The problem with children's theater
One of my pet peeves as a theater critic is shoddily staged shows for kids. Why should kids' theater have sets made of cardboard, and performers with the acting skills to match?
Troupes moan continually about the graying of their audience, so you'd think that they'd try to instill a love of the art form in the younger generation, instead of turning-them off with second-rate productions. Children invariably know when they're being condescended to.
The Kennedy Center just announced its lineup for kids for the 2008-09 season. One show in particular, The Trumpet of the Swan, may well be an example of how to do it right.
In all, the Kennedy Center is commissioning three new pieces for children -- showing a praiseworthy commitment to developing a repertoire of shows for young audiences.
But Trumpet may well be the jewel in the crown. The source material is fantastic -- E.B. White's beloved tale about a young trumpet swan named Louis who loses his voice.
The creative team is first-rate. It consists of a Pulitzer Prize-winner (Marsha Norman, who will write the script) and two Tony Award winners (Bob Balaban, the director, and Jason Robert Brown, who will compose the score.)
And the production values, at this point, are extremely promising. The musical will feature a live, 40-piece orchestra with a trumpet soloist.
In fact, the only cause for complaint is that the musical won't be in the area for a longer period of time. It's slated for performances at the Kennedy Center for just one weekend, Dec. 4-6. In addition, the Family Theater, where the show will be staged, is fairly small. So, you might want to buy tickets as soon as they go on sale to the public Oct. 10.
