Move over Jonas Brothers — The Doodlebops “preschoolers” band is on tour!

This past week marked the beginning of a 51-show cross Canada tour featuring giant screen technology, original sets and costumes along with new songs and fan favourites. Fans of the Doodlebops show will love the interaction and new cast!

Wondering what the show is all about? Read below to find out more from a Canadian Family who took their three kids, 7 year old Meara and 4 year old twins, Rhett and Naomi. And visit the Doodlebops website for more information on this Canada-wide tour!

We’re Going to the Doodlebops Concert!

When I told the kids that we would have a chance to go to a Doodlebops concert, Rhett and Naomi were so excited. They’ve been to various plays and to live shows when we’ve been to Wonderland or at Disney, but they’ve never made a dedicated outing for a concert like this. My husband watches a lot of live concert footage with them (Tom Petty or Queen usually) and they love it! This was their chance to go to a real “rock concert”. Meara was a little different. She said that she hoped that none of her friends would see her there. I was a little shocked and sad to think that at 7 and a half, she was too cool for the Doodlebops. I pointed out that if her friends were to see her there, they would also be there. I suggested that she view it as Rhett and Naomi’s experience and she was coming along out of support and sisterly love!

In the days leading up to the concert, Rhett and Naomi told everyone they met that they were going to see the Doodlebops. Reactions to the news varied from envy and excitement from their pre-school friends to blank stares from adults who had no idea what they were talking about. We went to the website to get ourselves ready. That was neat. We especially liked learning the steps for the dance of the day.

Before the Show

On the night of the show, we had a nice dinner out and then made our way to the theatre. I was grateful that the merchandise area was tucked out of the way and not right in your face as you entered. We could get to the show, without feeling like we had to buy any of the many items that were for sale. Our seats were great with a clear view of the stage. Rhett and Naomi could barely contain themselves as the minutes before the show passed very slowly for them.

Meara had been somewhat justified in her concerns. As we scanned the audience, she was definitely one of the oldest kids in attendance. Most were younger even than Rhett and Naomi. I’d say most were in the 2-3 age range. Even with this age difference we found Meara learned a lot from this experience and we’re glad she came along!

Show Highlights:

• They started off with their instruments briefly, but spent most of the show dancing and singing up front.
• Deedee told some of her favourite knock-knock jokes.
• Moe played some of his hiding tricks and also did some breakdancing.
• The Doodlebop dancers (2 male and 2 female) joined the Doodlebops on stage. This made the show more entertaining and kept things flowing when the main characters needed to rest.
• The songs were excellent. Naomi’s favourite was a slower song that Deedee sang about not being scared when the lights go out. She keeps talking about this - as bedtime darkness is a big issue for her. Rhett’s favourite was one about waiting, I think called “Hold your Horses”. He thought that the dance moves were funny. I liked the one called “Birds” because it was cute and upbeat. They also sang about going on their tour and the different instruments. They sang a song about making wishes - Naomi wished to be a princess and Rhett wished for a new dog (ours passed away just before Christmas). Another favourite was “Let’s Get Loud” where the children had a chance to scream when given a certain cue. Of course, some of the staples like “Get on the Bus” were included as well. The mom behind me was belting out every word of every song, I was not so well-prepared, but was awfully impressed!

Other points worth mentioning…

• The choreography was wonderful and as a dancer herself, I think that’s what Meara could really appreciate about the show. The performers would often show a few of the key moves to a dance before they started so that the kids could “dance along”.

• The show was well-timed. They went from 7-7:30, took a little intermission and then continued from 7:45 until about 8:30. This was as late as you would want to go with this crowd. Some of the younger children were having a hard time holding it together, but Rhett and Naomi did not want the show to ever end. Naomi said to me again today, that she just wanted the Doodlebops to keep on singing.

What the kids thought….

I’ve asked Naomi who is her favourite and no surprise, it’s Deedee. Her reasoning is because they both like pink. Interviewed completely separately, Rhett chose Rooney as his favourite because his favourite colour is red. I would have thought that he’d pick Moe, because he’s the silliest. Meara - no comment.

Mike and I both thought that the show was fun and a positive experience. The messages/lessons are about accepting people’s differences and working together as a team. For our family, it was just a fun night out together. It was very precious to watch Rhett and Naomi’s faces as they were somewhat starstruck by a kid-friendly rock band. They were truly delighted.

It was also, I think, an important lesson for Meara. As the oldest child in the family, we’ve spent a lot of time taking in her activities. Rhett and Naomi have been attending her dance recitals and spring concerts etc. for a long time. It was good for her to do something more related to their interests. I talked to her about empathy, since it had recently been our character trait of the month at school. We often think of empathy as feeling bad for someone when they are having a hard time, but it could also mean being excited for someone when they’re really happy. I pointed out Naomi’s face to her and I think that she got it.

Another plus from our experience is that, thanks to Deedee, we now have some new Knock Knock joke material at the dinner table!

Posted on February 8th, 2009 by admin
Filed under: Concerts & Productions, Family Fun