Review: WINNIE THE POOH at Imagination Stage

If you ever find yourself in Bethesda, Maryland, with children, you should also find your way to Imagination Stage. 

I have been taking my children to performances here for years. We have even taken the classes they offer for kids.

Imagination Stage is great because it's a place you can go, and not worry about your kids getting "the wiggles" right in the middle of a performance, or being a little noisy. In fact, the performers often encourage the kids to call out to them mid-performance, or dance in the aisles if they feel like it.

My 4-year-old was a little scared/intimidated at first at the idea of seeing Winnie the Pooh in a full-fledged costume. Lucky for him, Winnie's costuming was simple, wearing overalls and a pair of bear ears attached to a beanie. I'm not sure if that was a purposeful choice or not, but it may be the right one for a young audience.

When it comes to the visuals for WINNIE THE POOH, solid choices were made in the way of colors and I enjoyed the massive video screen positioned centerstage. Kudos to Projections Designer Zavier Augustus Lee Taylor - my son got a kick out of the projected bee buzzing around.

When it comes to the actors, the standouts, for me, were Piglet (Ashley D. Nguyen) and Christopher Robin/Rabbit (Jordan Essex). Their energy was fantastic and leaped off the stage.

I, unfortunately, did not feel the same about Pooh (Jimmy Bartlebaugh) who, to me, seemed distracted at times.

WINNIE THE POOH is recommended for children 3 and up, however my 4-year-old probably wouldn't recommend it. The play just didn't keep his attention as other performances we have seen have been able to do. My suggestion, since this is a play directed at young children, would be to keep it exciting: more set changes, more props, more visuals, more choreography.

WINNIE THE POOH runs 1 hour, is recommended for children 3+, and is playing now at Imagination Stage in Bethesda, Maryland.

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