Erin Leigh Peck News

Using some simple props, three versatile actors recreate the classic story of the Velveteen Rabbit. In the style of Peter and the Starcatcher, a few somewhat neutral objects are very believably turned into functional costume pieces and help tell the story in a way that is imaginative and delightful. The show was funny without being over the top and adapted slightly for modern audiences (the wind-up toys boast double-A batteries) without losing the flavor of the well-known book by Margery Williams.

Last year's holiday favorite ANGELINA BALLERINA™ THE VERY MERRY HOLIDAY MUSICAL returns to Vital Stage for another holiday season! Based on the characters created by Katharine Holabird and illustrated by Helen Craig, the Angelina Ballerina™ The Musical creative team returns with book and lyrics by Susan DiLallo, music by Ben Morss, and direction and choreography by Sam Viverito. Performances run on Saturdays and Sundays from November 17-January 13 at 11 am and 1 pm, with special holiday performances on November 23, December 5, December 24-27, December 31, and January 1 at 11 am and 1 pm. Tickets begin at $29.50. Premium seats are available for $49.50.

So with a happily thrown-in towel, I arranged for a few family visits to the most exciting holiday-themed shows in town. First on our list was ELF, the return of a seasonal Broadway musical based on one of my favorite films. This one is best for kids over five so I left my little guy to ponder religion at home while my nine-year-old and I headed down to the Al Hirschfeld Theatre with an open mind.

When I was a little girl (and not the kind Miss Hannigan sings about), I spent my afternoons dancing around the living room to my mother's tape (as in…tape) of "Hard Knock Life" while developing the poor singing habits that plagued a generation of belters raised on a particularly resonant recording of "Maybe". This was a very different time. Far away from the hard knocks of the 1930's and much sunnier than the recession of tomorrow, girls of my generation (Oh my God did I just say "girls of my generation"?) were touched by the pluck and spunk offered up by an orphan named Annie, an era of Broadway thereby considered itself officially influenced.

The Amazing Max selects all of his assistants at random from the audience, and each adds a unique element to the show. "Every assistant on stage is a potential loose cannon making every show very different, very dangerous and very, very interesting", said Max Darwin.

The producers of Broadway's ONCE are seeking one five to seven year old girl to play IVANKA, the sweet natured daughter of GIRL. Actresses should be comfortable on stage and have the ability to sing. Producers stress that girls must be between 39 and 46 inches tall. Please submit a photo and resume to OncetheMusical@Gmail.com.

With all the Broadway shows my daughter (who's eight) and I have been privilaged to see lately, I was begining to think that theatre for older kids was all top-tier ticket prices and my little guy (who's four)would be my sole date for anything staged just for kids. We've enjoyed ANNIE, BRING IT ON, NEWSIES and several other Broadway offerings that appeal to kids, but the other great shows in town for kids seemed too babyish for my almost nine-year-old. Then last week, my daughter asked me if there were any plays without songs in them. I was determined to find a play for her to enjoy!

When I heard that the New Victory Theatre, one of the best family theatres in New York (and probably the world) was presenting a show from Circo Para Todos , a professional circus school for disadvantaged and displaced kids in Cali, Colombia, I knew I had to be there to see the show. Not only am I a huge fan of circus and acrobatics (did you see what a sucker I was for Bring it On?), Colombian kids have a special place in my heart because a few years ago, my husband and I adopted one of them.

With a new production of Annie now previewing on Broadway, it looks like Gwen Verdon may have to relinquish her title as the most famous redhead to have played the Palace.

I knew it was bound too happen sooner or later. My almost nine-year-old is getting too old for "kids" shows and my four year old boy is too boy for "girl" shows. So when the Vital Theatre Company, one of my favorite family theatre venues in town, invited me to the Pink Carpet Opening of FANCY NANCY THE MUSICAL, I did the only thing an editor of a family theatre column could do. I forced my son to join me.

MATILDA THE MUSICAL will be holding an open call for the role of Matilda in New York City on Sunday, September 30th at Pearl Studios (519 Eighth Avenue, 12th Floor, between 35th and 36th streets). Check-in begins at 10:00 AM in Studio C on a first come / first serve basis. Auditions will begin at 11:00 AM.

Maplewood, NJ is a Rockwell-esque little nook where theatre people with families hideaway beneath the oak trees. Three years ago, when baby #2 made his appearance, my husband and I took a deep breath and plunged our lives, head first, into this quaint suburban haven. (Full disclosure, I cried in my cross-over vehicle as we waved goodbye to a decade of memories in our Upper West Side apartment).

Submissions for The New York Children's Theater Festival will be accepted October 1 through November 12, 2012, it was announced today by Festival co-founders Michael Shawn Lewis, Chelsey Shannon and Renee Barnett. In its second year, The New York Children's Theater Festival provides a birthplace in New York City for new live children's entertainment from around the globe, and serves as a platform for writers and producers who are passionate about developing innovative theatrical experiences for children.

Can someone tell me when cheerleading became so cool? When I was in high school in the (ahem) 80's, we used to make fun of the cheerleaders. We called them "rah-rahs" and made fun of them when they wore their uniforms to school.

Manhattan Movement & Arts Center announces auditions for Manhattan Youth Ballet's Fall Program at the Manhattan Movement & Arts Center. Auditions will take place on Wednesday, September 5, 2012. Appointments must be made by phone at 212-787-1178.

Limbo is coming. That long, seemingly endless expanse of time between the end of camp and the start of school. Some of us are lucky enough to be vacationing, but some of us are trapped. In the heat. Listening to that ongoing, juvenile chant: "I'm bored. I'm bored. I'm bored." In some cultures children say "What do I do NOW?" but it's all the same meaning: For the last two weeks of August through Labor Day, families need activities. Preferably ones that involve air conditioning. In the often fruitless search for movies you can actually enjoy with your kids, it's always nice to hit the jackpot, and tomorrow movie-goers across the country just may: The Odd Life of Timothy Green is a movie you can actually enjoy with your kids. And it will take up whole hour and 45 minutes. Plus previews.

A little over a year ago, I took my daughter to see her first Broadway show. It was Sister Act, and even though the on-stage gun was scary for about a minute, she loved the show more than anything she'd seen in her seven years. Since then, my budding Broadway fan has been to a bunch more Broadway, and now at eight she's come to an important conclusion: She wants to be a director when she grows up.

For those living under a rock or if you happen to have missed my story last fall on Annie casting, the little orphan with big dreams and red hair is coming back to Broadway this fall. Annie begins previews October 3rd at the Palace Theatre and tickets are now on sale.

On June 23rd at 1:00 PM, the Amazing Max (Magician Max Darwin) will be presenting a special performance of The Amazing Max and the Box of Interesting Things for children with special needs. This sensory-friendly presentation of the hit Off-Broadway show will be adjusted to the sensitivities of children with autism and other special needs. Handicap accessible seating will be available, as well as a quiet area reserved for any children who may feel overwhelmed during the performance.

This is the first year that I'll be watching the Tonys with my child. After a terrific Broadway season packed with family-friendly offerings, my eight year old and I are ready to enjoy the season's biggest award night together. Of course she hasn't seen all of the nominated shows, just the ones that appeal to kids. So the evening will be both a celebration of shows we've enjoyed and a PG-rated glimpse into those she's too young to see. You still have the week to take in one of these nominated shows, or watch the Tonys for a preview before you buy!