Over 25 local kids are involved in the production, and for many of them this is their first foray into the world of theatre.  With the help of director Eliza Gardiner and choreographer Silvia Knapp, that foray has been an exciting journey – I know Grace is chomping at the bit to do more musical theatre.  And the dedication of all the kids, and the Red Room Studio staff has been amazing.

For weeks on end now, they’ve been attending two three-hour sessions, learning lines, practicing songs, performing their dances, and trying to stay quiet when they’re not in the number being rehearsed at that moment.  We’ve seen the organized chaos that is any large musical rehearsal and as non-actors, it made us a little nervous.  Until we saw the piece on Shaw cable the other day, where the kids were all in their costumes and performing their numbers beautifully!  Now we’re feeling more like cucumbers heading into final rehearsals and then the performances.

The first show is Saturday May 23rd at 7pm up at Vancouver Island University’s Malaspina Theatre in Nanaimo.  Then on Sunday May 24th there’s a 2pm show.  Tickets are just $10 in advance or $12 at the door.  BTW, our youngest is dressing up as Jasmine for the show, so put on your best Aladdin outfits and we’ll see you there!

Now we’ve also got some tickets to give away – just click here for all the details

In Grace’s case, they’ll be putting on the musical Aladdin from May 22-24th, and considering that the classes only began in late January it’s moving along at quite a pace. The discipline of having to learn lines, practice songs, rehearse dance steps, all while attending three-hour sessions twice a week, has been very good for Grace. The energy she spends making up her own dances and songs has been given a direction. It’s made her more focused, while still having lots of fun.

The other thing I like is that the kids around her are all focused too. No one is there for “child-minding” purposes and that means everyone is on the same page; there’s a show to put on! Instructor Eliza Gardiner is great with the kids – keeping a firm hand while allowing the creativity to continue to flow.

Oh, and did I mention that when Grace comes home she immediately starts practicing her steps and her songs; no prodding required? As Aladdin would say “A whole new world” is opening up!

There’s Mother Goose at the Bailey Theatre in Nanaimo, from December 26 to January 3, with matinees most days.

Then it’s on to Chemainus for Rumpelstiltskin at the Chemainus Theatre Festival. It runs now until January 3rd, with special Family Nights on December 29, 30 and January 2 and 3rd – featuring games and snacks just before the 7pm shows. Tickets are just $10 or there’s a special deal of 4 for $30.

Finally, it’s off to Ladysmith’s Little Theatre for a production of Cinderella starting December 31st and running until January 4th.

Now it just so happens that Central Vancouver Island is a hotbed of this old English tradition, so you’ve got quite the pick of pantos, including the Echo Players in Qualicum Beach. They’re doing Aladdin this year from Dec. 18 – 31 at the Village Theatre. BTW, Aladdin is one of the most popular pantomime stories of all time.

Keep in mind that there are two parts to downtown Chemainus. For a long time we only knew of the shops around the Theatre, until we discovered that if you go down the hill towards the marinas and docks, there’s Old Town with even more shops and some of the most beautiful bed and breakfasts we’ve seen in a long time – the kids still talk about the houses they saw.

Something we found particularly nice was that virtually all of the shopkeepers in the town took the time to chat with our kids – asking them how they were enjoying their day and were they going to see a play at the theatre. The girls felt very grown-up talking with all these people. I think it was just so nice that the kids were being included in the conversation and weren’t some annoyance to be tolerated.

Here’s a quick rundown of some pantomime in the area:
The Chemainus Theatre has Rumpelstiltskin running from Dec. 20 – Jan. 3,
Ladysmith Little Theatre features A Very Sticky Christmas from Dec. 26 – Jan. 6,
Peter and the Wolf plays at the Nanaimo Theatre Group Dec. 26 – Jan. 5,
Echo Players Village Theatre in Qualicum will be putting on Puss in Boots Dec. 19 – 31st,
and Courtenay Little Theatre has Snow White at the Sid from Dec. 26 – 31st.

Do Try and catch some of these showings…

If you haven’t had a chance to introduce your children to the magic of live theatre, there’s no better time than the Christmas season. Most theatre companies have something for families at this time of year and a set of theatre tickets makes a great Christmas gift. Both of our kids attended their first live theatre having seen several big-screen movies, and there was something magical for them about actors on a stage, the costumes, the sets – it had a spectacle all its own.

Speaking of spectacles, a trip to Vancouver is definitely worth it for the kids to see Beauty and the Beast. We had a chance to go last week and this Arts Club production at the lovely Stanley Theatre is top-notch; from the excellent singing to the costumes to the amazing sets on the revolving stage, our kids were enthralled. Our three year old sat through the entire production without moving a muscle – her eyes riveted on the stage. Her favourite bit? The smooching at the end. It doesn’t matter how many times they’ve seen the movie in theatres or on DVD, the live production will impress. The show runs until January 6th.