BWW JR: IMAGINOCEAN - Fluorescent Fish Glow With a Positive Message for Kids

As any preschool or elementary school teacher can tell you, the hardest part about reaching kids is getting their attention. Once you've done that, you can start to get your message across. Last Sunday, I sat in a dark and crowded theatre full of kids who had just come inside from some pretty spectacular October weather. Most of them were jumping around in their seats and few seemed ready to focus and absorb the experience of live theatre.....including my 6-year-old daughter and her 7-year old friend.

Lucky for me (and the rest of the parents in attendance), the creators of John Tartaglia's IMAGINOCEAN know just how to start off a show. Without warning, the set began to talk to us. The audience chatter dissolved as every eye in the house focussed upwards to meet our hosts of the evening, stationary fish-puppets named Whipper and Snapper, who used rim-shot inducing kid humor to welcome us and set some ground rules for the evening. Before any tiny attention spans could wander, the show moved us quickly into a series of "ooh" and "aah" provoking special effects and glow-in-the-dark conventions that kept kids in their seats and parents entertained.

The mood of the show is light but there's enough here to keep you interested. Two and three-year-olds will enjoy the sights and sounds. Four and five-year-olds will be engaged in the story, and the six through eight-year-old set will be amazed by the details and effects as they challenge themselves to spot invisible puppeteers dressed in black. It's definitely designed for The Playhouse Disney/Nick Jr. crowd, with a wholesome message and a simple story. At just under an hour, the show was the perfect length for most of the kids in the audience....in fact I only witnessed one meltdown and it was from an infant. The story line might be a little young for kids over nine, but everyone can appreciate a cool glow-in-the-dark puppet show with magical, floating fish that jump out at you.

Most of the action takes place above the stage floor, so even the tiniest guests get a perfect view, no matter how large the adult seated directly in front of them. Be forewarned, you will be smattered with glow-in-the-dark spots, but it all magically disappears when the lights come on. (Don't wear your Prada). It's interactive, so you and your family will be encouraged to participate from your seat and you might get sprayed with a tiny bit of water. None of this seemed to rattle any of the delighted kids in the audience, though I did need to reassure my daughter that her dress would not continue to glow once we left the theatre.

The message is wholesome and there's nothing here that a parent wouldn't want conveyed to their kids: Use your head, let your imagination soar, be brave and kindhearted and above all, treasure the greatest prize in life: Friendship.

GET TO THE POINT, MOM!

• Best for 2-8 year olds.
• Runs just under an hour.
• A puppet show with glow-in-the-dark special effects.
• A positive message no parent could object to.
• Wednesdays @ 11am & 2 PM, Saturday @ 11 am, 2 PM & 4:30 PM, Sunday @12 PM & 3 PM.
• Tickets range from $39.00 to $75.
• For more info on show times and ticket prices, visit the show's web site: http://imaginoceanthemusical.com/
• Don't wear your Prada.

FOR YOUR HOLIDAY WISH LIST:

A special HOLIDAY VERSION of ImaginOcean will run from November 10 to January 2 featuring a post-show sing-along with ImaginOcean's resident DJ "Ryan Sarfish" of H2O Radio. I hear they are going to make it snow inside the theater, and from what I've seen so far I believe they can do it! This is a great opportunity to return and see the show again.