Babies Proms at Sydney Opera House has been running for more than 30 years and remains the perfect introduction for toddlers to the joys of live performance.
When: 15 to 25 March, 2012
Where: Sydney Opera House, Utzon Room & Studio
Duration: 35 minutes
Age Group: 2 to 5
Cost: Standard $23, Insiders $18.40
Bookings and more info: Visit the Kids at the House Website
Review of The Four Seasons by the Franklin family (Terrie and 3.5 year old Annabel), Sydney's Inner West
The Performance
What a wonderful Babies Proms experience! The performance of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons captured the imagination and hearts, not to mention the attention, of all the children at the performance. It looked like a full house, but that didn’t seem to bother the children, who were engaged from the moment the first chord played until the very last goodbye.
A charming usher introduced the show. The orchestra consisted of a violin, viola, cello, a soloist violin and the Maestro Sarah. A tree and other props were used to tell the story.
The show was a magical journey through the seasons and the storytelling was terrific and involved the children on the journey by asking questions, inviting them to stand and carry out different actions, as well as searching for different ‘hidden’ props on stage. He also encouraged the children to listen to the music to ‘hear’ birds singing, wind howling, falling rain and chilly temperatures throughout Vivaldi’s composition.
Annabel (three and a half), when asked what was her favourite part of the show, replied "Michael the storyteller"! She also loved the summer time and stomping in the rain (which has been a favourite past time this summer too).
At the end of the performance, there was an opportunity to take photos under the ‘tree’, which was great because no photos were allowed during the show. However, the photo time was very short and the performers (and their instruments) disappeared quickly. It would have been great for the children to get a closer look at the instruments with perhaps a chance for a photo with the musicians too.
The Logistics
Getting to the Opera House is very easy on the train and the added bonus is the kids love it! There is something special about arriving at Circular Quay with the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and ferries to greet you. If you prefer to drive, parking tickets for the Opera House car park can be validated inside the show.
I would recommend arriving early as the performance queue can be long. The seating is general admission, so the closer you are to the front of the queue, the closer to the front of the stage you will more than likely be. Prams are not allowed inside the Utzon Hall, but are well accommodated for in the foyer area, albeit a little hectic. If you have a stroller which folds easily, I would recommend using this as it can be ‘checked in’ to the cloakroom. If you have a more bulky pram, you have to wait for the previous performance’s guests to collect their prams before you can ‘park’ your own.
The Opera House staff were fantastic by giving directions, helping with prams and general assistance. The Utzon Hall is a lovely and intimate venue, with stunning views. The children sit on the floor and parents on chairs in a u-shape around the floor space. Parents can sit with their kiddies on the floor as long as it is on the edge of the floor space so as not to interrupt the view of other children.
We packed lunch for after the show and enjoyed our picnic by the buzzing crowds at Circular Quay before catching the train home.
The Verdict
A big YES from the Franklin family! The idea of Babies Proms is such a simple one, but so incredibly effective. The Four Seasons has sparked conversations with Annabel about music, seasons, storytelling, instruments, birds, trees, the Opera House and much more. However, the most important factor – Annabel just loved the show and whole experience of the day!
This was our second Babies Proms (we saw the Flamenco show last year) and we are planning on going to the Music for Tutu’s performance in May. The Babies Proms caters very well for younger siblings. Our second daughter, who is 15 months, didn’t come along to the Four Seasons, but I am looking forward to bringing her to the next one as I am sure she will love going with her big sister.
Review of The Four Seasons by the Talbot Family (Emma and her 3.5 year old daughter), Sydney's Inner West
The Performance
From 6 month old babies to 5-6 year olds, they were all entranced with this magical new way of storytelling. There was just enough interaction with the children to allow them to feel part of the experience but still enjoy the music.
The music is exquisite and I think the mums and carers enjoyed it just as much as the children. The lead violinist was absolutely amazing and quite animated in her playing. As each season was played I decided that it was my new favourite, until the next season came along. What a beautiful and well known piece of music.
What will the kids get out of it?
My 3.5yr old daughter decided to stay on my lap on one of the chairs. I think if we’d gone with friends, she might have felt brave enough to sit on the mat. Her eyes were glued to the stage and while she decided not to ‘do the moves’ with the other children, she had a big smile on her face and laughed at all the right moments. At the end she said to me she wanted to hear the concert again and her favourite part was the bird.
The Logistics
Don’t forget to bring your parking ticket with you to be stamped by the attendant at the cloak room on your way out. It’s $17 for up to 3 hours which is enough time to have a potter around or go to the café before or afterwards. Allow plenty of time to negotiate the never ending circle of carspots. I was lucky to find an odd spot on level 2 but I noticed most of the mums after the show pressed the button for level 6 all the way at the bottom. If you are close to a ferry stop or train station and have extra time up your sleeves, walking up from Circular Quay would really add to the experience.
The Verdict
Our first Babies Proms experience was an utter delight and well worth the effort. The music is superb and Michael a great accompaniment to keep the children engaged. Highly recommended
See all 4 Babies Proms! Buy a Season Pass and pay only $19 per ticket. Phone and counter bookings only. Please call 02 9250 7777 to book your Season Pass. Click here for more information.