Just Go to Just Kidding at Symphony Space
/We recently saw our first children’s show at Manhattan’s Symphony Space. The Doubtful Sprout, a one woman puppet show by Liz Joyce, was an absolute JOY(ce) to watch.
Though this show has moved on, Symphony Space continues to offer family focused performances each Saturday through the cold winter months as part of their ongoing, Just Kidding Series. And if you’re a Westchester or Fairfield County family like we are, driving to Symphony Space is a snap. Located at 95th and Broadway, the theater is not too far from our northern suburban towns!
Just Kidding!
Beginning in the fall through the end of March, Symphony Space puts on a family show in its beautifully modern Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre each Saturday at 11am (and sometimes with an encore performance at 2pm). The performances last about an hour and tickets are priced at $17 per person ($14 for members), making catching a show an easy and affordable way to entertain the little ones on a cold day.
Remaining shows in the Just Kidding Series for this season are:
• Doppelskope: The Amazing Story Machine - a puppet show about a malfunctioning time machine (Feb 23);
• Boogaloo Familia - a musical and dance journey through 1960s Spanish Harlem (March 2);
• Beauty and the Beast - marionette puppetry by the National Marionette Theater (March 9);
• Jedi Academy - comedic Star Wars lessons and antics (March 16);
• Papa Siama and Auntie Dallas - a celebration of Congolese world music (March 23); and
• Red Yarn - folk rock for the younger generation (March 30).
Liz Joyce, the Doubtful Sprout and Goat on a Boat Theater
Our particular show, the Doubtful Sprout, was absolutely adorable. It focused on a newly grown sprout who is anxious about his role in life. The Doubtful Sprout then journeys beneath the earth’s soil with his trusty new friend, the Worm, and there he learns just how important he, as a sprout with roots, really is to the world. I have seen a good amount of children’s theater in my 7 years of parenting and this was one of the more thoughtful, witty and endearing shows.
After the performance, Ms. Joyce took questions from the audience - always a good time to hear what a bunch of toddlers dream up as questions - and then brought out each of her puppets for some photo ops and to greet the audience. A perfect cold weather afternoon!
And for anyone reading this from my former home of Long Island, note that Ms. Joyce runs Goat on a Boat Puppet Theater in Sag Harbor and various puppetry performances are also happening there each Saturday in March at 11am. I bet it’s awesome!
