Area children's theaters offer variety of entertainment
With the beginnings of fall bringing wet and cooler weather, you may be looking for ways to just relax inside with your family. But before you resign yourself to watching a movie, these suburban children's theaters offer shows throughout the season to engage children while keeping adults entertained too.
"Willy Wonka," Children's Theater of Elgin
Hemmens Cultural Center, 45 Symphony Way, Elgin, (847) 931-5900, cteelgin.com
Show times: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 and 25, 2 p.m. Oct. 26
Tickets: $10, $8 for seniors and students
Using the script for the Broadway show based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, some of the songs including "The Candy Man," will likely be familiar to parents. If your kids have watched either of the movies or read the book, they'll recognize all the major characters, including the golden ticket winners, Charlie, Wonka and choruses of oompa loompas and squirrels. The theater's goal is to provide theater for children, by children and the performers are all local second- to ninth-graders. Sets were mostly designed by parents. The show also includes a projector screen used to add moving elements and keep things animated.
"Back to the 80s," Children's Community Theater
Egyptian Theatre, 135 N. Second St., DeKalb, (815) 757-1874, cctonstage.com
Show times: 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday Sept. 19-28
Tickets: $11, $6 for children under 2 and for Sept. 21 performance
Full of music and dancing, "Back to the 80s" will keep your kids entertained, but the show is packed with references and jokes that people who actually grew up in the decade of MC Hammer and "Karate Kid" will appreciate. The cast ranges from 14 to 40, following the main character's memories of high school in the '80s complete with the usual cast of nerds, jocks and popular girls. The show features 27 songs from the decade including "Material Girl" and "Video Killed the Radio Star," a light saber fight scene and plenty of other flashbacks that might make you want to track down your old music and movies afterward.
"Little Red Riding Hood," Chicago Kids Company
Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights, 847-577-2121, chicagokidscompany.com
Show times: 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. Oct. 21-24 and Oct. 27-29, 11 a.m. Oct. 25
Tickets: $12, $9.50 for kids
The Chicago Kids Company has been performing "Little Red Riding Hood" for more than a decade, and it's still one of their most popular productions. Taking the basic fable, the show adds music, quirky supporting characters and lots of audience participation without getting too far from the basic message to listen to Mom and don't stray from your path. The kids in the audience basically take on the role of Little Red Riding Hood's sidekicks, giving her advice, often very loudly, and listening to her concerns along the journey. While the basic structure's been the same for a decade, the writers do throw in some contemporary jokes to keep it fresh, often targeted at giving the parents a little extra entertainment.
"The Little Mermaid," Steel Beam Theatre
Steel Beam Theatre, 111 W. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 587-8521, steelbeamtheatre.com
Show times: 10:30 and 1 p.m. Saturdays, Sept. 13-Oct. 18
Tickets: $10
The names and songs may be different, but the plot of this play is almost identical to the Disney version. The action follows a teenage mermaid who makes a deal with a sea witch, giving up her voice for a chance to pursue love on land. The 75-minute musical is performed solely by kids age 9 to 15, though some use puppets to play fish including some particularly creepy ones that hang out with the witch. The directors got creative with the costumes to try to replicate the look of fins while still allowing actors to move around. After the show kids will get a chance to go on stage and meet and take pictures with the performers. Just make sure to order tickets early as Steel Beam's productions for children often sell out quickly.
"Disney's Aladdin," Marriott Theatre
Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire, (847) 634-0200, mariotttheatre.com
Show times: 10 a.m. Friday, 11 a.m. Saturday Oct. 30-Jan. 2; check Web site for additional performances
Tickets: $12
Marriott Theatre has put on versions of Aladdin before, but this is the first time they've gotten the rights to use the characters and music from the Disney movie and present it with an all-professional cast. Still not an exact replication on stage, the hourlong show includes some new scenes and songs while keeping true to the plot and featuring the well-known supporting characters like Jasmine and Jafar. They also took the challenge of bringing the animated film to life, using a puppet voiced by an actress to play Iago, an actor painted blue to be the genie and some tricks to make the magic carpet fly you'll just have to go to see. After every performance, some of the actors will stick around to answer questions from the kids about themselves and the stage effects. Ticket sales have already been brisk, so they may add shows later in January but you'll want to book ahead of time to secure a spot.