One of my favorite late fall traditions is our annual trip to the Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences {Lincolnshire}. As a past performer, I love live theater, and I am thrilled to have a daughter that loves it too. She has been going since she was three, and this is our fourth show at the Marriott.
This season’s play is Cinderella, and it’s the Rodgers and Hammerstein adaptation of the classic fairytale with all their classic music and love songs. If you have only seen the Disney adaptation or are not fully ensconced in girls’ stories and princesses (i.e., moms of only boys), the show may seem heavy-handed in the romance and love songs. Of the four shows we have seen (The Wizard of Oz, Seussical the Musical, and Sleeping Beauty) this is the first show that I would say is geared more towards girls with less interest for the boys. The boys we were with lost interest in the second half. {For an alternative, see what we thought of Sleeping Beauty and how much the boys loved it}.
The experience of seeing a family show at the Marriott Lincolnshire is worth it, even if your boys wiggle and squirm through the love songs. The theater is set up in the round, so it’s a circular stage surrounded by the audience. There are literally no bad seats in the house.
In addition, the shows are made to be interactive with Children. While they do expect children to be quiet and respectful during the performance, unlike a traditional theater they are also encouraged to laugh, sing-a-long, and interact with the actors. Actors and sets enter the stage through the audience and occasionally interact on the way. In fact, one of my daughter’s favorite parts was when the prince’s doorman {Herald} brought the glass slipper into the audience and started trying it on people.
Cinderella runs at the Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences through December 31.
Shows are Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 am.
Days and times do vary so please see the theatre’s calendar.
Tickets are $15 per person
The Marriott website recommends age six and up. I took my two years old and five years old. The five-year-old has been 3 times before (and to other shows) and did great. This show may not be ideal for younger kids as the story is so focused on love and romance. However, another highlight of the family shows is that each one is only an hour. So it’s not that long for your little one to sit if they get bored. The shows also include a question and answer session at the end where kids can talk to the cast and learn about the show and how it worked.
Do you take your kids to the theater? Have you been to the Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences?
Marriott Theatre for Young Audiences
10 Marriott Drive, Lincolnshire
Parking is Free
Tickets available online or by calling the box office (847) 634-0200
Connect with the Marriott Theatre:
YouTube | Facebook | Twitter
Disclosure: I received tickets to the show to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received and the thoughts and opinions are all my own.
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