Editor’s note: New York City presents amazing cultural opportunities to share with our families. We recently collaborated with “The Little Prince” to experience this magical Broadway show. Scroll to the end for a discount ticket offer!

The NYC Dads Group are back! Broadway is, too!

After two years of having to mostly suspend in-person meetup experiences due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our group partnered with The Little Prince to emerge in a grand fashion. More than 30 of our dads along with their kids, many attending their first ever Broadway show, descended upon the Broadway Theatre in Times Square recently to share a memorable, unique and magical performance of this classic children’s story.

An unforgettable story becomes an unforgettable Broadway show. Based on the 1943 book by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that continues to touch millions, this stunning new production transported us to a world unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

What’s the show all about?

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the story, here goes. An aviator descends from the sky to find himself in the middle of the desert. Here, he meets the Little Prince, a young hero on an extraordinary adventure. The Little Prince goes on this touching journey as he meets many colorful and bizarre characters who help him learn how to follow his heart.

The Broadway version is non-traditional for most. It creatively shares the story via narration (there are teleprompters in case you miss dialogue), aerial artistry and stunning choreography. Sometimes the show felt like a ballet. At other times, it’s like Cirque du Soleil. Audience members will interpret it differently, but everyone is sure to enjoy the thrilling grand finale.

Our family went to see the musical not knowing much about the story. For those with smaller children, we recommend you read them a plot summary in advance to have a better understanding of the characters and story.

Our dads, kids loved ‘The Little Prince’

After the show, our group quickly began raving about this special experience. Here are a few highlights and observations from our circle of dads:

“My son’s first Broadway play was fantastic! We got to experience the acrobatic planet-hopping of The Little Prince, all in a magical atmosphere.” – Billy D.

“That was the first time taking my 6-year-old to a Broadway show, and I’m so glad it was to see The Little Prince, which is still one of my favorite books. The fact that my daughter sat through the entire show says a lot. And the show was truly wonderful. Her favorite character was The Rose.” – Aarao B.

“My son Jackson (age 6) enjoyed the thrill of being at the show. It was his first show and we got burgers and milkshakes afterwards, and he told me it was the best day of his life.
The show was an interesting take on the book. More interpretive with the dance elements than a straight reenactment. His favorite part was seeing the aerial acrobatics, and the part he talked most about was how often someone walked on a giant ball to get around the stage.” – Micah B.

“Thanks to the NYC Dad’s Group, this was my 5-year-old son’s first Broadway show watching The Little Prince. So great to see the awesome acrobatics, dancing and feeding his imagination. Pretty amazing that he sat through the whole show!” -Mike N.

“It was very interesting to see the how they were going to interpret the book into a Broadway performance. It was different and unique. We loved the dancing, acrobatics and the music.” – Larry I.

Performance and discount ticket info

The Little Prince is in a strictly limited engagement on Broadway. It runs through August 14, 2022, at the Broadway Theatre, 1681 Broadway in Manhattan. The show has numerous performances weekly, including matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.

Being an NYC Dads Group member, friend or fan has its perks. We have discounted tickets for you! Click here to save 30% on performances through May 1 with code LPDAD223.

Disclosure: The team at “The Little Prince” provided this experience for NYC Dads Group members to attend. The opinions expressed in this review are heartfelt, honest, and 100 percent our own.

“Midwinter recess” arrives soon for NYC public schools so it’s time to break out your list of best February school break activities to keep the kids entertained.

Don’t panic – we’ve got your back on this one.

Start with our list of best family and kids’ winter activities in and around NYC. The skating rinks, indoor play spaces and the like listed here are proven winners … although we can’t guarantee that there will be snow for sledding that week.

Museums offering February school break activities

Make sure you check the event calendars of your favorite NYC museums and public venues. Many offer special February school break activities and programs, sometimes at little to no cost. Some of our favorites include:

• Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum – Three days of programming from NASA including full-scale models of the Mars Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter. Mars scientists and engineers will offer demonstrations and exhibitions.
• Children’s Museum of Manhattan (that’s it in the top photo)
• New York Hall of Science (read about past great events we experienced there) – Expected to reopen in February. Check website before going.
• Brooklyn Children’s Museum – Hosting a Black Future Festival – a week of forward-looking fun that features dance performances, interactive storytelling, hands-on activities, and more! Also, you can book skating time on its new rooftop rink!
• NY Transit Museum

Looking for something a little different that kids and the kid in you will love? Try the Museum of Illusions on 77 8th Ave., for amazing and magical trip that will confide your senses.

