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 “BARNUM” PRESENTED BY RITZ THEATRE COMPANY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PSCA
Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, children of all ages… step right up to for a first rate glance at the jugglers, clowns, trapeze artists and original ring leader of them all… Mr. P.T. Barnum! The Ritz Theatre, in partnership with Philadelphia School of Circus Arts, presents “Barnum,” between Thursday, October 20, 2011 through Saturday, November 19, 2011, at Ritz Theatre Company. Performances take place on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, and Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm. Written by Mark Bramble, with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Michael Stewart, Ritz Theatre Company gives a fresh, exciting new look to this classic American Musical. Based on the life of showman P.T. Barnum, this spectacle takes you to a world like you’ve never seen before! Here lies a rare gem that offers everything from traditional musical theatre to the tantalizing stir of excitement that one can only find waiting underneath the big top! “Barnum” proudly features the aerial talents of PSCA performer and instructor Jackie Zalewski. Performances take place at Ritz Theatre Company, 915 White Horse Pike, Arts District, Haddon Township, NJ 08107. For ticket information, direction and additional details, please visit www.ritztheatreco.org.
At Ritz Theatre Company, 915 White Horse Pike, Arts District, Haddon Twp, NJ 08107
Thursday, October 20, 2011 – Saturday, November 19, 2011
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Sundays at 2:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm
Cost: $20.00 – $35.00
 Barnum About Philadelphia School of Circus Arts
PSCA is the region’s center of contemporary circus arts. PSCA presents professional and student productions during the year. Seasoned faculty lead a curriculum featuring aerials (static trapeze, corde lisse, aerial silks and lyra), juggling, unicycling, tightwire, tumbling, acrobatics, Chinese pole, and physical conditioning. In addition to ongoing classes, PSCA also offers introductory workshops, birthday parties, rental space, summer camp and special guest performances. For information, visit www.phillycircus.com.
You can also find more information about the Philadelphia Circus by checking them out on Facebook, Twitter and Youtube!
Website: www.phillycircus.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/phillycircus
Twitter: twitter.com/PhillyCircus
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/phillycircus
Enter to win tickets to see “Barnum!”
Want to win a family four pack of tickets for Sunday, October 23 at the 2:00 pm performance? Leave a comment on this post about your favorite thing about the circus to enter for a chance to win tickets. One winner will be chosen using Random.org and contacted via email and will have 24 hours to reply to the email with details required to receive tickets. Tickets will be held at the will-call window. Contest ends Wednesday, October 19th at 10:00 pm EST. Good Luck!!
Get ready to have some Halloween fun with your family at the Philadelphia Zoo’s Boo at the Zoo during two weekends in October. From 10 am to 4 pm on October 22, 23, 29, and 30, children can dress in their Halloween costumes and go trick or treating throughout the zoo, along with a variety of other activities.
Boo at the Zoo is a fun filled family activity!
“Boo at the Zoo” will feature storytelling, games, crafts, live music performances and more. Sweets and treats for “Boo at the Zoo” are generously donated by: Mars, Just Born, Herr’s, Cabot Creamery, Philly Pretzel Factory and Stretch Island Fruit Company.
The Philadelphia Zoo is located at 34th Street & Girard Avenue, Philadelphia. The Zoo is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket prices are $18.00 for adults, and $15.00 for kids aged 2 through 11. Family memberships start at just $105 and Zoo members receive free admission and parking all year long.
Boo at the Zoo Schedule of Events:
October 22-23
10:30 am Little People® Live! Animal Show on the Fisher Price Little People Stage
11:00 am–3:00 pm Spooky stories in PECO Primate Reserve on the hour and half hour
12:00 pm Boo at the Zoo Costume Parade beginning on Bird Lake Plaza
1:30 pm Little People® Live! Animal Show on the Fisher Price Little People Stage
October 29
10:30 am Live concert with Ernie & Neal on the Fisher Price Little People Stage
11:00 am-3:00 pm Spooky stories in PECO Primate Reserve on the hour and half hour
12:00 pm Boo at the Zoo Costume Parade beginning on Bird Lake Plaza
1:30 pm Live concert with Ernie & Neal on the Fisher Price Little People Stage
October 30
10:30am Live concert with The Plants on the Fisher Price Little People Stage
11:00-3:00pm Spooky stories in PECO Primate Reserve on the hour and half hour
12:00 pm Boo at the Zoo Costume Parade beginning on Bird Lake Plaza
1:30 pm Live concert with The Plants on the Fisher Price Little People Stage
Schedule is subject to change. Please refer to event map when visiting the Zoo for more information.
