Darwin the Dinosaur

Tuesday night, I had the opportunity to take a van full of After School Academy kids to see "Darwin the Dinosaur," a fantastical tale of an electroluminescent dinosaur creation named Darwin that learns the true meaning of love as he encounters and interacts with other dinosaurs, creatures, and nature. Yes, the stage was blacked out, and all the creatures glowed in the dark! With only the glowing figures and music to tell the story, this particular show was the perfect setting for our Spanish-speaking moms who accompanied their children.

The story kept adults and children alike engaged. Between the dancing flowers, flying Pterodactyls, and the token "bad guy" dinosaur in red, I smiled through much of the show. However, nothing can top the slow motion Star Wars-themed light saber fight at the end, or the look of surprise on some of our kids faces as they realized (during the lighted curtain call) that the characters were actually played by people dressed in black.

I loved it! Here are some of the kids' reactions, completing the statement, "My favorite part was..."

...when they got the swords. -Sandra, 7
...the flowers dancing. -Alfa, 8
...when the flowers were dancing. -Maria, 9
...was when they did the slow motion. -Jorge, 9
...when they were playing Star Wars. -Kateri, 6
...when the girl will die and [when they] were playing Star Wars. -Gloria, 7
...when the red dinosaur pooped the flowers. -Jordan, 7

Many thanks to our friends, the Children's Fine Arts Series for inviting us to enjoy the show!