I am super excited to be part of this wonderful NYMetropolista family. To be given the opportunity to share with you any new, exciting, off the beaten path places,activities I come across on my many adventures with my family throughout New York City

I am a little late with this review with just three more dates left I strongly suggest it is a must see for the whole family.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (LIVE) Accompanied by a jazz trio who performs the soundtrack composed by Vince Guaraldi, who  is on this classic animated television show. Performed live at this pretty cool venue in Brooklyn called the Brooklyn Lyceum. This production is in its second year at this venue. Having spent my entire childhood in Trinidad and Tobago one of my fondest memories was watching with my cousins A Charlie Brown Christmas. When I read about this live performance of this great classic I knew I had to take my 4 year old son Jaden and husband Joe to see this show. We arrived at the Brooklyn Lyceum and out first impression of the venue was it looked very industrial and organic in nature. Once we were escorted upstairs to where the show was performed we were wowed by how they created the set in a magical sort of way. It is a bit cold so dress warmly and there are heating lamps set up strategically around the seating. To us it just lent to the whole experience of being outside with Charlie Brown and his crew. The set was re-created as perfect as possible to the cartoon and before the show started Jaden got to walk around and tour the stage.

“Pig Brooch Theatre Company, Inc. was founded in May 2004 when their original play Happy Mundanes was accepted into the New York International Fringe Festival 2004. After a successful run, the company teamed up with Dustin Helmer’s Kiek in de KökPlayers to create and produce Love Is in the Air, a lost 1920s silent film presented by a company of Estonian clowns. Love Is in the Air was produced at the 2005 Fringe Festival before touring to Hamilton College in the spring of 2006 as part of a fundraiser for a new multi-million dollar theatre facility. The immensely talented performers from this production come from all areas of the New York theatre scene, from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, to Broadway, to the Metropolitan Opera House, to every rock and roll music venue in the city.A Charlie Brown Christmas is a tradition at the Penn State Theatre program that has finally arrived in Brooklyn. The actors all share a deep love for this holiday favorite and have worked extremely hard to match the exact physicality of the cartoon characters from Charlie Brown Christmas Special”

Joe and I were amazed at how the actors performed the entire Charlie Brown Christmas verbatim, down to the characteristics of the cartoon characters. The live music by the jazz trio performing all the Vince Guaraldi classics made it so magical for us adults  and brought back such warm and “Christmasy” feelings inside. Jaden as well as all the other kids that were there laughed throughout the entire show which was a perfect 40 minutes from start to finish.

I loved this show so much I am contemplating going back again this weekend with some friends. A perfect holiday classic A Charlie Brown Christmas for the young and the young at heart.

SHOW DATES AND TIMES:
Fri Dec 18 – 7pm
Sat Dec 19 – 2pm and 7pm
Sun Dec 20 – 2pm and 7pm

All tickets are $10 and available at: BrooklynLyceum.com

A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Children’s Aid Society

Location: Brooklyn Lyceum   227 4th Avenue in Park Slope.   R train at Union Street. 718.857.4816.

Also playing at the Brooklyn Lyceum which I have not seen so unable to review:

“Just in time for the holidays!  Mainspring Collective and The Brooklyn Lyceum present the first installment of their new children’stheater series, Monster Literature, written and conceived by Daniel John Kelley. The first episode, ‘Twas the Night Before…MONSTERS!’ offers a new twist on an old classic when an evil wizard threatens to destroy the holiday spirit by changing the poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ by unleashing his army of silly monsters.  Young heroine Benjy Bleeglehorn (along with her dashing sidekick, Bravo Kirkwood) must battle this army of misguided monsters with their wit and compassion in order to restore the poem and rediscover the spirit of the holidays.  ‘Twas the Night Before…MONSTERS,  featuring original music and video elements, is original holiday fun for the whole family. Join us for some monstrous fun at the Brooklyn Lyceum as we kick off this new ongoing series! Official Monster Literature website: MonsterLiterature.com”

Showtimes and Specifics:
Sat Dec 19 – 12 and 3:30pm
Sun Dec 20 – 12 and 3:30pm

Running time: 30 minutes.  For ages:  Pre-K – 5yrs, and adults too!
All Tickets $5/each or $15/four.

Music Adventures at the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music (58 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn) is a dynamic, innovative program that incorporates the physical and rhythmic aspects of music to start children on the path to not only learning music, but also to experience the fun and joy that music can bring into their lives. Celebrating 25 years with its 2009-2010 season, Music Adventures encourages creative expression through music, dance, and fun.

Although nestled in the heart of Park Slope, Brooklyn, Music Adventures is a nationally-recognized program. Lillian Yaross, former president of the American Orff-Schulwerk Association, stated that this program “reflected a serious commitment to music education for the young children as an exciting and challenging experience” and that it is “one of the best programs I had seen in the U.S.”

Music Adventures is unique among music and movement programs for young children. Each entertaining and educational class is limited in size and many are team-taught by two professionals: a music specialist trained in the Orff and Dalcroze Eurhythmics methods, as well as a movement and dance specialist.

Established in 1984, Music Adventures is an Orff Schulwerk based program (created by composer Carl Orff in the 1920s) and is led by Ric Frank. In addition to being the Division Director of Music Adventures for the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music (a position he has held since 1988), Ric is also an award-winning musician and composer for stage and screen. In fact, he can be heard with his New Orleans brass band during the “wild rumpus” scene in Where The Wild Things Are. “While Music Adventures is designed for serious musical education, we teach with a sense of humor and make learning music fun,” he says.

The program begins with children as young as 18 months, helping them to develop musical awareness by responding to music with gestures, props, percussion instruments, and movement. As the students get older, the curriculum grows and challenges their musical development. In fact, Music Adventures is the first step in a lifelong journey with music, and that voyage can continue at the Conservatory in any number of ways, including lessons, classes, and ensembles. Kids can build on what they learn in Music Adventures without leaving the Conservatory, which was established in 1897. “With the wide variety of lessons and classes we offer, starting with Music Adventures and beyond, families can stay in one place and enjoy a lifetime of rich and varied music education,” said Aaron Felder, Executive Director of the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music. “As a parent, I know how valuable that kind of continuity can be to a child’s education and development.”

Music Adventures at the Brooklyn-Queens Conservatory of Music offers rolling enrollment throughout the semester. To audit a class, or for more information including tuition costs and class schedules, call (718) 622-3300.