ROCKgarden Party! (Little Fingers Music) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review

Rock ‘n’ roll your way to ROCKgarden Party! at the Palmerston Library! Brought to you by Little Fingers Music, this interactive FringeKids! musical (at the Toronto Fringe Festival)  is about being good to the planet, making music, and meeting new friends.

Jack in the Green (Jonah Hundert) is a likeable tree who is concerned about his thirsty plants. SkaterDude (Charlie Kert) is a city slicker who loves concrete and thinks fruits and vegetables grow from grocery store packages.

Our third character is the charming Earth Angel (Emily Andrews). She is a turquoise and golden creature who comes out of her egg before our eyes. All the kids were in awe of her hatching!

What my wee Fringer liked about ROCKgarden Party! was that he was not just sitting back and watching, but actually participating. Our young audience members were pixies and Groms, and their job was to encourage the rain to fall.

With this smiling, dynamic cast, our pixies and Groms were clapping hands, stomping feet, slapping bellies, and making wind noises. My little buddy got extra excited when he made music with “bamboo sticks” and plastic bottles containing rice. What kid wouldn’t like handling an unusual percussion instrument with permission to make a lot of noise?

It was this hands-on music-making that made this play so effective. The save-the-planet message came through very naturally, as we enjoyed this rich musical experience. Hats off to Charlie Kert who composed the eight catchy songs. He deserves your help in making his music come alive.

If your young Torontonian likes to boogie and clap hands, take them to ROCKgarden Party!

Details

Rockgarden Party! plays at the Palmerston Library. (560 Palmerston Ave., near Bathurst and Bloor.)

Show times
July 04 at 02:30 PM
July 06 at 03:30 PM
July 07 at 11:30 AM
July 08 at 03:45 PM
July 09 at 01:00 PM
July 10 at 12:30 PM
July 11 at 07:00 PM
July 12 at 01:00 PM

Tickets for FringeKids! productions are $10 for adults, $5 for those 12 or younger. Tickets can be purchased at the door (cash-only), or can be purchased in advance for a $2 service charge either online, by phone (416-966-1062), or from the festival box office at the Fringe Club. (Rear of Honest Ed’s, 581 Bloor St. West).

Money-saving value packs are also available if you are going to at least five shows; see website for details.

LATECOMERS ARE NEVER ADMITTED TO FRINGE SHOWS. To avoid disappointment, be sure to arrive a few minutes before curtain.

Photo of ROCKgarden Party! in 2012 provided by Little Fingers Music