BWW Jr: Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

A LESSON IN METAPHOR (AND METAMORPHOSIS)

This past Sunday, two oldest daughters went to the theatre and saw a musical about the plight of the younger sibling. My daughter and I are both the oldest of two, and we both have little brothers who are five years our junior. I don't think either one of us has spent a lot of time considering the plight of the younger sibling, but we definitely had a lot to think about after an hour of watching six-year-old Velma Gratch, youngest of three, struggle to evolve, spread her wings and fly.

During this often hysterically humorous staging of Alan Madison's endearing picture book, we meet Velma, an overshadowed first-grader in search of attention of any kind....even negative. When her antics do little to earn her the admiration of her classmates, she must look into herself and find how to discover and celebrate the things that make her truly special. A late bloomer who is searching for her place in the world, the inquisitive Velma develops a fascination for butterflies and thus begins her own personal metamorphosis into someone truly special.

As a parent, I appreciated the humor in the script...this is definitely one of those children's shows that a parent can enjoy, with special thanks to some really funny and terrific performances. As a first grader, my daughter was enthralled by the gorgeous flying butterflies and the use of classical ballet choreography that really moved the story along. As a big sister, I think we both opened our eyes a bit and gave some consideration to what it might be like to grow up in someone else's shadow.

At the end of the show, we had a discussion about metamorphosis and metaphors. The show is educational while being entertaining and my daughter, at age seven, came away with a clear refresher ("Mommy, we already learned about butterflies in Pre-K") on the process of metamorphosis and a new understanding of how metaphor functions within a story and helps give us a deeper understanding of the characters as they evolve.

GET TO THE POINT, MOM!

- A hysterical musical based on the children's book "Velma Gratch" that features classical ballet, flying butterflies and a wonderful message about metamorphosis, both for butterflies and humans.
- Best for ages three to ten.
- Performances are Saturdays and Sundays at 11 and 1. Tickets are $25 to $30. For more information including holiday performance schedules or to purchase tickets, visit the show's web site http://www.vitaltheatre.org/velmagratch.php.
- Playing at the Vital Theatre Company's McGinn/Cazale Theatre, 2162 Broadway, through February 27th.
- My daughter already learned about metamorphosis in Pre-K. OK?

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