Child’s Play
Some of Toronto’s theatres are creating great productions for kids by re-thinking Mother Goose, Peanuts and Robert Munsch By Davida Aronovitch
Munsch Mischief
No one weaves clever kid-friendly tales quite like Canadian author Robert Munsch. The fun jumps right off the page at this year’s annual Munsch Mischief: four of the author’s books have been adapted for the stage, including favourites Angela’s Airplane and Thomas Snowsuit. Ages three to 10.
• March 16 to 20, 10 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m. $13. Solar Stage Children’s Theatre, 100 Upper Madison Ave. (at Yonge St.), 416-368-8031, www.solarstage.on.ca.
Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
The characters from Peanuts have grown up and are airing issues aplenty in this creative extrapolation of the comic strip. When Snoopy goes to doggy heaven, Charlie Brown searches himself, and his friends, for direction. The show tackles such teen issues as sexuality and substance abuse with a cast featuring talent from Degrassi: The Next Generation. Ages 14 and up.
• March 13, 2 p.m.; March 15, 5 p.m.; March 18, 1:30 p.m.; March 21, 2 p.m. $26.50–$51.50. Six Degrees Venue, 2335 Yonge St. (at Roehampton Ave.), www.dogseesgod.ca.
The Emperor’s New Threads
The Emperor’s New Threads offers a modern take on Hans Christian Andersen’s story of against-the-grain truth telling. This classic tale is animated by marionettes, masks and live actors. Ages three to 10.
• March 15, 2 p.m.; March 16 to 21, 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Children under 18 and seniors $15, adults $20. Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, 165 Front St. E. (at Sherbourne St.), 416-862-2222, www.lktyp.ca.
PigMania
Treehouse TV’s celeb songsters Judy and David take the stage with their rhythm-rousing musical adaptation of Mother Goose’s The Three Little Pigs. The high-energy performance blends rock, pop, dance and lots of colourful characters in a comic interpretation of each little piggy. Ages three to nine.
• March 14 and 15, 10:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. $14–$24. City Playhouse, 1000 New Westminster Dr., Vaughan, 905-882-7469.
• March 18, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. From $17. Living Arts Centre, 4141 Living Arts Dr., Mississauga, 905-306-6000, www.judyanddavid.com.
• Smart Cookies: Choice cultural camps and activities that allow kids to experience comedy, opera and deejaying
• Big Players: Winning March break programs at the ROM, Toronto Zoo, and other major learning centres
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