Dora redux
From Fordham Miller Fare: “There was some skiing, there was some Dora, and in between our car blew up.”
As it turns out, Dora did not have a big head. I have blurry pictures that I could show you, but they may just frustrate you unless I take the time to crop and sharpen them. It occurred to me as we were walking the frigid four blocks from the parking garage to the civic center that I had never been to a huge production like this, at least one geared towards children. Neither had Robin and neither had the kids.
It was much like an arena rock concert for children. Maddy and Morgan knew all the characters and sang along to all the songs. Instead of lighters to wave during the ballads, some of the kids with suckers for parents had these lighted wands that they would wave to the music.Sometimes they would dance. Thousands of kids seemed to know exactly what to do at every moment. Frightening? Indeed.
During the intermission, Robin asked if Dora — who had calves of steel and virtually no breasts of any kind — was really a woman. After intermission, I couldn’t think about anything else. This picture confirms that Dora was a woman, although I think it’s more fun to think about it the other way.
Overall, I think it was a good experience for the kids, but I don’t think I’ll be going to another one any time soon. Maybe the Nutcracker or a stage play, but not a commercial production like this.
Maddy had a good time, although she did feel that an actual first-grader would have been better for the role of Dora. Morgan had fun, too. Props to him — sometimes he wouldn’t dance when the will of Dora came down on him to dance. I admired his chutzpah in that regard. And then on the way home when he was making up songs and singing them in his sweet little soft voice? Oh the joy.
pop culture, television, western mass | sighclub February 23, 2006
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By Bill, February 23, 2006 @ 8:59 pm
Thanks for the tkts and thanks for going along. And may you learn from this experience — No good deed ever goes unpunished
By Heather B, February 24, 2006 @ 4:23 pm
I had a similar feeling of paralysis after taking the kids to a Sesame Street show (prior to renovation of the civic center). We were offered free tickets by some new friends and thought, what the hey.
Turned out it was something of a nightmare. If there were more of a Disneyland feel to downtown Springfield in the first place – something like Times Square – maybe it wouldn’t be so weird. But the whole Pioneer Valley is so bucolic. I think the MassMutual Center would more fittingly be a large natural amphitheater, or something like Tanglewood in the center of the city. Dora might not be so at home there, and maybe that would be a good thing.
It’s good to do once, though, eh?
By robin, February 24, 2006 @ 8:23 pm
great to do once, for sure. i think that’s going to be the subject of my blog about the event, now that i am (somewhat) over/past/beyond/through my car exploding.
By Aaron, March 21, 2006 @ 3:21 am
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