BAGONG SALTA (NA BATA) SA MANILA: PALABAS-LABAS

London is often cited as a great place for live entertainment, especially for kids.  And it is! When we were there, hardly a weekend went by without a new children's play, performance or festival being staged. We must have taken the LLDD-Baby to dozens of these kind of shows: dances, puppets, book adaptations, TV characters, musicals - you name it. And she seemed to be into them so much we thought live shows might be the thing she'd miss the most about living in London. For the LLDD-Baby's sake, then, we hoped Manila would have a similarly happenin' kiddie scene. 

And it does! And with lower ticket prices! The LLDD-Baby's not even missing out on anything, because many of the performers here are the same ones that have staged/will stage shows in London. Heck, we've had Peppa Pig and Gruffalo sightings here already!

So that's the LLDD-Baby sorted. The remaining concern at every kiddie event: everyone's happy the younglings are entertained and all that, but is there anything in the show that can keep the grown-ups from checking their phones, dozing off or simply tearing out their hair in sheer boredom?

Yes! There always is!


Bubble Man

Children's Laughter: 3 out 5 snot bubbles

Adult's Amusement: That's a Bb. Pilipinas-Universe onstage helping out with the bubble-making, son!

Disney Live

Children's Laughter: 3 out of 5 mice

Adult's Amusement: The neon "Under the Sea" glow-in-the-dark sequence no doubt made some of the hippier parents go "Wow, pare, hanep sa trip"

Hi-5

Children's Laughter: 1,2,3,4, Hi-5! Out of 5!

Adult's Amusement: Ha! Grown-ups be lying if they said they didn't know all the members, songs and dance moves of the Hi-5 juggernaut by heart.  Heck, we're all so into it, making tsismis and intriga during the show was its own form of entertainment.  Why didn't Mary join the tour?  Who is this Jess they're trotting out? Who'll replace Stevie when he retires? Can anyone replace Stevie when he retires? What is this Hi-5 school that you're promoting, and am I too old to enroll? Why did Dayen suddenly disappear from the stage -- during the climactic 'L-O-V-E' of  all times?!??! 

Disney on Ice

Children's Laughter: 5 out 5 princesses

Adult's Amusement: Seriously, if you don't birit a show-stopping Let It Go with the rest of the crowd, then you should take a long, hard look at yourself as a parent.