A colorful story wowed the kids and their parents at today’s 1:30 PM performance of the Windmill Theatre Company of Australia’s Grug & the Rainbow, directed by Sam Haren, which ends its brief visit tomorrow, Sunday, March 19th at 1:30 PM and 4 PM at The Kennedy Center’s Family Theater.
Based on Ted Prior’s series of Grug books, this 45-minute stage adaptation, with friendly cast members Matt Crook, Nathan O’Keefe, and Ellen Steele, which included some audience partipation, had the young audience learning the colors of the rainbow, including a new color they may have not known-indigo. And they got to show off their favorite dance moves.
Grug has seen the multi colors of the rainbow and he wants to duplicate their beauty and bring color to his drabby, colorless life.
Grug is hardly a beauty – he is chunky, has weird looking eyes, and a body to match. But there’s something cute about him, and endearing, as he leaves on his journey. And Puppet Designer Tamarta Rewse has created a Grug that is very similar to the one illustrated by Mr.Prior.
Scenic Designer Jonathan Oxlade has created some carpeted hills and mountains, a pair of mini skis, and an adorable yellow bicycle, and some other mini visual delights. DJ Trip has written the score. and Chris Petridis was the Technical Designer.
Along Grug’s journey we meet some some colorful characters and objects. There’s a blue bird, a yellow bike, and an indigo drum, and there’s Snoot the Echidna, and my favorite: Cara the Carpet Snake who was hiss-terical! – all intended to teach kids their colors – and it might have worked!
I heard a kid reciting his colors as he left. His Mom looked at him and said, “Aren’t you proud you know your colors now?” The kid responded, “I’m really excited!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgEXnF7uZt4
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