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May 4, 2000
FESTIVAL
Let the fun times begin
Before
there was Pokémon, there was Kitaro. Japan's premier puppet
theater brings the popular animated character, his comrades and
his adversaries to life in “Ge Ge Ge No Kitaro” at this
year’s Philadelphia International Children’s Festival.
(That eyeball in the middle is Kitaro’s father, by the way.)
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Pity the poor grownups. They have to wait three more weeks before their
summer fun begins. The kids, on the other hand, get to start theirs right
now.
That’s because the 16th annual Philadelphia International Children’s
Festival is now under way at the Annenberg Center. The festival, the oldest
and largest of its kind in the United States, showcases children’s
theater, music and dance from all around the world at family-friendly
prices.
In addition to the featured performances listed below, there will be plenty
of free, fun activities for kids of all ages in the festival’s outdoor
spaces.
This year’s “StageWorks” features the Give and Take Jugglers,
storyteller Cynthia Joba and the female a cappella group, Voices of Africa,
performing from 11 a.m. to noon today and Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Saturday and noon to 4:30 p.m. Sunday.
In the “PlayWorks” area, professional craftspeople help kids
create paintings, baskets, musical instruments, puppets, quilts, murals
and more. The PlayWorks area, which is free with a ticket from any performance,
is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today and Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday
and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
And a special exhibit this year in the Annenberg Center lobby, “Children
at Play,” features winning photographs from UNESCO’s 19th Photo
Contest in Asia and the Pacific.
This year’s feature presentations are:
 AFRICAN AMERICAN DANCE ENSEMBLE:
“Peace, love and respect for everyone” is the message founder/director
Chuck Davis delivers as his troupe engages the audience in a celebration
of community, culture and African traditions. Thursday, May 4 at 10 a.m.,
Friday, May 5 at noon, Saturday, May 6 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday,
May 7 at 2 and 4 p.m. in Zellerbach Theatre.
CATHY & MARCY: The country/ folk
duo of Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer have developed a huge following among
the under-10 set and their parents, with music that entertains and educates.
Thursday, May 4 and Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 6 at 10 a.m.
and noon, and Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. at the Iron Gate Theatre, 3700 Chestnut
St. Cathy & Marcy will also appear on a special live broadcast of
WXPN’s “Kids’ Corner” with host Kathy O’Connell
Friday, May 5 at 7 p.m. in Zellerbach Theatre.
“THE MAN, CHOPIN AND THE LONG WINTER”:
An obnoxious mouse, a cupboard come to life and the music of Chopin bring
a lonesome recluse out of his shell in this play from Quebec’s Théatre
du Gros Mécano. Thursday, May 4 at 10 a.m., Friday, May 5 at noon,
Saturday, May 6 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday, May 7 at 2 p.m. in Harold
Prince Theatre.
“THE BEAUTY MACHINE”: A
miraculous invention transforms the residents of a quiet village into
models of perfection, with disastrous results, in this play presented
by Vancouver’s Green Thumb Theatre for Young People. Thursday, May
4 at noon, Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m., Saturday, May 6 and Sunday, May 7
at noon and 4 p.m. in Harold Prince Theatre.
“CIRCO COMEDIA”: The Vancouver
duo of Smythe and Saucier serve up fast-paced physical comedy in a circus-style
show that combines equal parts of magic and absurdity. Thursday, May 4
at noon, Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m. and noon, Saturday, May 6 and Sunday,
May 7 at noon and 2 p.m. in Studio Theatre.
“GE GE GE NO KITARO”: Japan’s
Puppet Theatre Hitomi-Za brings a popular Japanese cartoon character,
the phantom boy Kitaro, to the stage in an entertaining morality play
that pits him against the evil creations of a mad scientist and a Japanese
prime minister. Thursday, May 4 at noon, Friday, May 5 at 10 a.m., Saturday,
May 6 at noon and 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 7 at noon in Zellerbach Theatre.
SAIGON WATER PUPPET THEATRE: The
21-member ensemble brings a 1000-year-old Vietnamese art form to Western
audiences with a fantastic tale featuring jumping fish, fabulous peacocks
and real fire-breathing dragons. Thursday, May 4 and Friday, May 5 at
noon, Saturday, May 6 at 2 and 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 7 at 4 p.m. at the
Iron Gate Theatre.
As always, tickets to the first show are $9 each, and tickets for additional
shows are $5 each up to the number purchased for the first show. For tickets
and information, visit www.annenbergcenter.org
or call 215-898-3900.
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