Theater Thursday Road Trip - Because of Winn Dixie

What: Because of Winn Dixie

Where: Goodspeed Opera House
             6 Main St.
             East Haddam, CT

Who: Recommended for Ages 10 and Up

When: Through September 1, 2019

Me - Because of Winn Dixie is such a good show. Bowdie is the best! I love him! Bowdie is the dog that stars in the show. The show is about a girl named Opal who finds a dog in a Winn Dixie store, and she adopts him as her own. He helps her to make friends in her new town. He really helps everyone in the town to become friends. It is based on a book of the same name. There is also a movie. There are a lot of aspects that are similiar to the movie, but there is also a lot that is different. I loved the book and the movie but I also love the show. The story is heartwarming. The characters are likeable. There were some songs that I really liked although I don't remember that much about them right now. I love dogs, and I just love the idea of a show that revolves around a dog. Bowdie was a really great choice as the dog to star in the show. He is really well behaved and calm, and isn't bothered by people. It makes me happy everytime I see the dog in the show. He and the girl who played Opal really seemed to have a bond. It really added to the experience of seeing the show. Although not everything in this show is happy, over all, it leaves you feeling good.

Mom- Have you ever been at a show where a live animal appears on stage and heard the audience breathe a collective sigh? Because of Winn Dixie with its canine star, Bowdie, is a show that is full of such moments. This is not to say that the show is sickeningly sweet and aimed only at the youngest audience members because it is certainly is not that. In fact, the show is not for very young children at all although older children would enjoy it. There are some very dark topics covered in this show including a mother deserting a child and a child's death. These things do not actually happen during the course of the show. They happened prior to the opening of the show but are discussed in the show. This is not to say that the show is entirely dark and depressing either. There are plenty of light, happy and joyous moments in the show as well.  This is more than just the story of a little girl and a dog. It is the story of a whole town and a dog, and how that dog brings the town together. The world could use a dog like Winn Dixie right now.

And that's our view. Tune in Sunday for this week's Sunday Scoop. 

Photo credits: All Because of Winn Dixie production photos by Diane Sobolewski.