More Theater Monday - The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood

We were given complimenary tickets to The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood for review purposes. Any and all opinions expressed here are our own.

What: The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood

Where: TADA! Youth Theater
             15 W. 28th St.
             New York, NY

Who: Recommended for Ages 8 and Up

When: Through December 15, 2019

Me - The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood was a good show. The show was basically  the story of Little Red Riding Hood told from the point of view of the wolf. I generally like stories based on fairy tales. Although, this show was not my favorite of the genre, it was enjoyable. It wasn't my favorite TADA! Youth Theater show either. I enjoyed it more than some but not as much as others. There were a lot more songs in this shows than in most TADA! Youth Theater shows. I liked that there were more songs because the songs are one of the best parts of the shows. I don't know how they managed to get so many songs in in a one hour show and still have plenty of dialogue in it as well. The songs were fine and one in particular actually stuck in my head. The acting, singing and dancing in the show were all good. Over all, it was an entertaining show.

Mom - The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood, unlike most TADA! Youth Theater shows, was not written expressly for the troop. In fact, not only was the music for the show written by Jule Styne of Gypsy and Funny Girl fame, but a TV version of the show starred none other than Liza Minelli. Despite this the songs were a mixed bag with some less noteable and others extremely catchy and memorable particularly a song called Ding-A-Ling, the chorus of which repeated in our heads even after we'd seen the show. Perhaps because of its pedigree, the show felt a little different than the average TADA Youth Theater show, in which an important life lesson is always learned in the end. The quality of the show, however remained equal to the usual TADA! Youth Theater standards. The acting, singing and dancing were mostly delightful. The young actor playing the part of the Woodsman had a particular strong and beautiful voice. Unfortunately, I can't recall his name since there were two young actors sharing the part, and I did not catch the name of the one appearing in the performance which we attended. On the whole, it was another engaging and fun show performed by this talented troop of young actors.

And that's our view. For more information about The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood, to purchase tickets, or to find out about other upcoming TADA Youth Theater shows, visit www.tadatheater.com.

Tune in tomorrow for Tips for Tuesday.

Photo credits: All The Dangerous Christmas of Red Riding Hood production photos by Chad David Kraus