The kids are alright

Mulan. It was Disney. It was Children's Theater. It was ridiculous. And I got choked up SEVERAL times. That is a tell tale sign that I am at least a little emotionally invested in what's presented to me. I get that lump in my throat and tears pool in the corner of my eyes. I want to make it clear right now that I don't believe that the Children's Theater Company is the eternal answer to my theatrical quest. There's very little depth there. It's not soul-shaking. But it's something. And it's EVERYTHING to those children. On the surface, it's so much about what I love in rock'n'roll. The audience was involved. They CHEERED. Loudly. All throughout. At inappropriate times during the show. Except that this was an audience consisting mostly of eight-year-olds and not adults with jobs and responsibilities and aggression to let out in a safe, musical way. You don't need to be perfect in this audience. You don't need to sit still and remain quiet. I sat next to my friend, and we cracked sassy Disney-related comments. We were welcome to revel in the saccharine plot, in our own way, because the children around us were. The kids enjoyed it with their entire beings. They held nothing back. Little girls in flower dresses and boys in tiny suits sat on or close to their parents, booing at the villain and throwing their arms up when especially excited. Saying whatever comes to their mind during the performance. Even with its vibrant costumes and gorgeous set pieces, it was informal in its rough around the edges ridiculousness. Perhaps that freedom of expression is in large part due to its target audience. The Disney message, which was hammered over and over (and over) again in the plot of Mulan, is an important one for children: Girls can be just as successful as boys in whatever they put their mind to. "Why should it make a difference if I'm a girl," Mulan says. "IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE!" a little boy next to me loudly proclaimed wide-eyed to his mother. Combine that untainted optimism with a swelling soundtrack and I'm a sappy goner. At what point does that enthusiasm change for a theater audience member? When do we stop enjoying with our entire selves? When we become educated? More cynical? More aware of the world around us? When in history did theater as a whole become more stoic and less active? As I soaked in my environment at The Children's Theater, I asked myself the above questions. I loved this night out. From the Jasmine 26 spring rolls in the beautiful weather before the show to the children waiting in line to meet the characters, clutching their programs so Mushu & Mulan could sign them with such excitement (like the time I turned bright red while waiting in line to have Jason Isbell sign my show poster). That was SO me as a theater loving child! As a quasi-cynical, educated adult, without children, I'm not sure how much Disney-related theater I could truly stomach. I want themes in my art to apply to MY life. But what The Children's Theater does, it does VERY well. It gets children SO excited about the theater. This isn't plopping them down in front of a television and sticking in a DVD, this is an ADVENTURE. And when the canon of confetti dragon fire exploded into the audience and the children all screamed with joy, I couldn't help but fall back in my seat with a huge smile on my face. When can theater be a real adventure for us adults again? Whenever I need to feel inspired by untainted, child-like joy, whenever I need a break, I will most certainly make a return to The Children's Theater Company!