High School Musical for a 4 yr old? - Page 2

[onlyzombiecat]

I would be mainly concerned about the length of the performance for 4 year olds.

I haven't let my dd(7) watch HSM or HSM2 because of the annoyance factor of what I've already heard/seen and marketing. I told her it was for older kids since it is about high school.

[Ruthla]

I've seen both HSM movies several times. IMO, they're just good clean fun. I think a 4yo is going to remember the songs and may not really follow the story too much anyway.

[kblackstone444]

My children love High School Musical. It's so sticky sweet, it makes me want to puke :Puke, but it seems pretty harmless. I think your child's teachers are nuts wanting to take 20 4 year olds, though! They probably want to go watch it themselves.

[pigpokey]

Originally Posted by transformed

I think the preschool is insane for taking 20 4yr olds to a play in the first place. All I have to say to them is "have fun!!!!!!!" :

What are they thinking? Mine wont be sitting quietly through a 2 hour production! I know my child!

I'm sure they are perfect angels when mom is not there to see.

I took my kids to a 50-minute performance of Peter Pan (ballet) through a school/homeschool matinee program. 4 year old started asking to go home before it even started. 2 year old asked too many questions but was otherwise into it.

It may not be a full length performance.

[madskye]

We went on a Disney cruise right after DD's 2nd birthday last year, and one night they had a High School Musical Dance Party in one of the lounges. We stopped by after dinner with the rest of our extended family to check it out. DD LOVED IT! I couldn't believe it. At this event, they had dancers on the stage showing the kids how to do the "moves" and DD got right up front and didn't actually do the moves, but jumped up and down and danced. They also had a karaoke mic so some of the kids could sing.

So, in a nutshell--she responded to the singing and dancing even at 2. And maybe this is more like a Wiggles concert, where the kids will be up dancing for most of the show?

[honeybee]

I've been exposing my boys to theater from a young age, so we go see a lot of kid shows. If there is music, it will generally keep their attention. If a show is geared to kids, there is a bit more tolerance for wiggling/whispering, and I just don't worry about it. They won't learn how to behave if they never go... and many people have no probs taking a 4 yo to see a kid's movie, so why not a live show?

HSM is going to be performed by the civic theater near us this year. I thought it was a teen thing, so I wasn't going to take him, but now I think we will go.

[transformed]

Originally Posted by honeybee

They won't learn how to behave if they never go... and many people have no probs taking a 4 yo to see a kid's movie, so why not a live show?

I dunno if I agree with that....there is the whole "age appropriate" thing,

I wonder why he can veg out to a movie but not at a play? hmmm...

[Jessy1019]

Originally Posted by honeybee

I've been exposing my boys to theater from a young age, so we go see a lot of kid shows. If there is music, it will generally keep their attention. If a show is geared to kids, there is a bit more tolerance for wiggling/whispering, and I just don't worry about it. They won't learn how to behave if they never go... and many people have no probs taking a 4 yo to see a kid's movie, so why not a live show?

I agree. We've taken our kids to movies and live shows from birth, and never had a problem with their behavior . . . same goes for restaurants and other "adult" places. It was really important to me that my kids be able to enjoy and appreciate those things, and they do.

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by transformed

I dunno if I agree with that....there is the whole "age appropriate" thing,

I wonder why he can veg out to a movie but not at a play? hmmm...

But I'm not taking them to see Shakespeare. There is kids' theater with shows designed to appeal to kids just as there are kids movies. I can't speak to HSM specifically, but we've enjoyed Peter Pan, Dr DoLittle, Where the Wild Things Are (ballet), and more. Of course, there are temperamental differences between kids. Ds2 does not like to sit still. So plays don't work so well for him (neither do restaurants for that matter), but he's enthralled by music and dancing, so musicals work out okay (since we don't mind him standing up on our lap or even in the aisle "dancing").

We took ds to see Nate the Great recently, and invited SIL with dn (age 6) and my bf with her dd (nearly 4, like ds). Both of them were paranoid that their dds would be bored or wouldn't sit still. All the kids loved it and were enthralled.

[GuildJenn]

I'm all for exposing kids to the arts. My mum took me to a lot of ballets that were totally over my head, but fostered a love for them that continues to this day.

I was just thinking this over. Here are the summaries for some musicals I loved as a kid:

"Catholic nun falls in love with widower while Nazis hunt dissenters down!"
"Dispatches from the mommy wars: SAHM and workaholic father hire nanny; nanny takes child to boyfriend's fantasy-land"
"Two men make bet they can reform working girl"
"Gang warfare errupts along racial lines; lovers doomed"*

But I would check it out if you're worried (I don't know anything about this particular musical).

* Sound of Music; Mary Poppins; My Fair Lady; West Side Story

[marybethorama]

I'm not against it but.......

First of all, I'd have no problem with a 4 yo watching it if I had a 4yo with older siblings. There's nothing in it that is inappropriate IMO.

BUT I wouldn't take a group of 4yo's as a class excursion. My kids are older and they go to see things like "Charlotte's Web" and "If you give a mouse a cookie"

[marybethorama]

Originally Posted by GuildJenn

I'm all for exposing kids to the arts. My mum took me to a lot of ballets that were totally over my head, but fostered a love for them that continues to this day.

I was just thinking this over. Here are the summaries for some musicals I loved as a kid:

You know, you are so right. My kids loved Mary Poppins. They were obsessed at a very young age.

[DianaCA]

I saw with my 3 year old. It's a great movie.

[dentmom3]

My kids love both the HSM movies. DS who is 3 sings all the songs with a marker standing in front of the fireplace (our 'stage') and he and DD pretend to be in the show. DH and I did the whole dance along thing to both movies as well.

I will say that DD was bothered by the fact that they do kiss in the second movie. And she totally got the plot, even at 4 years old. But DS is just more into the music and the dancing than the relationships.