Awesome Allie's spacy friends
I can’t remember the last time I went to see a kids’ show and was embarrassed by the lack of my 7th grade science knowledge. How could I not know that My Very Educated Mother Just Sat Upon Nine Pizzas was a crucial phrase for understanding the galaxy? For the rest of you who also missed this clever mnemonic device in 7th grade: here’s the code breaker for remembering the order of the planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune.
At Vital Theater’s play, “Awesome Allie: First Kid Astronaut”, this is just one of the ways that kids’ gain information about the galaxy through fun songs, dance and plot. My kids now also have lots of empathy for Pluto who was apparently “booted from the planet club” and is now considered a dwarf planet. Whether you have a space fan or not, your kids will giggle at the absurdity of this original story that makes science fun.
The plot begins with Awesome Allie, a 9-year old girl who dreams of being an astronaut but is a little lonely. Seeking friends and companionship, she sends out an SOS to the stars. The response she gets from a Plutonian girl martian suddenly attracts the President of the United States and Allie is dispatched to space on her bed-turned-spaceship. She is accompanied by her loveable assistant, a talking dog/astronaut. Allie teams up with other silly mates for an adorable show that includes lots of entertaining lessons about science and friendship.
Our kids loved the performance. Our 5-year old stuck with the whole thing and understood the other-worldly turn of events. Our 3 year-old lost the plot after about 30 minutes, but was saved from complete spaciness by the acting crew. Halfway through the 50 minute play, the actors invite audience members to dance to help power up the space ship. It was just the right moment for reengaging the younger kids and getting the whole audience energized. The audience was full of kids aged from 2 – 10 years and the parents seemed amused and engaged too. Catch the cast after the show who sign autographs for their fans. The actors stay in character throughout the meet and greet and it’s a great way for the kids to engage with their on-stage heroes and connect on earth.
Details:
“Awesome Allie: First Kid Astronaut” is at McGinn/Cazale Theatre and only runs until April 26, so if you’re interested, you should get some tickets fast. Tickets are $25 and $30 (the theater is TINY so I’m not sure what the difference is between the two prices; we had the “cheap” seats and they were fourth row) and are available at Vital Theater or at the theater box office:
2162 Broadway (at 76th Street)
New York, NY 10024
212-579-0528
One further related detail: the Vital Theater has just re-opened Pinkalicious, if you missed it last time. They found a new theater at West 60th Street, so visit their site (www.vitaltheatre.org) for details!
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Once employed in tv production, Jill Austin now uses those management skills to boss around her husband, son, daughter and dog, with minimal success. When she’s not turning daily life into a production, Jill is a free-lance writer, a middle-of-the-pack triathlete and an optimist. She blogs at lamemom.