WESTMINSTER COLLEGE Caillou brings 'Big Party' to celebrate with kids

The show makes for good family fare, the producer said.
By NANCILYN GATTA
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
Westminster College's Celebrity Series is giving families a reason to leave the warmth of their homes and venture out into the wintry weather. "Caillou's Big Party" the live production based on the beloved children's books will appear at Orr Auditorium at 3 p.m. Feb. 8.
"There are very few things that one can do as a family together and get focused on. This is one of them," said Bruce Davidsen, producer of the show.
Caillou is a 4-year-old boy with a cat named Gilbert and a younger sister, Rosie, who is experiencing the adventure and challenges of life. Each day is something new for him to do or see from helping Mommy set the table to learning how to ski.
What it's about
Davidsen describes "The Big Party's" concept: "Caillou and his friends get together to play. They ask, 'What are we going to do?' Someone asks 'What's the best party/event you've ever been to?' One of them had been to a Mexican fiesta. One of them had been to a Chinese New Year celebration. Somebody had been on a train. All of these things happen right there in front of you. The songs and dances are relative to what's going on on stage. All the d & eacute;cor is built to look like it was done by kids."
The eight characters onstage guide the audience through various audience participation songs and dances.
"We try to make it real easy to be a part of it," he said.
Davidsen knows that he has his work cut out for him when it comes to entertaining an entire family with a production based on a preschool series.
"The kids walk in with their imagination at 100 percent. The moms walk in between 46 percent. We figure the dads walk in at 9 percent in general," said Davidsen. In a few minutes, everyone is involved.
Joining in
"Somewhere between the second and third songs, all they're doing is focusing on the show. At one point in the show it gets very quiet and we know that moms and dads are focusing with the kids like laser beams because those are real characters on the stage," said Davidsen.
Older siblings who are brought along may also be less enthusiastic about attending a performance with younger siblings. Soon they recall the fun that they had when they attended child-oriented productions.
"The first kids to get up and start dancing are the 12-year-olds. The show's not focused for them, but they're the ones that get up first," said Davidsen.
Just like the main character, Caillou, who is always learning new things, "Caillou's Big Party" gives its young audience members a new opportunity.
"Parents want children to have experiences, and one of the great ones is going to the theater and being part of something. One of the great things about going to the theater is to allow yourself to use your imagination and not expect it to be handed to you through a TV show," said Davidsen.