About The Philadelphia Zoo: America’s first zoo and one of the region’s foremost conservation organizations, the Philadelphia Zoo is home to nearly 1,300 animals, many rare and endangered. The Zoo, fulfilling its mission of conservation, science, education and recreation, supports and engages in conservation efforts to protect endangered species around the world. The Philadelphia region’s leading family destination, the Zoo welcomed more than 1.2 million visitors last year. The Philadelphia Zoo is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. For more information on the Philadelphia Zoo, as well as to purchase and print tickets online, visit us at www.philadelphiazoo.org. The Philadelphia Zoo is a non-smoking facility.
This author of Spit That Out! loves raising her family in Philadelphia
This week’s featured Mama of the week is Paige Wolf, mother of one cute two year old son and owner of Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations, which she has had for 10 years. Paige said, ”in the past few years I have been fortunate enough to work with green and sustainable clientele. Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations offers communications services to clients who contribute to a sustainable world and positive change. My clients range from national green beauty companies to local nonprofits to large community events. In addition to that, I am the author of Spit That Out: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt and I blog at www.spitthatoutthebook.com about making green living more practical, manageable, and affordable.”
Paige utilizes social media. She said, “I am addicted to Facebook and Twitter. Someone once said, “Facebook is about who you know and Twitter is about who you want to know.” I think that’s very true and why both mediums are equally important.”
Regarding childcare, Paige shared that her son is now in preschool five days a week, which he loves. He started at 14 months going 3 days a week. Prior to that he was cared for by a part time nanny. Paige said that her husband is able to work from home some days as well, so they’ve managed to balance their time!
Paige’s son, Sam, loves to play outside in their tiny city garden, color, and generally make a mess. She said she views her son as “a little mini version of yourself and your spouse that you created and how funny, smart, and adorable they are!” Her current challenge as a parent is dealing with the terrible twos. She said that she relies on other moms for advice and tries whatever works! Paige and her family live in Philadelphia and love their neighborhood. She said, “love having Seger Playground across the street! Also right by Whole Foods and my son’s preschool – it’s a regular loop around the neighborhood filled with familiar faces and wonderful city scenery mixed with plenty of green spaces! We love the park, going to festivals and outdoor activities – there is always something to do in the city and it’s usually walking distance!”
In regards to feeding her family Paige mentioned “we get a CSA (community shared agriculture) share from a local farm delivered to the city. I love that it challenges us to try new and healthy things, and finding ways to incorporate all these fruits and veggies into our meals! Sometimes we do get stuck with something we hate – like beets – so we share them with the neighbors!”
Paige’s book, Spit That Out: The Overly Informed Parent’s Guide to Raising Children in the Age of Environmental Guilt, covers a wide range of parenting tips. To sum it up, Paige’s advice to new parents is that just because your feel you can’t do everything does not mean that you should do nothing. This applies not just to green living but various aspects of parenting including activities, quality time and so on.
Thank you, Paige for sharing a bit of your life with Mama’s Little Helper readers!
 Paige Wolf, author of Spit That Out! If you know a mom who you would like to see featured here, please email Diane@mamaslittlehelper.org.
Looking for a fun family activity to celebrate Independence Day weekend? Do you have some Superhero fans in your family? Plays & Players is hosting a family-friendly edition of Superheroes Who Are Patriotic! on July 2 at 2pm. This special performance welcomes children of all ages, as well as adults, to enjoy a funny rendition of classic comic books.
This Save The Day Productions’ signature series returns with word-for-word staged readings of classic comic books. Not to be missed are superheroes brought to life with the best in low budget costumes and special effects, witty word play and absurd physical hijinks.
Be prepared to laugh out loud at this Philadelphia theater performance!