Take in a show or movie

New York has a vibrant live theater scene for children as well as adults. So along with trying to score some discount Broadway show tickets, check out a few of favorite children’s theaters. Several offer extra weekday shows during the midwinter recess school break so you can make some memories:

• Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre – Wake Up, Daisy! tells the story of Daisy, a lively little girl living in the heart of New York City in an apartment overlooking Central Park. At Daisy’s much-anticipated birthday party, she encounters three special guestswho grant her the gifts of courage, knowledge, and a second chance. (Read about a past show we saw there)
• The New Victory Theater – Circus and science collide with Air Play. With knowing smiles and suitcases full of surprises, this comedic duo elicits gales of laughter as they transform ordinary objects into uncommon beauty.

If the play isn’t your thing, how about a movie? If there’s nothing at your local multiplex, The Museum of the Moving Image always has family friendly exhibits to check out and they also offer special family matinee screenings during school breaks.

Parks for all seasons

If you want to get your kids out in the fresh air (or at least physically or mentally active indoors), don’t overlook our great NYC parks programs while looking for the best in February school break activities. Visit the NYC Parks School Break page for midwinter recess listings on the many programs and events offered in every borough on your children’s days off. Most of these events are free!

Even more things to do

One of your best resources to find things for your kids to do, whether its midwinter recess / February school break or any ol’ weekend, is Time Out Kids: New York City. Browse the home page if you like for the latest and definitely click the “Things to Do” tab for update lists of things happening today through the new month.

Photos: Children’s Museum of Manhattan (top), NYGovParks.org (below)

Editor’s note: New York City presents amazing cultural opportunities to share with our families. We recently collaborated with Disney’s “THE LION KING” to experience this legendary Broadway show. Member Corbin Younger reviews this must-see musical.  

As we roar into the holiday season, a pride of 25 NYC fathers and their children recently attended a production of Disney’s award-winning best musical  THE LION KING at the Minskoff Theatre. Coming up the escalators, my daughter and I immediately realized we were being transported someplace special.

The sides of the theater look like the Savanna, and there’s a giant wooden lion head watching majestically over the proceedings. As my daughter and I entered the theater lobby, we saw many parents and children with amazed looks on their faces. Before you get to your seats, you have the chance to marvel at several  costumes on display. This is a very smart tactic. Not only does it provide great opportunities for Instagram worthy pictures before the performance, but it gives the little ones a frame of reference so they can be prepared for what is coming.

And what comes when the show starts is like nothing I’ve ever experienced in theater.

The grand procession of animals to begin the show, through the audience, left me breathless. You’re transported from the middle of Manhattan to the middle of Africa, from the mundane to the magical.

My daughter exclaimed loudly “Wow!” and shook with delight at how amazing and intricate the costumes were.  Each animal is portrayed in a slightly different way through the use of masks, makeup, kites, puppetry, pulleys and performers. The actors did not simply display their costume, it is as if each personified the spirit of the animal. A simple stare, a sudden pause to clean themselves, each animal had a nuanced way to demonstrate their individuality. No matter how small or large, from giraffes to warthogs to buzzards, each animal is portrayed with skill and grace. We realized that each animal is unique, and has to be treated with respect.

And yet, even being unique, THE LION KING animals work in unison to create a circle of life, where each animal is interconnected. If one aspect of this circle goes awry, the show demonstrates, the effects of breaking this chain can be devastating. Greed and shortsightedness can lead to devastation, a lesson highly relevant in today’s global environment.

The circle of life also shows how a community supports each other. The main character, Simba, does not grow to be the leader he becomes without family and friends supporting him. Similarly, I saw this effect on a more local level among our NYC Dads Group attendees. Before the show, when I needed to use a restroom, other fathers from our group kept a watchful eye on my daughter. I paid this kindness forward a few minutes later. When we began to walk to our seats, one of the dads called out to a fellow father  who had forgotten his backpack on a chair. We looked out for each other as a tribe, and welcomed others into our circle. For one short moment, we were one tribe, one family. We were similarly honored to join the circle of those lucky enough to see a production like THE LION KING.

