One of the most beautiful aspects about children is their imaginations. Children’s imaginations run free, not yet wavered by experience and the realization that not everything is possible. Losing that imagination is one of the many tragedies of growing up and becoming aware of the world. Fortunately, The Neverland Players, performing in the Fringe Festival at the U of M Rarig Center Xperimental, allow us to relive the days of making up stories about Evil Cupcakes and Rocks Named Zimbabwe.
The Neverland Players are a group of actors who take stories written by elementary school aged children and act them out through song, puppetry, and improv. The result is a fun show full of silly stories and tons of wild characters. This show is a wonderful first Fringe experience for children, as the subject matter could not come from a more reliable place, other kids! The show features parodies of popular songs that any child who’s listened to the newest Kid’s Bop CD will recognize, such as “Wrecking Ball” and “Timber,” as well as the children’s favorite “Let It Go” from Frozen. However, this is not only a fun experience for kids. Much like Disney movies, The Neverland Players include many puns and humor that may pass over the heads of children and keep the parents happy. Besides, it’s always fun to see grown men and women acting like horses, evil pizzas, and pigs.
In The Neverland Players’ program description, they say that “the rehearsal process is short and sweet,” and it shows. Every once in a while it is obvious that one of the actors forgets a line or has to stop and think about what’s coming next. Simply a little more rehearsal would fix these issues. The subtle lack of rehearsal was hardly noticeably, though, especially by children, and not worth missing the show to avoid. Bring the whole family and enjoy an hour of silly stories and laughter at The Neverland Players.
Enjoy this show while it lasts. See The Neverland Players at the U of M Rarig Center Xperimental Wednesday, August 6 – 7 pm; Friday, August 8 – 4 pm; Saturday, August 9 – 2:30 pm; Sunday August 10 – 1 pm. Visit Visit http://www.fringefestival.org/2014/ for more information.
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