The show, Superheroes Who Are Patriotic! will be performed at the Plays & Players Mainstage, 1714 Delancey Place, Philadelphia on Saturday, July 2nd at 2:00pm. E-Z Park parking lots is offering a special 50% off discount to Plays & Players members and patrons at their lot located on 15th Street between Lombard and South Streets. Be sure to request a parking voucher from the box office after the performance to show the lot attendant in order to receive a parking discount. Tickets for the performance are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Tickets can be purchased in advace online or by calling 1-800-595-4TIX.
The books being performed:
Captain America Comics #1, “Meet Captain America!”
Back by popular demand from 2010, Captain America battles Adolf Hitler. Discover the adventure that started it all for Marvel comics. And America.
Journey Into Mystery #83, “Introducing… The Mighty Thor!”
Introducing…the Mighty Thor! When the Stone-Men from Saturn invade Earth, only the lame Dr. Donald Blake can stop them — but he stands no chance, not until he strikes a wooden stick on the ground and finds himself transformed into Thor, God of Thunder!
Marvel Treasury Special, “Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles:” Chapter Five
Sent on a time-traveling journey to discover the “true America” and witness to a battle on the moon in America’s future, Cap realizes that people will never stop fighting. Appearing in a classic Hollywood movie musical, Cap becomes outraged at the hollow pomp and circumstance, feeling the proceedings are a parody of patriotism. Originally released to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the good ole’ US of A, the grand finale of the 2011 Superheroes Who Are Patriotic! is sure to make you feel the true spirit of Independence Day.
 A life-size elephant holds a log of conga drums for kids to bang out tunes Summer brings the newest exhibit to the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia!
The new exhibit for the summer at the Please Touch Museum is open for fun! The Rainforest Rhythm exhibit has returned, complete with a life-sized elephant and lots of musical opportunities for kids to explore.
Rainforest Rhythm provides a unique play-based learning experience that encourages the inclusion of music into everyday life,” said PTM President & CEO Laura Foster. “Making music is an important part of childhood, as it promotes creativity, imagination and self-expression.
The life-sized elephant holds a conga drum log for kids to beat out a rhythm of their own. There are melodic frogs, a natural log organ and xylophones to make some tunes, and a giant tree filled with an assortment of sounds controlled by kids pulling different strings. There are rain stick logs that turn to create lovely sounds. And be on the lookout for chattering monkeys and a nine-foot long stuffed forest snake! Kids are able to interact and play with many nature-inspired musical instruments that encourage learning through play.
 Nature-inspired instruments in the Rainforest Rhythm exhibit The Rainforest Rhythm exhibit is adjacent to the Carousel room. To enhance the experience, the lighting is muted and visitors hear gentle rainforest sounds, such as a waterfall. At one end of the exhibit is a play area called the “Storybook Cottage,” that is toddler friendly. The Three Little Bears tale can be played out by little ones, complete with taking a “nap” in three different sized beds. It is just one of many learning activities for kids found throughout this exhibit and the entire museum.
 Little ones can play in the Storybook Cottage, adjacent to the Rainforest Rhythm exhibit at the Please Touch Museum
My son had a blast trying out all of the instruments in the Rainforest Rhythm exhibit. His favorites included the foot-pedal organ and the xylophones. He also enjoyed meeting a monkey, which was a puppet controlled by one of the museum’s staff puppeteers. The Please Touch Museum is a great place to go for things to do for kids anytime of the year, but especially during the summer when kids are home and it’s really hot outside. We find that visiting in the afternoon is a great time, as the museum is less crowded after lunch. We are members of the museum, as my son loves it so much we go at least once a month! When we went the first time to the museum, about two years ago, the Rainforest Rhythm exhibit was also on display then. My son loved playing with the musical frogs and climbing into the canoe back then. He was so small, he couldn’t even reach some of the drums. It was fun to see him play on this exhibit again, now that he is taller and could see things differently. It was just as enjoyable for him this time as it was two years ago. I was also impressed with how well-maintained the museum is kept, considering how many children visit daily. Despite this being a return exhibit, it was in pristine condition.