We loved ‘THE LION KING’

After the show, our group quickly began raving about this special experience. Here are a few highlights and observations from our circle of dads:

Having the opportunity to share this show with my daughter was truly amazing. Watching her face in awe as the opening number unfolded was worth a million dollars. The production team of THE LION KING does an amazing job alongside the talented actors throughout the entire show. We’ll be talking about this Broadway show for years to come. –– Dan G.

Bloody brilliant experience! Our first time on Broadway for both my daughter and I. I’m very grateful to have the opportunity to experience this with a great bunch of like-minded dads. Highlight was seeing the pure joy and amazement on my child’s face gawking at the unbelievable costumes and dancing! — Joe M.

Five stars! Every family should see this show. We especially loved the clever and creative animal costumes and great music. –– Chris D.

Seeing THE LION KING on Broadway was an awesome experience for my son and myself. His face was priceless throughout the entire show. So captivating. –– Larry I.

“I loved it!!”, said my daughter. It was a great time to share with my daughter and so many other NYC Dads. The costumes were unbelievable! — John S.

This was such a powerful experience for me. The first time I saw THE LION KING on Broadway was five years ago — the day before my daughter was born. Having the chance to share this spectacular Broadway musical with my daughter and seeing the pure joy in here eyes was the ultimate father/daughter bonding moment. THE LION KING was the perfect choice to be her first ever Broadway experience. We’ve been listening and dancing to the musical soundtrack in our home everyday so that’s when you know it made a positive impact on our lives. — Lance S.

Disclosure: The team at “The Lion King” provided this experience for NYC Dads Group members to attend. The opinions expressed in this review are heartfelt, honest, and 100 percent our own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Corbin Younger is a tutor and parent advocate, part-time writer and full-time dad to his daughter. He was previously a special education teacher for 20 years in Virginia and New York.

All parents want to share our interests with our child. For us, that meant a love for the arts.

We were thrilled for the opportunity to go see our first live show as a family recently, a special “Just Kidding” familyfriendly performance at Symphony Space in Manhattan at Broadway and 95th. The National Dance Institute: The Celebration Team “Voices of Change” was performed entirely with dance and music by children who honored individuals and communities that used their voices to affect positive change in the world.

A highlight of the show for us was the performance of John Lennon’s “Imagine” by an incredibly talented young singer. Her voice and the accompanying dancers captivated the entire audience. We were lucky to be seated just a few rows behind the live band. The intensity of the band helped keep our 2-year-old’s attention — she especially loved the drummer.

Symphony Space is a beautiful theater located on the Upper West Side with several public bus and subway train lines just steps away. The staff were welcoming and ready for their younger audience members with stroller parking and booster seats available as you head into the theater.

Our child’s first live show was a wonderful experience and we’re looking forward to seeing many more.

‘Just Kidding’ series discount offer 

To enjoy loads of more family friendly entertainment at a good price, you can receive a discount on future Just Kidding performances, most Saturdays through the end of March. Receive a $3 discount on each ticket you purchase to any “Just Kidding” event in November, December and January if you buy your tickets online and use the promo code CITYDADS.

Disclosure Note: NYC Dads Group received free admission tickets to a recent performance at Symphony Space to facilitate this review.

About the author

Xavier Rojas is an active father raising his family in New York City. Rojas is also an event organizer for NYC Dads Group planning fun meetup experiences each week.

Welcome back to our new feature focusing on “only in NYC” experiences. This fun-filled column will continue to uncover some of the most unique and epic family destinations in and around New York City.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is an action-packed, mythical adventure, but it’s also a coming of age, relatable story about growing up, making our own choices, and finding our place in society. Based on the best selling novels by Rick Riordan and popular film series, this musical recently leaped onto the Broadway stage for a limited 16-week run.

In The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson discovers he’s not only a teenager challenged with dyslexia and ADHD, but he’s also a demigod (half-blood) armed with wild powers he needs to learn to control. With his father being the mighty Poseidon and his mother trapped in Hades (the Greek mythology underworld), Percy needs to make important choices, think under pressure, navigate new friendships, and rely on his strengths to persevere and find himself. Just like most teenagers in high school!

The inspirational musical, adapted from a one-hour Theatreworks/USA production, will be most appreciated by school-age children, especially loyal Percy Jackson fans, and their families. What amazed our family the most was the incredibly talented cast. These seven actors had tremendous range and were able to transform swiftly and believably into dozens of different characters. Despite an underwhelming set design, costumes and lack of special effects, the strong ensemble’s singing chops and catchy rock music score kept the musical flowing smoothly to the very end.

