“Bluey’s Big Play” — Story by Joe Brumm. Music by Joff Bush. Presented by BBC Studios and Andrew Kay in association with Windmill Theatre Co. at the Boch Center Wang Theatre. Run has ended.
By Shelley A. Sackett
It’s true what they say about grandparenthood — there is nothing like it. There are so many things you didn’t even consider doing when childcare duties sucked your days dry of time and energy. But now that those children are grown and have children of their own (and are willing to drive them to meet you at the theater!), the opportunity to not just attend but actually enjoy such events as “Bluey’s Big Play” are the payoff.
Which I did last Saturday with my Bluey-obsessed three-year-old grandson. We had a blast.
The theatrical adaptation of the Emmy® award-winning children’s television series follows the Heeler family through a full day from sunrise to bedtime. Bluey and Bingo work to keep their dad, Bandit, from reading on his phone. Bluey and his mom, Chilli, talk about his being a good example as a big sister to Bingo.
The 45-minute show is approximately as long as six regular Bluey episodes, which, although it seemed short by adult standards, was the perfect attention span bandwidth for the preschool crowd.
When the lights first went down, a short section set to the familiar music of “The Weekend” with marionette bird puppets was a delight. A family of three birds enchanted with their charming dances and interactions. It was, frankly, magnificent. The puppetry was terrific, and the ambiance was magical, especially when a flock of smaller birds swept across the stage, creating shadows in the sky and on the walls.
The audio track for Bluey’s Big Play was prerecorded by the voice actors from Bluey, and each character in the show was represented onstage by human-sized puppets. Each puppet requires at least one puppeteer to operate its facial expressions (eyes and eyebrows) and arms, while at times, a second puppeteer is needed for actions that control its legs and tail or to add and remove props from the puppet’s hands.
Unfortunately, the puppeteers were very obvious, unlike the recent Daniel Tiger live show, where adults donned life-sized costumes. My grandson’s first comment was, “They’re stuffies (stuffed animals).”
There was no mistaking this Bluey show for the real McCoy.
Nonetheless, the plotline was easy enough to follow, the lessons important ones to take away. And the swag and free pre-show ice cream added a special touch. But the most special treats came after the story ended. Giant balloons were tossed into the audience and they made their way from row to row as kids (and their parents and grandparents) did quick catch and releases. The final extravagance was bubble cannons that shot geysers of bubbles into the air. Not one child — or adult — left the theater without a wide smile on their face.
