I attended a showing of Grug at the New Victory Theater in Times Square and it amazed my 3 1/2 year old (and was equally fun for me!). It was sweet, funny and absolutely entertaining! This production is ideal for 2-5 year olds and is the story of a tree that comes to life who is fascinated by the world around him and solves everyday problems creatively and without fuss (based on the much loved picture book created by Ted Prior). Brought to the New Victory Theater by Australia’s Windmill Theatre, this production is absolutely fantastic for first time theater goers and their parents alike! The theater was packed but there were no distractions from the large crowd because every child in the room was completely transfixed. They all leaned forward in anticipation as they waited to see what Grug would do or find next! It was truly delightful to see such interest from such a young audience!
After the show, I had the pleasure of attending the New Victory Family Workshop with my daughter. It was a hands-on experience inspired by the show taking the kids on a new adventure using creative tools and their imaginations. Definitely a must-do after any New Victory production! The experience teachers engaged each child and made for an afternoon filled with lots of group participation and individual expression. When we first arrived, we were encouraged to choose a theme (water, air or forest) for where we would like our animal to live and worked on drawing our creatures. Later, we were provided all kinds of unique art materials I’ve never even thought to use before to make the animal of our choice. All the children were so proud to present what they created and the enthusiasm displayed by the instructors was so genuine it brought all the kids out of their shells!
The show and the workshop were about 2 1/2 hours in length all together and made for a perfect weekend afternoon! My 3 1/2 year old was delighted and engaged the entire time.
Grug runs through March 17th (more info here) and the workshops are on-going (more info here). A visit to the New Victory Theater and participating in a Family Workshop afterward should definitely be on your bucket list for things to in NYC with your kids! Check out their calendar for upcoming shows for kids of all ages!