Art and Culture

Disney’s phenomenally popular hit High School Musical will be performed by 100 of Marin’s most talented children at the Marin Center’s Showcase Theater in San Rafael. Directed by Sharon Boucher, High School Musical is presented by San Rafael Community Services, San Rafael Young Performers Theatre, Mill Valley Parks and Recreation, and Pied Piper Productions.

The show runs from Thursday, July 24 through Sunday, July 27, 2008. Thursday show: 7:30 pm; Friday shows: 2 pm and 7:30 pm, Saturday shows: 1 pm, 4 pm, and 7:30 pm; Sunday shows: 1 pm and 5:30 pm. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door, and can be purchased through the Marin Center Box Office, (415) 499-6800.

This weekend, June 14 and 15, San Francisco's de Young Museum is free to everyone, in celebration of the opening of their new exhibition, Chihuly at the de Young! The free weekend is sponsored by Target. In addition to the exhibition and the museum's permanent collections, there will be numerous performances and activities for families throughout the weekend, including hands-on art activities, live music, stilt walkers, circus arts performances, and industrial and fire arts demonstrations  by The Crucible, an Oakland based non-profit educational facility, on their Educational Response Vehicle—a repurposed 1960 International Harvester fire truck.

San Anselmo's Stapleton Ballet presents a family-friendly show featuring two one-act story ballets based on children's favorites: Alice in Wonderland and Peter and the Wolf. Follow the story of Alice as she descends into Wonderland and encounters a variety of madcap characters, including the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the Cheshire Cat, Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee, and the Queen of Hearts. After a brief intermission, there will be an encore performance of Peter and the Wolf. Both ballets feature lavish new sets and costumes. Since they're both short and filled with non-stop action, the performances are perfect for families with small children.
 

I’ve always wanted to experience one of the Mountain Plays up on beautiful Mount Tamalpais--with a picnic lunch, of course--but so far have just never made it. The 2008 production will be a family favorite, The Wizard of Oz. My son, who recently saw part of The Wizard of Oz on TV (we skipped the creepy flying monkeys and other scary stuff), noticed the Mountain Play flyer the other day, and decided that he wanted to go. Here is my chance to finally experience one of these unique productions!
read more »

Find out what happens after "happily ever after" to your favorite fairy tale characters, including Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack (of the Beanstalk fame), and Little Red Riding Hood, in Stephen Sondheim's musical Into the Woods. This fractured fairy tales, at the 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa from April 18 to May 18, 2008, features an adult cast of experienced playeers, and is appropriate for children 5 and over. Directed by Gene Abravaya.

Masque Unit Junior Theatre of Marin celebrates its 46th anniversary of producing quality live musical theater for children, with a fun musical adaptation of The Wind in the Willows based on The Mad Adventure of Mr. Toad. The story of shared friendship among Mole, Water Rat, Badger and Toad is a timeless tale that takes place along a peaceful riverbank, however not all is peaceful! Mr. Toad is somewhat spoiled and gets himself into a lot of mischief. This treasured story is brought to life on stage with wonderful music and lessons of true friendship, kindness, patience and loyalty. The characters are familiar... the silly, impulsive Mr. Toad, the practical Water Rat, the emotional Mole and the stodgy Badger. Join Masque Unit Junior Theatre for this lively musical version of Kenneth Grahame's classic children's story.

Stark Ravens Historical Players present "Panto! The Musical Fairytale Adventure" Feb. 15, 16, and 17 in San Anselmo at the "Little Theater" on the Drake High School campus. Pantomime is a giant spectacle for children of all ages and features a pageant of fairy tale characters like Puss ‘N Boots, Red Riding Hood and the Evil Spider King. Tap-dancing lobsters, Good Queen Bess and a “Harlequinade” round out the show. The traditional Pantomime is centuries old and still enjoyed by millions of British families today. The program includes a traditional Punch and Judy puppet show and live music before curtain time. "Panto!
read more »

One of our favorite relatively short road trips is to head down to the Monterey Peninsula. It's about a 2-1/2- to 3-hour drive from Marin, making it perfect for a day trip, overnight, or weekend. (What makes this easier for us is that we have good friends in Pacific Grove who are willing to put up with us every so often for a few days.) A favorite place to visit, especially with small children, is the Monterey Bay Aquarium