The Starlings are back and just as charming as ever!
We went to the opening performance of NWCT’s The Startlings Present: Dinosaurs!. We are Starlings fans in our home, and puppet fans in general. I think everyone in my family—adults and children alike—drop instantly into an equal level of childlike wonder when we see The Starlings. The cynic in my 8-year-old (who is far beyond his years) fades and he, even he, let’s out sweet gasps of surprise and wonder during The Starlings.
The things about NWCT is they always, always surprise me. There is something in every play I’ve seen there that I did not expect. Their set design is incredible and innovative, and the creative, multimedia productions are engaging. And Dinosuars! is no different.
Avoiding spoilers is hard because, honestly, I just want to talk about how delighted we all were at multiple aspects of this play. Joyful, grinning, goofy business — and we love it. The play is interactive, so just be warned if you sit on the aisle, a Starling may perch on your head, like one did on my husband’s. There is also a good bit of audience input and a lot of really great dinosaur facts, to the point that my 8-year-old could not resist the need to confirm and question facts. When we got home, we had to do some follow- up research (which led to finding this article with this very cool video that highlights the size of dinosaurs compared to humans.)
But don’t just take my word on it — my kids weighed in what they liked too:
Alvah (10): “I loved it. Honestly, it was so playful, imaginative — it has a good story, a few surprises (like dinosaurs look totally different than you think!). The dino facts that they all sang, trust me, it’s true. It has some good songs, a solid performance of comedy — I mean, I highly recommend it.”
Heywood (8): “It’s good. I liked one song and one dance the most (redacted for spoilers). I like how it’s goofy and it’s about one character. There is lots of imagination talk — like make up your own dinosaur and make a name for it.”
Me: “Did you learn anything?”
Heywood: “It’s really educational, especially one part that probably surprised some people, but I already knew it all. I learned about pangia and the history of the earth. I’ve learned some things about dinosaurs and their relationship to other creatures before, but I didn’t really remember it so that was good.”
The Starlings Present: Dinosaurs! runs February 2- 24, Saturday and Sunday, 11 am and 2 pm.
Sign interpreted: Saturday, February 16 at 11 am
Audio description: Saturday, February 16 at 2 pm
Sensory show: Sunday, February 10 at 2 pm
Tickets start at $16
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- GIVEAWAY: Tickets to OMSI's Exquisite Creatures and Gingerbread Adventures - November 24, 2019
- GIVEAWAY: Family Pass to Hands On Children's Museum - November 20, 2019