We’re fans of Greek mythology so the standout scene for us was Percy Jackson and his demigod friend’s encounter with the legendary Medusa. We don’t want to spoil all of the surprises  in the hopes that you will rush over to the see the musical before it storms out of New York City.

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is playing a limited engagement on Broadway through Jan. 5, 2020, at the Longacre Theatre, 220 W. 48th St.

Disclosure Note: Our family received complimentary tickets to see the show. Even though we fear the wrath of Percy Jackson’s super-powers, all thoughts and opinions in this post are authentic and our own.

Editor’s note: New York City presents amazing theatrical opportunities to share with our families. NYC Dads Group recently collaborated with “The Play That Goes Wrong” so several of our members and their kids could see show. Scroll to the end for a discount ticket offer!

The Play that Goes Wrong has a smash two-year run on Broadway, garnering two Tony Awards and a nomination for best play. The show recently transferred Off-Broadway into a more intimate format at the New World Stages. Even if the venue is a little smaller, the laughs are just as large.

The Play that Goes Wrong is accessible to all ages (the show’s website states it’s appropriate for ages 8+). Without giving anything away, the concept is that a small college’s theater group puts together a murder mystery production. The hilarity occurs, as the title indicates, when things go dreadfully wrong, and the actors have to figure out how to compensate and make sure the show goes on. The play breaks down the fourth wall, as cast members interact with audience members at different times. They are even good at improvising when a young audience member shouts something out. In this midst of all the chaos there is an order, as incredibly, no one gets hurt. All of it is unadulterated fun.

A group of 25 NYC Dads Group members and their families took in the show recently and even got to go on stage to meet the cast. My daughter complained at first about going to the show because she prefers to spend her Sundays glued to her iPad. By the play’s end, she was thrilled I had encouraged her to see this show that she now considers one of the funniest plays she has ever seen.

After the show, our group participated in a Q&A session with the entire cast of talented performers  and even got to go up on stage to take pictures. This was a special opportunity for our families, where some the actors shared some intriguing secrets, and the children in our group learned a great appreciation of the art of acting. These performers understand the importance of passing the joy of theater on to a new generation. Afterward, members of our group could not stop talking about this fantastic performance.

They love ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’

The Play That Goes Wrong captivated our group from start to finish. Here’s what some of the other NYC Dads Group members in attendance had to say:

“This was my daughter’s first theater experience and it couldn’t have been better. We couldn’t stop laughing the whole time. We have a theater fan for life!” –– Steven Moralez

“What a great way to spend an afternoon with my son! I had to keep searching for tissues to wipe away the tears of laughter during the show. Even if some of the plot went a little over my son’s head, he loved laughing at the non-stop antics on stage.” –– Aaron Yavelberg

“My son and I love to watch comedies together. This play was hilarious from beginning to end. We could not stop laughing.” — Larry Interrante

“Prepare for your cheeks to hurt from the nonstop smiles and laughter throughout the show. I haven’t laughed that hard in a long time. It was the perfect way to spend a cultural and entertaining afternoon bonding with my son. We highly recommend his show for anyone in need of a good laugh.” — Lance Somerfeld

Performance and discount ticket info

The Play that Goes Wrong runs at the New World Stages, 340 50th Street in Manhattan, with eight performances weekly, including matinees on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Being an NYC Dads Group member, friend or fan has its perks. We have $59 discounted orchestra tickets for you! Click here to score your discounted seats.

Disclosure: The team at “The Play That Goes Wrong” provided complimentary tickets for NYC Dads Group to attend. The opinions expressed in this review are heartfelt, honest, and 100 percent our own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Corbin Younger is a tutor and parent advocate, part-time writer and full-time dad to his 7-year-old daughter. He was previously a special education teacher for 20 years in Virginia and New York.

Midway through the first act, King Kong made his first appearance in the new Broadway show bearing his name, and the audience just didn’t know how to deal with what they were seeing.

“Is that … is that … video?” asked my wife, Robin, trying to make sense of things.

“No,” I answered, “I think that’s actually on stage right now.”

But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

My wife and I were enjoying a rare date night, and we’d gone to King Kong at the Broadway Theatre. Obviously, any story with Kong in it is going to need to have a gigantic ape — the promotional materials teased his appearance heavily. We were quite curious to see how they would pull this off.

