What is the most appropriate theatre you’ve experienced lately for children?
Check out “Fairytales for Children” at Galli’s Fairytale Theatre (38 West 38th Street on the 3rd Floor between 5th and 6th Avenues).
We recently saw Galli’s Rumpelstiltskin. It was beautifully told and orchestrated. The theatre encouraged children in the audience to sit together in the front on sleeping bag type blankets, practically on the floor-level stage.
The story was told at a level a three-year-old could easily relate to, and the cast delightfully incorporated the children into the show. For example, when the queen’s servant was sent to find unusual names, the servant calmly approached children in the audience and asked them their names. Unusual is an understatement when it comes to the names of NYC kids! The cast also asked each other open-ended questions, but the children felt they were a part of the play and readily shared their responses aloud. The play was funny and creative, even for adults.
Leave yourself ample time to arrive at Galli’s third-floor theatre – the single elevator comes with instructions and only fits four at a time. After the play, you can talk about it with your child while picnicking in Bryant Park or riding the carousel. You can also plan out what Galli Fairytale you will see next time.
Reading Rumpelstiltskin, retold and illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky, will help your child better appreciate play.
Check out this kids’ book information on my blog for techniques about reading to your young child.
My two- and four-year-old have enjoyed a number of family productions this past year at The New Victory Theatre.