NYC

Pip’s Island, An Immersive Theatrical Times Square Show Perfect For You And Your Family

 

New York City has so many fun, family-friendly things to offer.  Whether it be, crazy cool pop-ups, Broadway shows, bus tours, Instagramable stores, or girly pink restaurants, NY has it all.  One of the most unique experiences we tried a couple years ago, was called Pip’s Island, an immersive theater experience which has returned for a permanent stay in Times Square!  And we were so excited to be invited back to preview the all-new performance!

What is it?

It’s part theater, part interactive performance, part puppet show, part digital wonderland.  The kids are asked to help save Pip’s Island from darkness and evil and instead of passively sitting and watching a story unfold, they are asked to don an explorer’s jacket and follow along step-by-step, room-by-room.  Immediately engaging, it sparks curiosity and creativity.  And I loved how it provided a surprising escape from our everyday world.

What Can You And Kids Expect?

You’re led by humorous actors who lead you on a somewhat mysterious journey.  You’ll meet Pip, Pebble and Finn (the good guys) as well as the villain, Joules Volter and his army of moles who are determined to take over Pip’s Island.  You’ll learn signature moves and chants to ward off evil, collect achievement badges called “sparks” all the while practicing teamwork and STEAM curriculum elements. By you, I mean the kids..the parents are allowed to rest on benches and seats throughout and simply let the kiddie explorers be the day’s hero.  (Though you’re more than welcome to participate..I gave them bonus points for letting the parents rest and watch!)  Pictures were not allowed on this journey so you’ll have to use your imagination and go check it out yourselves!

The interactive and immensely entertaining journey is about an hour-long and each room and pathway is filled with dazzling, detailed 3D design, digital surprises and Disney-worthy sets.  It was like jumping into a storybook or video game and I highly recommend it for kids aged 4-10.

You can buy tickets in advance (for a $10 discount) at PipsIsland.com.  There are discounts available for schools and groups, as well as birthday party packages (what a creative way to celebrate a birthday, huh?)  And accompanying adults need their own ticket.  Note – they close Tuesdays.  But you as my followers and readers can get 10% off by clicking here and using code Pip10

While in Times Square, you’ll also want to check out, Ocean Odyssey, a digital, underwater wonderland or Gulliver’s Gate.where you get to travel the world through incredible, miniaturized scenes.  Click through those prior posts for more info on what to do in Times Square with kids!

 

And as always make sure to follow along our daily adventures on Instagram where in stories, we show all the behind the scenes video and more!

King Kong For A Wild Night Out On Broadway

A Wild Night Out

These days as a mom, a wild night out might mean nothing more than dinner and a drink with a friend where we stay out past 10pm. Even that type of a crazy night out is an extremely rare occasion which is why when King Kong the Musical offered complimentary tickets to see their show, I hopped at the opportunity to make it a mom’s night out.  Cuz what could be wilder than seeing the re-make of this film featuring a beauty and a beast on Broadway (without kids)?  OK so I can think of a couple of things but this would have to do for now.

The Star Of The Show

What a treat it was to be at the Broadway Theater and witness Kong come alive on stage.  Despite being cast alongside Broadway talents such as lead actress, Christiani Pitts, King Kong truly was the star of the show.  At 20 feet tall, he towered over everyone too! I found myself with my mouth gaping down to the floor on more than one occasion.  That roar!  It was visceral and shockingly loud.  Kudos to the sound design team for so powerfully projecting his prowess!

Some of the most creatively produced scenes involved Kong climbing the Empire State building, jumping in slow-mo and falling to his death.

And I couldn’t get over his animatronic, yet life-like expressions!  He looked almost human-like.  You truly feel his pain when captured and depressed.

That massive marionette puppet was such a breathtaking spectacle that he more than made up for the lack of memorable score.  This may not be the kind of musical you’ll leave whistling or singing the songs to but it is one you will never forget!

What I Learned

After the show, the invited bloggers were invited to stay to meet and greet some of the cast and puppeteers for an intimate Q&A session.  That’s where we learned that this show started in Australia before moving to NY (to launch last November).  They went through 3 renditions of this primate puppet (what a massive expense that was!)  And there was a mighty 12+ person team of aerialists/gymnast/dancer/actors controlling every coordinated Kong move including “voodoo operators” controlling his body and face movements via hydraulics.   Gavin Robins, credited as Kong’s movement director, is the show’s behind-the-scenes MVP.  Just moving Kong’s heavy steel arm up in the air, required such force, strength and agility!  The choreography involved with each step seemed mind-boggling and it was truly fascinating to hear their stories of how they trained for their unique job.

A HUGE thank you to the King Kong troupe for spending time with us to answer so many behind the scenes type questions, and to King Kong Broadway for inviting us and for making this all possible.

The show runs until September 2019.   And you can use this discount code KKPVM129 here for your own tickets!

 

Know Before You Go

Running time: 2hrs 15mins. One intermission.

I would not suggest this show for kids 5 and under.  Monstrous King Kong with its overbearing size, sound and beastly qualities may scare small children and even give the bigger kids nightmares.  Know your child and decide for yourself.

The theater does have seat risers for younger kids to see the stage better.

 

This post is made possible by support from King Kong Broadway. All opinions are my own.