The show starts from the top down. The first people we see are lowered into view from the ceiling, hanging on to the hooks of cranes. In the background, New York City is lurching into the sky, as work crews scramble around on high steel. It’s a showstopper of a moment right away, immediately hitting the audience with vertigo, and the musical works hard to keep you off balance after that.

We’re introduced to Ann Darrow, portrayed by Christiani Pitts, who quickly expresses a desire to be the “Queen of New York” in her introductory number. Pitts brings tremendous strength to Ann, and her running joke is that she is incapable of screaming in fear, only in rage and defiance.

But this is Depression-era New York after all. Ann finds herself down on her luck very quickly. That doesn’t stop her from being noticed by Carl Denham (Eric William Morris) who quickly establishes that to him, ambition is everything. He convinces Ann to join him on a voyage to make a movie, but won’t tell her where.

What follows is another showstopper of a moment as the stage transforms from the city of New York into the deck of a ship. The cast and crew do an excellent job of keeping the audience off balance by making the entire theater seem like it is bobbing up and down on the sea as it travels to Skull Island.

King Kong story variations

We know the beats of the story of King Kong already, so perhaps this is a good point to stop and note the differences. Jack Driscoll, the traditional romantic lead of King Kong, is excluded from the production. This is wise, as Ann is strong enough on her own to never need a rescuer. It also sets up a more powerful dynamic between not only Ann and the conniving Denham, but ultimately, King Kong himself.

Some elements of King Kong have not aged well. The tribespeople included in the original film are definitely part of this, and it’s difficult to watch them in the film now without wincing at the racist stereotypes woven into the story in that more insensitive time. Happily, the Broadway production leaves all of that aside. Ann, Denham and the crew must deal directly with the mystical Skull Island before facing King Kong.

Now it was time for King Kong to appear. He’s teased at first. You hear him coming. It feels like you’re the kid in the car in Jurassic Park, watching the glass of water vibrate with each step. Then you’re given glimpses. Eyes. Teeth. Roars reverberate. A massive hand. Paw?

Then King Kong springs into action. And nobody knew how to deal with what we saw.

How King Kong comes to life

We spoke with the cast and crew after the show about King Kong. It takes an entire team of people to operate him physically, although you barely notice them. They move so well together, and in sync with everyone else, that they disappear for the most part, and look like spiders or wraiths when they are in view. All in all, the King Kong “character” weighs around two tons, is operated by over a dozen highly trained people at any given time, and every single moment he is on stage he is a show stopper and and a half.

Many more people help bring him to life remotely, including his voice, his movements, and how he is transported from the stage to the top of the Empire State Building. Because yes, that scene happens. King Kong charges through the jungle, carrying Ann in one hand. He battles another giant beast and, later on, Denham and his crew.

Pitts is in a unique situation here, having to perform alongside what is essentially a giant ape, but she rises to the challenge admirably, always maintaining her presence. She not only holds her own with King Kong, but also establishes a rapport with him.

She is the key for believability here. If we don’t see that Ann believes that King Kong is real, then we won’t believe that King Kong is real. Without Pitts’ performance in these scenes, the entire show would not work.

King Kong is, as we know, captured by Denham and his crew and returned to New York. The city really has always been inextricably tied to the story mythology. Any souvenir shop around NYC will have a little Empire State Building with a King Kong on it, so it was wise to make New York integral to the show as well. The city’s name features prominently in the musical numbers, and many of the tried and true tropes about New York are tied into the story.

As the show races to its climax, it brings you even more show-stopping scenes including Kong’s escape from Denham and his inevitable scaling of the Empire State Building. But one scene in particular stands out for its simplicity in presentation, if not execution:

After his escape, Kong stands alone. He walks to the very edge of the stage and simply looms over the audience. It sent murmurs and nervous laughter trilling through the theater.

You may not want to bring very young kids, but the older set will be blown away by the show. If you have friends or family visiting and you want to make their very first Broadway experience memorable, this would be a good choice.

Like New York City itself, King Kong looms over you. It shows you that even though you might be familiar with a story, it can still thrill you, intimidate you, and ultimately fill you with wonder.

Some 20-odd years ago, I first read the play Fences by August Wilson.

I was a high schooler – a senior, I think. One of four black students in a graduating class of about 100 at an all-boys prep school. There were many reasons why I was different. There were many reasons why I felt I didn’t belong. There were many reasons why I didn’t want to be there.

