I took my kids to the theatre this weekend.

I updated my Facebook page to read, "Taking the kids to the theatre.  By myself.  Husband has an emergency root-canal scheduled, so I am on my own."  And it was followed by a mass of responses ranging from "have fun" to "geesh you could not pay me enough to do that" to "no way in hell."

The secret is.... I have been taking my kids to the "theatre" since they were infants.  I am filled with pride when I say that my two year old sat through the entire Joffrey Ballet's Nutcracker at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago this past December.  Without a peep, although I did stuff M&M's in her mouth seeing that we were seated three rows behind the Orchestra and next to people, like us, that paid $100 per seat.  She.  Did.  Great!

How?

Like I said.  I've been taking the kids to the theatre since they were infants.  They are used to it.  The lights...

The action, soon to come....

The teaching of patience and feeling the anticipation....

The way to politely clap and shout "Brava!"

With that said.  I wasn't a fan of Sesame Street Live: Elmo's Green Thumb. There are much better productions put on at Playhouse Square.  But my children loved.  From my (nearly) 8 year old to my two year old, they were all captivated in the THEATRICAL aspect of the musical.  Lights!  Music!  Action!  All taking place in a very real theatre, THE largest theatre complex between NYC and Chicago.  Obviously the show was catered to them and not thirty-something-year-olds like me in dire need of coffee in the morning.

However.  And a BIG however... shows like these introduce children to the theatre.  LOVE!  No need to worry about how loud your kid is, since the volume in the room is crazy loud. It really is a nice way to introduce your child to the magic of the theatre from an early age.  Become a PALS member like me.  Pals family memberships support Playhouse Square not-for-profit mission while providing great benefits like free parking for certain family shows, concession vouchers, discounted admission to the annual Tinsel Town holiday party and more.  For this show PALS members had a meet-and-greet with Elmo and a delightful private refreshment hour before the show.  Donuts, juice and coloring before meeting Elmo was very relaxing.

Pals family memberships are available for $50 or $75 per year and are designed for families with children ages 2-12.

For more information regarding Pals or to begin your membership today please call Carrie Balchak at 216-771-4444 x3247 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Disclosure:  I was not compensated for this post but did receive tickets to Sesame Street Live for this honest review.