play – Page 2

Looking for Roberto Clemente at Imagination Stage

May 16, 2016

roberto

When: April 13, 2016- May 22, 2016

Where: Imagination Stage
4908 Auburn Avenue Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Why: Sam and Charlie are best friends and baseball fanatics in Pittsburgh, PA, in the year 1972. Puerto Rican superstar Roberto Clemente is the hero of the Pittsburgh Pirates, having led the team to victory after years of losing. When a mysterious fly ball transforms Sam into a Little League Superstar pitcher, he is invited onto the most prestigious Little League team in town, while Charlie is rejected for being a girl. Charlie forms her own team with the less athletic kids and her new friend Tommy, a boy with a disability. Sam and Charlie ultimately discover what it truly means to be a “hero” when their final game coincides with Clemente’s fateful decision to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

My baseball fanatic son liked watching the characters play “ball” and he enjoyed the backdrop which sometimes used old baseball clips. The show sparked a conversation between my five year old and myself on the topic of including others. The director casts a man who in real life has a disability dreaming of wanting to play ball. It brought an authentic feel to the play and allowed my son to learn about the importance of inclusion. The play did get a bit somber and left the younger audience sad as we learned about the disappearance of Mr. Clemente. However, the end of the play brought the characters all together.

clemente

Details:
Running time is 75 minutes with one intermission.

Tickets can be purchased here. Tickets range from $12-$35 each with group and field trip rates available.

Looking for Roberto Clemente is recommended for ages 5+.

(Photo credit: Margot Schulman)

Encore Stage and Studio presents Snow White

January 11, 2016

Prince and Snow White

What: Snow White

When: January 8, 2016 – January 17, 2016

Where: Thomas Jefferson Community Theatre
125 S. Old Glebe Road
Arlington, VA. 22204

Why: Snow White is a beautiful young princess who lives with her jealous stepmother, the Queen. When the Queen discovers that Snow White is truly “the fairest of them all,” she devises a plan to continue her reign permanently. After being banished to the woods, Snow White happens upon seven new friends that give her a place to call home. Your family will enjoy this musical adaptation of the classic fairytale. You won’t hear the name Grumpy or Sneezy and you won’t hear any familiar songs. The songs are so catchy, creative, fun and brilliant– they work as good as the songs in the classic. Your children will love the “theatre for kids by kids” approach and may leave the play asking to be enrolled in classes so they can perform in the next play. Recommended musical for ages 4 and older.

I especially love Encore’s mission– “to build life-long appreciation for live theatre by involving young people in all aspects of theater arts- onstage, backstage, in the classroom, and in the audience. Encore strives to educate and entertain by offering productions each season that are by and for young people, and through enriching classes, camps, and workshops. We believe that participating in live theatre builds problem-solving skills, teamwork, creativity, literacy, and self-confidence. We are cultivating the next generation of active and engaged art lovers.”

Details:
Running time is 1 hour and 40 minutes with an intermission

Tickets can be purchased here. Price is $15 for adults, $10 for children

(All photo credit: Photo by Larry McClemons)

Introducing Magic Ground in Columbia Heights

November 30, 2015

A new indoor playground, Magic Ground has opened in Columbia Heights, just above Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond on the 3rd floor. You can park in the underground garage of DC USA or take the Columbia Heights Metro. You can purchase several “packages” like Winter or Summer Memberships as well as an Annual Pass and half-day/full-day passes they will offer Parents Nights Out.

The theme of Magic Ground is a magical castle and the motto is “a magical place to eat healthy and play safely.” Children will crawl, jump and climb, explore, discover and create here. Magic Ground has only been open a week but word has gotten out, as there were about 15 kids playing with us. However, The Restaurant, Game Tech (a modern time corner to ignite your senses) and Show Hall (costumes and face painting) were not open. There is a cute place with vanities and hair salon tools for kids to pretend. There are a few kitchens and baby dolls in an area to play with. My son loved sliding down the slide into the ball pit, shooting an air cannon with balls and swinging on a swing inside of the apparatus.
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Weekend Picks

September 25, 2015

Museum Day Live is Saturday! Sure, we can visit many Museums for free but some do cost money and thanks to Smithsonian Magazine they are free on Saturday. National Building Museum, Dumbarton Oaks & College Park Aviation Museum are just a few that will be free of charge for one day only.

Maryland Renaissance Festival will be joisting and serving up lots of turkey legs weekends through October 25. The festival is free to children 6 and under this weekend. Take a time machine back to medieval times. With plenty of entertainment for you and the kids, including music, joisting, puppetry, pony rides and so much more. Your children will see people dressed up in 16th century outfits. Dress like a knight and come participate!
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Weekend Picks: Bait a hook, Choo-Choo biketrain and carousels

May 29, 2014

After the rain we will welcome a sunny weekend. Lots to do outdoors, enjoy a festival or two, a bike ride or a fishing excursion and top the weekend off at the Nats game or watching Finding Nemo.

Saturday-

8:30am-10:30am: Black Hill Boats hosts Kids Fishing Day at Little Seneca Lake
(20920 Lake Ridge Drive Boyds, MD 20841)
Participants will learn to bait a hook with worms, put their line in the water and pull in fish. Prizes for kids who catch the biggest, smallest and greatest number of fish. Ages 3-15, $8. Register online for Montgomery ParkPASS #268199.

9:30am: Choo choo! Take the Kidical Mass Biketrain to Tour de Fat
(2801 8th St NE, Washington, DC 20017)
Tour de Fat is a wacky, whimsical and family friendly festival and celebration of bicycling. Tour de Fat is FREE and open to the public. The day is jam-packed with live music and entertainment, local vendors, interactive bicycle activities, and of course beer! And what more fun for the kids; costumes are strongly encouraged–they’ll be bringing bike decorating supplies to help you make a statement with your bike!

10:00am-11:00pm: Herndon Festival
(777 Lynn Street, Herndon, VA 20170)
Carnival, vendors, fireworks and a 5/10K race. There is also a Children’s area with hands-on activities including a model train display and live entertainment.

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Weekend Picks: Cherry Blossoms, Winnie the Pooh and a bite of gelato

March 21, 2014

It’s officially Cherry Blossom season (aka Spring), so perhaps that snow that is in the forecast on Tuesday will magically disappear? Will you make your way down to The Tidal Basin? Here is the link to the official website to find out all the information you need. Check the forecast, reserve a paddle boat for your family, and row through the basin admiring the blooms. Make sure and read everything, especially one of our final Weekend Picks (hint: it involves fresh churned gelato!)

Saturday-

9:30am and 11:00am- Bright Star Theatre: Jack’s Adventure at The National Theatre
(1321 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20004)
Join Jack as he crams for his upcoming history test. When his history book magically bursts, Jack meets some of the most exciting people in our nation’s history! George Washington, Betsy Ross, Henry Ford and Neil Armstrong are just some of the 22 characters that come to life in this high energy adventure. Audience volunteers help write the Constitution, work on Ford’s assembly line and even demand the right to vote. Best for grades 2-5– Free.

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