What I liked
“Mr. Malcolm is a great actor” said my 8 year old on the way home from the show. His genuine nature and kindness were permeating and something that the kids really responded to and kept them engaged. For me, I loved the slice of nostalgia and experiencing it through the eyes of the kids in the audience. It was also a great length at around 45 minutes and the kids got to interact with the characters/puppets and performers (all puppeteers and industry pros btw) after the show and take pics
What I didn't like
I think it was the first performance with an audience so a few things probably didn’t go according to plan and you could sense the performers adjusting on the fly. They made good adjustments and handled it extremely well. For one, there was more audience participation than they probably expected- the kids had a lot to say haha! I’m confident they will work that in a bit more smoothly now that they know what to expect.
My overall impression
I’m not normally a review writer but Mr. Malcom’s Music Factory was awesome! It brought me back to my childhood in the best ways possible. All of the energy and focus was devoted to kids having a great experience and learning about music and “big feelings.”I write this as my kids are watching Lego Ninjago in the other room and singing and clapping along a whole lot less than they were with Mr. Malcolm and friends… quite a stark contrast and a good reminder that this type of constructive and educational content has to be sought out these days more than it was in the past. My boys were singing in the car on the way home and had a great time.
