Itsy Bitsy Spider,” “No More Monkeys,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and “You Are My Sunshine.” One well-requested tune, “Little Anancy,” is a dancehall arrangement of an African folktale about a trickster spider.
Symphony Space tickets make the perfect gift: Advance tickets and season subscriber information is available at www.symphonyspace.org.
Symphony Space is located at
2537 Broadway (at 95th), New York, NY 10025
Box office: (212) 864-5400
I LOVE things like this! We have a local children’s theatre and my son just finished his 8th play there the beginning of this school year as Huck Finn in “Tom Sawyer”. Children’s theatre is such a wonderful experience for all kids – those a part of it, and for those getting to see the performances.
Looks like a great time for the kids. I would love to take my daughter.