**This post is sponsored by Dallas Children’s Theater to bring you this experience. All opinions are 100% our own!**
Fall is the best time of year in Texas. The weather starts to cool down, fall festivals are every weekend and it’s time for spooky parties and pumpkin spice lattes. Now that it is October, my family was excited to go kick off the spooky season at the Dallas Children’s Theater. ‘Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium’ is inspired by the popular children’s book by R.L. Stine, Goosebumps #20. It is a fun cross between a thriller, a mystery, and a comedy. Loosely inspired by the classic Phantom of the Opera, it has it’s own perfect songs by John Maclay and Danny Abosh that are so catchy, we sang them up until bedtime. We have had the pleasure of seeing several productions at DCT, but this one is a new family favorite.
‘The Phantom of the Auditorium’ follows Brooke and Zeke, two best friends who are cast in their school’s new play. There is a rumor that the school and theater is haunted which is backed up by a tragic history and a reportedly cursed script. The plot thickens when strange occurrences happen during theater rehearsals. The students take a comedic stab at trying to solve the mystery in the theater, which makes for a particularly fun theater experience. Each character is so well written, it was hard to pick our favorite.
R.L. Stine recently relayed in an interview with DCT “I never get tired when parents come up to me and say, ‘My kid never read a book in his life, but last night I caught him under the covers with a flashlight reading one of your books….It’s a wonderful thing!” Well, my twins stayed up late whispering in their beds about the performance, talking about scenes and when they were onto the story plot. In a way, I hope that taking my kids to performances like these show them a world of creativity, culture and acceptance. The DCT season theme is Finding The Way Home, and in a way the ‘Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium’ characters all find some sort of home in their school theater. They all end up working together to get their production to be a success, despite the spooky fun obstacles that get in the way.
This production is particularly awesome because kids are encouraged to wear costumes as audience members. Get out your Halloween costumes now for what may be the best costume party of the fall. There are silly sensory activities to do before the show. Get there early so your kids can feel their way through the mystery boxes and then draw or discuss their thoughts about what gives them chills. We loved feeling our way around and squealing with disgust or delight during the pre-show fun.
There is a short intermission where snacks, including Sprinkles Cupcakes, can be purchased. My children always look forward to the great snacks at DCT. Be sure you stick around after the show and meet the cast in the lobby. My kids love getting their programs signed by the performers and have them in a keepsake book at home.
The production is geared toward audiences aged 7 and up, but my kids would have thoroughly enjoyed this if they were younger since in our home, spooky is funny. ‘Goosebumps the Musical: Phantom of the Auditorium’ takes the stage from September 22 to October 29, 2017. Be sure to check out other upcoming DCT productions like A Charlie Brown Christmas, The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show and the Jungalbook. The Dallas Children’s Theater has a fantastic 2017-2018 season and offers package pricing for multiple shows or season pass holders. General tickets can be purchased at www.dct.org
One of my favorite things about DCT are the sensory friendly performances and those can be booked by calling the box office at 214-740-0051. The theater makes it easy for parents and the staff is all so incredibly kind. Each person there, including the actors, really enjoy children which makes for a stress free family event.
Get out before the curtain closes on this must see production.
You are sure to get goosebumps!
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