My degree is in theatre. I work in entertainment. I've always LOVED the stage and enjoyed live theatre all throughout my youth AND adulthood. As my little kiddo has gotten bigger, I've always had my eye on his behavior and attention span to see when would be a good time to bring him to his first show. In the back of my head, I was thinking it probably wouldn't happen until he was 3 or 4-- but then, a commercial came on after a beloved Blues Clues episode--That Blues Clues LIVE was coming to a theatre near us. Marketing dollars well spent for them-- I went right online and bought tickets.
I originally turned on the Blues Clues tv show because the new lead character "Josh" is actually an alum from my school-- Montclair State University! Always happy to support another Red Hawk! I remember the Blues Clues "Steve" days from when my little sister was young--so I knew the show well and had big expectations. The TV version with Josh knocks it out of the park. Josh comes across so playful and authentic. The character is extremely likeable and I'm always happy to have the TV show on. It's adorable.
The stage show doesn't include actual cast members of the tv show (so a different guy plays "Josh"), but it DOES include all your favorite characters! The puppets for Blue, Magenta and Rainbow Puppy are all super fun and I loved also seeing Salt and Pepper and some other favorites. If you have watched recent episodes a million times like I have, you and your littles will definitely recognize the songs and want to sing along.
Now even though the baby is only 1, he was CAPTIVATED by the entire experience. He got a little nervous when we walked in a bit late due to traffic. It was LOUD in there. Not just what was coming from the stage-- but all the kids! The great thing about children's theatre is that you can expect that it will be ok if your kids make noise during the show-- the whole team expects it. This show is ESPECIALLY noisy. Every time a clue appears onstage, the crowd errupts yelling "over there! clue" and all sorts of similar variations. I also think everyone in the entire theatre sang the "mail song" with Josh (except for maybe my husband lol). Blues Clues is built for audience interaction so this was all great. Not all shows encourage this, so when choosing a first show experience, make sure it is billed and marketed as a CHILDREN'S PERFORMANCE. (pro-tip, sometimes a show like Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid will also be marketed to adult subscribers and not encourage the children's interaction. They'll need to sit quietly for those.)
What made my heart the most happy about this experience was all the special needs children there of all ages. This performance encouraged them to dance and sing, and you can tell that they were having the time of their lives! In the show, the writers take special care to make you feel a part of the gang whether you are watching live or watching on tv. These kids were visiting their friends!
The Count Basie is a beautiful theatre. We sat pretty close in the orchestra but I suspect there aren't bad seats in that entire house--- except if maybe you are last row balcony-- but I saw an event up there once and still enjoyed it! With little kids though, I do think closer is better. There is a special kind of magic up front and I felt like it would hold his attention better. At only age 1, his eyes were GLUED to the stage. A perfect little audience member.
We LOVED our BLUES CLUES LIVE experience. It was the perfect first live show for our son. I'm a huge believer in taking kids to live theatre and definitely didn't expect it to go so well while he was this little-- but I am glad I was an impulse buyer in this scenario. If your child can sit through a movie at home, I'd say you can explore a children's production somewhere. If you still aren't sure-- opt for a seat in the back of the orchestra. You can always take a breather and walk the lobby!
I'm not sure what our next live theatre experience will be-- but this one was a beautiful and memorable first!