Yet, there I was.

I don’t remember all of those days vividly, but certain ones stand out – one is the day I noticed a copy of that play sitting on a stack of textbooks for the school year. It had the ghost-like outline of James Earl Jones in a batter’s stance (later I would come to realize this was Troy Maxson, the central figure of the saga).

And so I read it. I was entranced.

I remember being drawn in not so much by the plot of Fences but by the characters.

I remember reading the story and sympathizing with the teenage children, Cory and Lyons, as their dreams conflicted with their father’s will and ambitions for them and his rather simplistic view of life. I remember seeing their father, Troy, as a flawed yet likable character who, even though you disagreed with his actions and many of his words, you still rooted for him. You recognized that his life was a potent cocktail of misfortune, oppression, bad decisions and tortured memories. He was a tormented and scorned Willy Loman, whose dream was deferred and he just couldn’t let that vision of what he could have been go. Instead of being a salesman like Loman, Troy was a former baseball star from the Negro Leagues, barred from playing in the Major Leagues because of his skin color. In his later life, he finds himself as a sanitation worker fighting to become the first black driver of one of the garbage trucks.

My father by no means carries the negative characteristics of Troy Maxson. However, knowing that my father worked the grounds of the school I attended when he was a  kid with a dream that he would one day send his son there – I understood and appreciated not only the plight of Troy to provide for his family but also the pressure that Cory felt because of it.

All these years later, now a father myself, I understand Troy’s desire to provide for his family and to demand a basic level of respect from the world around him. A desire to make sure people do “right by him” and, consequently, his family as well. I still don’t agree with all of his actions or decisions, but I understand him more.

Throughout the story, Troy makes multiple baseball analogies. One of his favorites is that you have to “take the crookeds with the straights.” Life doesn’t always throw you fastballs down the heart of the plate; you also have to learn to deal with the curves.

Recently I watched the movie version of Fences with Denzel Washington bringing Troy to life on the big screen. It is an amazing performance, equaled by Viola Davis’ portrayal of Troy’s wife, Rose. The strength, vulnerability, and hope displayed on the screen is exactly what I think August Wilson intended when he penned the play. Every character contains layers that seem to peel away with each scene until the core of the story reveals itself at the end.

I’m not gonna tell you what happens, but I am going to encourage you to see it if you like complex characters and good writing. Wilson’s writing is top-notch and worthy of every award Fences received a nomination for and won, as a play and as a film. Wilson paints a world that is full of laughter, tears, love, regret, sorrow, happiness, and hope. But through it all, like Troy says, “you have to take the crookeds with the straights.”

This story is personal, though. Fences is what propelled me into writing, into drama, into studying the Negro Leagues and eventually into teaching. Teaching led to coaching and directing. So, I guess I have Troy, Cory, Rose, and August to thank for helping me find my passions in life.

A version of this first appeared on Tales from the Poop Deck.

As a father of two young children, our family has watched the Trolls movie at least a dozen times, especially since we’re able to cue it up on Netflix anytime as we slog through these frigid wintry days. But we’re an adventurous family that enjoys seizing any opportunity to experience the endless, cultural experiences in New York City. So we were thrilled to transport ourselves to Troll Village at the newish DreamWorks Trolls The Experience in midtown Manhattan to celebrate National Hug Week.

With permanent smiles on their faces, my kids sprinted through the front gates on a quest to be immersed in a world full of rainbows, happiness, dance parties and hugs. Not to mention seeing their favorite Trolls characters from the film. Trolls the Experience delivered big time and exceeded their expectations!

Dizzy with excitement, we followed a rainbow path up a tubular escalator with flashing neon lights like something out of a Vegas casino. We found ourselves in a glittery forest where we rubbed elbows and snapped photos with some of our favorite characters like Branch, Satin and Chenille. We detoured over for a memorable pit stop so makeup stylists could work their magic and transform my kids into their favorite Trolls, Princess Poppy and Guy Diamond. Caution: This “Hair We Go” transformation is swift, memorable, but costly (a $50 upgrade beyond the general admission ticket).

‘Trolls the Experience’ in brief

Over the course of the next 45 minutes, we:

• jumped through a massive Caterpillar Bus as confetti floated all around us
• raced through an interactive, virtual game of tag on a screen the size of a movie theater
• twirled our hearts out in the ultimate, 3D dance party
• gave endless love and hugs to “real Princess Poppy” (as my 3-year-old daughter called her) who patiently waits to greet you at the end of the rainbow.