Entry to the Rainforest Rhythm exhibit is included with admission to the museum and will be on display all summer until September 6, 2011. Regular museum hours are Monday through Saturday from 9:00am until 5:00pm, and Sundays from 11:00am – 5:00pm. The Please Touch Museum, the Children’s Museum of Philadelphia, is located at Memorial Hall Fairmount Park, 4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA. For more information, call 215-581-3181, or visit www.pleasetouchmuseum.org.
 The Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia
Disclosure: Mama received a media tour preview of the Rainforest Rhythm exhibit and lunch, compliments of the museum. No monetary compensation was received. Photos are courtesy of Mama Diane.
A child’s first real Philadelphia theater experience.
Recently we had the great opportunity to see the Enchantment Theatre Company‘s production of The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon. We have been reading a collection of Harold stories since Christmastime when Santa gave my son a book of four Harold stories. I was fortunate to receive complimentary tickets to see Harold through a social media group to which I belong. The performance was at the Prince Music Theater in the heart of Center City Philadelphia. My son enjoyed taking the train into town and was great about walking to the theater from the train station. This was his first Philadelphia Theater experience, although he has enjoyed the plays and productions at the Please Touch Museum.
If you are not familiar with the Harold stories, they are basically about a four year old little boy who uses his imagination and his purple crayon to create a pretend world for himself. With his crayon, Harold draws all sorts of adventures, from going to the moon and Mars, to visiting the circus. In the performance, an actor portrayed Harold by wearing a mask and carrying a large purple crayon. To draw the images, he used the crayon to scribble in the air and the images appeared behind “him” on a screen. (“Him” was really a she!) It was incredibly clever and looked realistic. 
There was an essemble of characters that interacted with Harold, including some very silly clowns and a princess/friend. Mostly dressed in purple, the ensemble cast also contributed to the special effects of the show, helping create Harold’s bedroom setting, a garden, and a fun magic show.  The performance lasted about an hour, which was possibly a bit too long for us, but we made it through! Towards the end was one catchy number that drew back my son’s attention when they told a story about the alphabet. After the performance, the cast came out to take a bow and removed their masks so that the audience could see who was performing. They also held a short question and answer session and gave a brief history of the show.
I was impressed with the magic that went on in order to create the special effects of Harold drawing and then some of those drawings coming to life, such as the rocket ship pictured above. We had great seats in the second row, but I think even a seat further from the stage would be more magical, as I could see a few of the “how-to’s” of the special effects, but I don’t think the kids saw it.
When looking at the photos online of Harold, I was a bit concerned that the mask would appear frightening to my son. It is a bit odd looking, but in person it was not as strange looking to me and my son did not seem a bit scared of any of it, even the witch! (Although he said he didn’t like the witch.) Seeing the actors afterwards also helped with understanding the masks and costume concepts.
If you are in the Philadelphia area, this is a great kids theater experience to enjoy! The show runs until May 22. Check out the shows website for ticket information. The only thing missing was a corporate sponsorship opportunity with a famous local crayon company…it would have been great for kids to receive a purple crayon! This was my first time in the Prince Music Theater and it was just beautiful! I will be on the look out for their show schedule in the future.
Photo credits: The first photo was taken by the author, the second two are from the theatre company’s website, as photography was not permitted during the show.
Thanks to the Enchantment Theatre Company for providing us with tickets!
Mama Diane
Visit the Philadelphia Zoo and help Cradles to Crayons help kids!
Cradles to Crayons is sponsoring a “Spring Greening” event this Saturday, May 7th, from 1:00pm to 5:00pm at the Philadelphia Zoo. Before you head to the zoo, clean out your closets and bag up outgrown children’s clothing, shoes, toys and even old cell phones. Bring your bags as a donation and your zoo admission will only be $7! This 1st annual spring greening event will help local children and the planet by recycling clothing and helping this regions neediest children. Your entry fee will include complimentary snacks and beverages along with entry to the “energy fair.” For all the details please see this post by Cradles to Crayons, along with info about purchasing your tickets.
While your at the Zoo on Saturday, look out for Joey Fortman and Tara Bucci from MomsOnTheSpot.com!
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We Won 4th Place Last Year, Make Us #1 This Year!
Voted NJ #1 Consignment Sale!
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