Pearl Plays PDX #9 - Beauty and the Beast at the Keller Auditorium

Full Disclosure - I received two free tickets for this event as a media guest.  All opinions are my own.

Pearl and I attended the Broadway in Portland showing of Beauty and the Beast at Keller Auditorium last night.  Pearl is four years old with a bedtime generally around 8:00 pm.  The show started at 7:30 pm.  I wasn't sure how she would handle being out so late.  I had plenty of cash on hand to keep her distracted with snacks if necessary.  For the most part, my treat distractions were not needed.

After we arrived, I relaxed a little.  The auditorium was full of kids under the age of 10.  There were so many adorable fancy outfits and just a buzz of general excitement.  Pearl was so bubbly, it was hilarious.  The atmosphere helped her settle into the appropriate mood I think.  As we found our seats, she was smiling from ear to ear, just examining the glowing flower on stage.

The opening song in town was wonderful.  Pearl was mesmerized.  It was the perfect start.  She maintained that it was her favorite part even after the show was over.  Most of her favorite moments were the highly choreographed numbers with lots of characters on stage.  The production did a fantastic job incorporating child level humor so the kids never seemed to lose interest.  The show lasted until 10:00 pm and I only heard one child cry the entire time.  Pearl barely even acted tired.  She was so excited that she chatted my ear off the whole drive home.  If you are hesitant, I can confidently tell you not to worry about taking your kids.  They will be entertained and will most likely not be a distraction.  There are also two matinee showings this weekend if you are concerned about bedtime.

Photo c/o Broadway in Portland

Another concern parents may have is whether the show is too scary for little ones.  There are a few scary moments.  Nearly all of them involve someone being chased in the woods by  wolves.  During the first wolf attack, I held Pearl's hand.  She was concerned, but seemed fine once she realized that Belle's dad was unharmed.  If you are concerned about scary moments, maybe talk to your child beforehand about the wolf parts.  The production handled the Beast character very well.  He is clearly mean at times, but is never at any point terrifying.  Only the most sensitive of small children may take issue with him.  Overall, the fun outweighs any of the brief scary moments.  You can always hold a hand or keep your child on your lap when you see those moments coming.

The show plays throughout the rest of the week in Portland.  If you are looking for a special family outing, I highly recommend it.

-Kira

Pearl Plays PDX #8 - Cinderella at the Keller Auditorium

Full Disclosure - I received two free tickets for this event as a media guest, but was not required to write about the show.  All opinions are my own.

Last night Pearl and I attended Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella at the Keller Auditorium.  I knew the basic Cinderella story going into it and felt it would be decently suited for Pearl (at 3.5 years old) to enjoy.  She loves princesses, but I was a little nervous the stepmother character would be too mean and scare her.  Thankfully, the stepmother was more comically rude than evil.  The stepsisters were also great.  One was rude, but hilarious and the other sister was very sweet.  Pearl wasn't afraid at any point during the show.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a bit different than the story you might remember from your childhood.  There is a lot more comedy infused into the show which I appreciated.  They added in positive messages around kindness and caring for the poor.  It had more substance than the Disney version I grew up with.  Pearl especially loved Cinderella's magically quick costume changes and was in awe when the fairy godmother started to fly.

The show started at 7:30 and I wasn't sure how that was going to work out for us.  Pearl is usually in bed by 8:30 so I knew she would be up substantially later than normal.  Sometimes that results in a really cranky kid, but she was so entertained that it didn't seem to matter.  She almost fell asleep near the end, but really wanted to see the wedding and managed to stay awake.

Pearl did extremely well during the show.  It kept her entertained and in the moments when she would lose focus, she mostly started looking around for other kids in their princess dresses.  She never left her seat except to sit on my lap occasionally.  I was honestly a little afraid she would try to get up and wander around, but that never happened.

The Keller Auditorium caters to bringing small children pretty well.  They have booster seats that are available for rent for just $1.  I would highly recommend getting a booster seat if you take your toddler to a show.  I noticed kids as old as 7 or 8 using the booster seats as well.  

The one thing I wasn't prepared for was how much cash I would need to have.  I didn't even consider the need to bring extra cash, but it would have come in very handy.  We parked in a nearby garage so the two of us didn't have to walk far which was $6 cash only.  I knew we would need to buy water which was also a cash only purchase.  Then we paid $1 to use a booster seat.  After those purchases, the $10 I had in my purse was gone.  I would definitely take more cash next time.  I just assumed you could use a card for all purchases at the event, but that was not the case.

Another thing worth mentioning is that you are not allowed to take any photos at all once you are in the auditorium at Keller.  If you want pictures to remember the evening with your child, take them before you get to your seats.  They are sticklers about it and everyone who tried to take a photo near us was caught.  I was thankful we took a few photos at home to remember our evening before we left.  I should have gotten one of Pearl in front of the theater, but there were so many people by the time we arrived.

It was a special evening for Pearl and I as we don't usually get one-on-one time like that.  Pearl really thought it was magical and even the people around us kept commenting on how happy she looked to be there.  I can't wait for an opportunity to take her to another show in the future.
-Kira

TICKET AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

February 17 - 22, 2015  |  Keller Auditorium, SW 3rd & Clay

Tuesday  |  7:30pm
Wednesday  |  7:30pm

Thursday |  7:30pm

Friday |  7:30pm
Saturday  |  2:00pm & 7:30pm
Sunday  |  1:00pm & 6:30pm

Most shows have American Sign Language interpreted and
Open Captioned performances.  Please call the Portland Opera Box Office
for more information or email boxoffice@portlandopera.org

Ticket can be purchased:

www.BroadwayInPortland.com
Portland Opera Box Office: 503- 241-1802 or toll free at 866-739-6737
Portland’5 Box Office: 800-273-1530, All TicketsWest locations