Our epic visit wasn’t complete until our sugar rush as we shared rainbow cupcakes and snow cones in the retail cafe.

Was it the Best Day Ever? Pretty close.

My children rated DreamWorks Trolls The Experience an 8.5 out of 10 (<–click here for our YouTube video). A positive and gleeful experience for the family. The immersive pop-up lost one full point because my kids thought it was too short. They wanted it to last longer than our approximately 50 minute whirlwind tour. The good news is that means we’ll have to come back to visit again!

You should consider visiting with your family soon as the special Hug Week: Buy One, Get One Free offer has been extended through Feb. 10. Note that some restrictions to the offer apply.

Disclosure: Feld Entertainment provided complimentary passes for our family to visit DreamWorks Trolls The Experience during National Hug Week to facilitate this review. All opinions are genuine and have not been swayed by the free passes.

I’m not really sure what I was expecting.

When our daughter became old enough to watch TV – or should I say, when we threw up our hands and said “To hell with it. Watch this. We’ve got stuff to do.” – Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood was a welcome gateway to the small screen.

I probably don’t need to tell you, a fellow parent, about Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood positive life lessons, the nostalgic link it has for our generation back to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, or the fact that Teacher Harriet sounds like she smokes a daily pack of unfiltered Marlboro Reds. So when I saw that Daniel Tiger Live would be coming to the Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, it seemed like the perfect way to introduce my now 4-year-old to her first theatrical experience. (Not to mention, but I will, that I was stoked to see the newly refurbished theater with its French baroque architecture and location not far from where my dad grew up. Sure, I thought the first time I would check out this joint would be to see Death Cab for Cutie or Tori Amos — don’t judge me — but such is the parenting life.)

More importantly, I was curious what would my daughter’s reaction be to the experience. I fell in love with live theater when I was a freshman at Xavier High School in Brooklyn. We did a production of Oliver! (yes, the exclamation point is part of the trademarked title. I checked), and our dress rehearsal was performed for kids from the Foundling Home around the corner. Being a naïve dipshit, I assumed these kids would be a”bad audience” – talking, jeering, you name it. You’re going to find this hard to believe, but 15-year-old me was wrong. The kids were enthralled, one of the best audiences I’ve ever performed for. Turns out kids from broken homes who’ve known a lot of struggle in their short lives really connect with the story of an orphan struggling to find his place in the world.

On the subway to the Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood show that night, I reflected on the power of the unique human habit of gathering in groups to tell and listen to stories – how they give us a different perspective on the human experience, the ways they interconnect us, or sometimes just give us a much needed break for a few hours.

So would seeing Daniel Tiger Live mean my daughter would grow to love the theater as I do? Would this be her first step into a larger world? Would this be the first of many times we go to shows or concerts together? One day, will she drag me to see some boy band that will make One Direction seem like The Pixies?

As the lights went down these thoughts raced through my head. And then, this one did too:

“SHE’S FOUR! Let her just watch the damn show and enjoy herself.”

Not everything done for the first time needs to be a magical experience. As a parent, sometimes it’s good to remember to just take a deep breath, relax and let the kid have her fun.

Two things I took away from this event are:

1. Definitely check out the Kings Theatre. It is truly a thing of beauty. Plus the décor itself could class anything up. Seriously, put The Jerry Springer Show there and you could probably get the Times to come review it. They also served alcohol, which was a mercy for a lot of parents. Not me, I was parenting solo, and while I would never drink to the point of inebriation around her it was pretty chaotic in there and there was a fear that if we got separated for a second, she could get lost. Plus, it would be pretty bad optics if I tell the police “yeah, I don’t know happened officer. I turned around and my kid was gone” (sips gin and tonic).
2. Kudos to the woke casting in the live version of  Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. The character of King Friday is white on the show but was played by an African-American actor, making this the second piece of pop culture I’ve seen this year featuring a benevolent black monarch (Wakanda forever!).

I guess there’s a third thing. If you’re wondering how she liked it, she was rapt with attention the entire time. Occasionally, though, she leaned over and gave my arm the biggest hug. So, all in all, something definitely clicked in her.

Of course, now she wants me to take her to Bubble Guppies Live. I may need a drink for that one.