This past Saturday my family and I were pleased to experience the interactive children’s improv comedy show Kerplunk at the Rockwell Theater in Somerville. Kerplunk is a quirky comedic combination of improvisation, the popular choose your own adventure books we all read as children, and musical theater. My husband and I were excited to experience an interactive show with our children and introduce them to the fantastical world the theater and can catapult you to!
Kerplunk is lead by a spunky penguin puppet named Pablito and his fearless puppeteer. Pablito guides the audience through the storyline based on ideas provided from the children in the audience. The cast of four comedians improvise their way through the show with a combination of song and silly conversation. Musical accompaniment was provided by a single keyboardist who was definitely the star of the show for me. He seamlessly provided upbeat background music for the cast to follow and create their own lyrics on the spot! This feat takes a tremendous amount of patience, talent and of course focus!
I have to say I was thrilled when Macaroni Kid asked me to mom review this show as I grew up laughing with the cast of “Whose Line Is It Anyways”. In all honesty I had no idea how they would pull off a promised wild adventure with live feedback from children mostly under the age of 8, but boy did they deliver with their first and last performance of The Ice Cream Princess. The cast showed an immense amount of wit and comedic talent as they allowed the children to yell out answers to questions that would guide us on the journey of a young ice cream princess named Tim attempting to defy the Evil Sugar King by adding healthy food choices into his life! The show was fun, silly and entertaining for all. The cast left no stone unturned and even provided some adult humor to keep our attention and keep the show from dragging for the adult population. Children in the audience got really excited to participate, yelling out silly answers to the questions to guide the cast on a truly unique path! It was amazing to see the cast quickly respond to the constantly changing plot that at any other time or place, made no sense at all!
This show was interactive in more ways than one! On many occasions Pablito asked the children to join the cast on stage and act as various characters in the show. On one occasion they were different foods at a grocery store and at a different point they were chickens on the sugar farm. I enjoyed this part immensely as it was fun to see the children experience the stage and physically take part in the show. Some of the children got really into it clucking and dancing around the stage and others were not so sure how they wanted to participate. My children tend to be shy and not act opportunities like this one. My son decided he would sit it out and have fun watching. My daughter however, joined the others during the second chance to go on stage and had a blast. It was a joy to watch her participating in the show, laughing with other children, interacting with the cast and of course clucking like a chicken.
In the end the cast was able to deftly tie up the show with a positive moral lesson: Too much of a good thing isn’t always the best thing. Make your own choices, listen to your gut and be your own person! Not a bad lesson for a Saturday morning!
Kerplunk was definitely worth the adventure to Somerville! The show is never the same thing twice so chances are if you head back a second time you will enjoy it just as much as the first. Maybe next time my son will get on that stage and find his inner star!
There are two more chances to see Kerplunk at the The Rockwell on December 3rd and 17th at 11am. Tickets are available online or at the door if available, and are $10 per person (children under 2 are free). The Rockwell is located at 255 Elm Street in Somerville. This show is recommended for ages 3-12 and runs one hour with a five minute intermission.
ABOUT THE ROCKWELL:
In September of 2016, the Davis Square Theatre reemerged as The Rockwell, continuing its legacy of providing a home for the region’s flourishing arts community in honor of its late owner, Somerville business leader and restaurateur Ken Kelly (The Independent, Foundry on Elm, Saloon, Brass Union, River Bar). The new incarnation of the playhouse includes the name dedication, an updated look, equipment upgrades and original programming curated by the theater. The Rockwell is located at 255 Elm Street in Somerville. For more information, please call (617) 684-5335 or visit www.therockwell.org. Follow The Rockwell on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @RockwellThtr.
