BWW JR: URBAN- May I Present Your Weekend Plans

If you don’t have plans this weekend and you have kids ages 8 and up, here’s a fabulous suggestion:

When I heard that the New Victory Theatre, one of the best family theatres in New York (and probably the world) was presenting a show from Circo Para Todos , a professional circus school for disadvantaged and displaced kids in Cali, Colombia, I knew I had to be there to see the show.  Not only am I a huge fan of circus and acrobatics (did you see what a sucker I was for Bring it On?), Colombian kids have a special place in my heart because a few years ago, my husband and I adopted one of them.

Circolombia, the company that produces and promotes the work of Circo Para Todos and it’s artists, created URBAN,  an edgy, acrobatic, off-beat, autobiographical show, as a presentation for adults.  It features highly trained acrobats and dancers who all grew up in the poorest, most dangerous parts of Colombia only to find opportunity and acceptance on stage.  This scaled-down version of the show is recommended for kids ages 8 and up, but I can’t believe it’s lost any of its edge in the transition.  This was like Cirque du Soleil from the barrio, with hip hop style choreography and Latin flavored beats surrounding astounding feats of athleticism, balance and showmanship.  Picture In the Heights meets Spiegelworld.

The music is loud and gets under your skin so that it’s hard not to stand up and dance.  The New Vic recommends this show for kids ages eight and up, and I can understand why.  As much as I wanted to bring my son to see a show straight out of his country, I’m glad I chose not to bring my four year old.  This is a perfect experience for older kids and their parents.  It’s something unique and cool and it can genuinely be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. 

But at it’s heart, URBAN is about it’s own cast: kids who came from the most challenging environments and took steps to change their fates. URBAN is about who they are, where they came from and how they have survived.  The show’s message was beautifully stated by my friend and MamaDrama partner, Holly Rosen Fink of TheCultureMom.com:  “anyone can break out of their environment and make it in this world”.  Very easy to say from where we sit, and so emotional to watch from the seats of the New Victory Theater.

I went home that night and kissed both my kids…..one of them homegrown and the other outsourced…and felt thankful for the opportunities I’m able to give them.

GET TO THE POINT, MOM!

• A high-octane, edgy, acrobatic circus show that tells the stories of kids growing up in the slums of Colombia.
• Best for kids ages 8 and up and their parents.
• Runs through
• For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the show’s website.
• Try not to dance in the aisles.

@BroadwayWorldJr 

Erin Leigh Peck is a New York based actor, writer and mother. She has performed on and off Broadway, in regional theatre and on tour, in films and on television. She most recently appeared Off-Broadway in The Toxic Avenger Musical and can often be seen on television in various commercials. Erin's play Mother of Mine is a contemporary 'dramedy' about pregnancy, parenthood and postpartum. She is the proud and busy mother of two extremely awesome kids. Please visit her web site, www.ErinLeighPeck.com.

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