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Superheroes greet youngsters
By Jordan Cohen
WARREN
Batman, Spider-Man, Wonder Woman, The Incredible Hulk and Captain America earned the superhero designation because of their superhuman skills exceeding those of mere mortals.
On Sunday at the Hippodrome Ballroom, the five demonstrated another skill not normally associated with crime fighting or superhero attributes: dancing to Bruno Mars’ “Uptown Funk.”
Actors playing the five were joined by nearly 200 children as part of the “Superhero Experience,” in which young people, mostly age 2 to 7, met and posed for pictures with their favorite comic-book legends, and danced with them, too. Parents paid $25, which, in addition to the photos and entertainment, included lunch.
“I love it,” said Landon Royalty, 4, of Cortland who dressed as Batman. Why? “I don’t know,” he responded.
“That’s a typical 4-year-old answer,” said his mother, Lea.
Little Dominic Gottuso, 2, dressed as Superman, took on imaginary villains on the stage, oblivious to everyone and everything around him. Dominic, of Hermitage, Pa., deftly jabbed, boxed and no doubt defeated whatever bad guy had the misfortune to get in his way.
The “superheroes” were getting into it as well, especially Roseann McCracken as Wonder Woman. McCracken is a fourth-grade teacher at Warren’s Willard K-8 School and has posters of her character on her classroom walls.
“I love her,” she said of Wonder Woman. “She is a strong, independent woman and my role model.” McCracken said her students enjoy hearing about her “other life,” which includes appearances as Snow White.
Brent Adzema of Maple Heights, a very tall Batman, towered over his young counterparts in similar costumes, nearly all of whom wanted to take pictures alongside him.
“I’m a rookie at this sort of thing,” he said as the children looked upward at him in what seemed like amazement.
The characters of Spider-Man, the Hulk and Captain America stayed silent through the nearly three-hour “experience,” but gave thumbs-up to whatever the children requested.
Jennifer Campbell, founder of Moxie Events of Warren, said her company, which focuses on family entertainment, plans another superhero gathering in Boardman in October.
“Today, we were sold out, and we’re hoping to make this an annual event,” she said.