The Vital Theatre Company is pleased to announce the return of past Vital favorite A (Tooth) Fairy Tale, opening March 16, 2013 at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre at 2162 Broadway at W 76th St. With a book by author Ben Winters (Uncle Pirate[musical]; The Last Policeman; Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters [novels]), music and lyrics by Rick Hip-Flores (My New York), and direction by Linda Ames Key, A (Tooth) Fairy Tale was hailed in its original Vital Theatre Company production in 2008 as “Written to amuse anyone from 4 to 12, the show is even a treat for parents: this is one children’s extravaganza that won’t set your teeth on edge” (New York Times).

Performances run March 16 – April 28 on Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1 pm, with special school holiday performances on March 25 – 28 and April 1 – 2 and 10 at 11 am and 1 pm. Tickets begin at $25. Premium seats are available for $30. For reservations, visit www.vitaltheatre.org, call us at (212) 579-0528, or visit the McGinn/Cazale box office. Vital Theatre Company is located at 2162 Broadway at West 76th Street on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.

Collecting teeth and delivering quarters is tiring work, and The Tooth Fairy is ready for a vacation! Luckily, she meets a young boy named Samuel who is sick and tired of being a kid, and all the rules that go with it. But when Samuel and the Tooth Fairy arrange to switch places, nothing goes exactly as planned as adventures ensue across the Upper West Side of Manhattan and throughout New York City. A (Tooth) Fairy Tale is a wild, silly adventure filled with shiny quarters, sugary candy and learning who you’re really meant to be.

The cast of A (Tooth) Fairy Tale includes Jamie C. Anderson, Cory Lawson, Emily Maixner, Katrina Michaels, Jen Morris, Joel Stigliano, and Andreas Wyder. The crew includes Director Linda Ames Key, Set Designer Kyle Dixon, Costume Designer Sarah Riffle, Lighting Designer Josh Bradford, Musical Director Mike Pettry, Choreographer Tim Connell, and Production Stage Manager Kelly Burns.

A (Tooth) Fairy Tale concludes the 2012-2013 Vital season of family programming. Featuring four musicals for children and families, this year’s Vital season included two world premieres - Fancy Nancy The Musical and Show Way - and the return of Vital favorites Angelina Ballerina The Very Merry Holiday Musical and A (Tooth) Fairy Tale. This lineup continues Vital’s mission to produce entertaining and educational live theatre for families and young audiences.

I’m thrilled to be giving away a FOUR tickets to A (Tooth) Fairy Tale at the Vital Theatre Company!   The tickets will be valid for any performance of the show from March 23 – April 28.   Performances are every Saturday and Sunday at 11 am and 1 pm at the McGinn/Cazale Theatre at 2162 Broadway.  They also have school holiday shows on March 25 – 28 and April 1, 2, and 10.

To win, tell me about how the tooth fairy is handled in your house. Do your kids believe?

You can get additional entries by doing one of or more of the following:

- Follow The Culture Mom on Facebook.

- Follow The Culture Mom on Twitter.

- Follow The Culture Mom on Pinterest.

This giveaway will end on Wednesday, March 20th  at noon EST. Winner will be posted here, on the Culture Mom Facebook page and via email and will have 24 hours to accept their prize.

Disclosure: This giveaway is hosted by the Vital Theatre Company.  I was not compensated to run it but I get great pleasure out of sending a family to their shows.

I wasn’t born in NYC but I became an official New Yorker on 9/11.  I was in the city when the towers fell and from that day on, I was no longer an ex-pat.  My accent got thicker, my roots got tighter and I set down my fort and never left.  Just a few years later, I would bring two children into this world and they would inherit my fierce patriotism to the city we live in.  Our passion for the city is universal and I never have to struggle to get my kids in for a dose of culture.

So, during the February break, I decided it was time to visit the Museum of the City of New York to learn about our city’s history and celebrate its incredible evolution over the years.  I wanted them to understand all the changes NYC has endured since its inception in the 1600s and how grateful we really should be to live here.

Mission accomplished. After several hours of exploring the museum’s exhibits about the past, present and future of the city, I think my children have a better understanding of all the work and love that goes into making NYC one of the greatest cities in the world.  At ages eight and nine, they are able to make more sense of the information they are taking in. They waded through the paintings, sculptures, photographs, theater souvenirs, manuscripts, rare books and clothes from the 1800s and watched the transformation of the city go from farmland to a vast, urban landscape.  My daughter and I gawked at the Stettheimer Dollhouse on the ground floor, created by Carrie Stettheimer in the 1920s, whose artists friends created masterpieces to don the house’s walls. I used to love doll houses when I was a kid, so it brought back memories.

Here is some information about the exhibits we explored today:

Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers, Jan 23rd through Sep 15th

Making Room: New Models for Housing New Yorkers showcases innovative design solutions to better accommodate New York City’s changing, and sometimes surprising, demographics, including a rising number of single people, and will feature a full-sized, flexibly furnished micro-studio apartment of just 325 square feet – a size prohibited in most areas of the city.  Visitors to the exhibition will see models and drawings of housing designs by architectural teams commissioned in 2011 by Citizens Housing & Planning Council, in partnership with the Architectural League of New York. The exhibition also presents winning designs from the Bloomberg administration’s recently launched pilot competition to test new housing models, as well as examples set by other cities in the United States and around the world, including Seattle, Providence, Montreal, San Diego, and Tokyo.

Activist New York, Ongoing

Activist New York explores the drama of social activism in New York City from the 17th century right up to the present. In a town renowned for its in-your-face persona, citizens of the city have banded together on issues as diverse as historic preservation, civil rights, wages, sexual orientation, and religious freedom. Using artifacts, photographs, audio and visual presentations, as well as interactive components that seek to tell the entire story of activism in the five boroughs,

Timescapes: A Multimedia Portrait of New York, Ongoing

Timescapes, an engrossing 22-minute multimedia experience, traces the growth of New York City from a settlement of a few hundred Europeans, Africans, and Native Americans to its present status as one of the world’s great cities. Created by Jake Barton of Local Projects and James Sanders, co-writer of the PBS series New York: A Documentary History, and narrated by actor Stanley Tucci, the film features animated maps and archival photographs, prints, and paintings from the Museum’s collections.

Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s, Dec 5 through Mar 31

Designing Tomorrow: America’s World’s Fairs of the 1930s showcases six Depression-era expositions that brought visions of a brighter future to tens of millions of Americans. As many Americans still waited on bread lines, fairs in Chicago (1933/34), San Diego (1935/36), Dallas (1936), Cleveland (1936/37), San Francisco (1939/40), and New York (1939/40) foretold much of what would become commonplace in postwar America–from highways and the spread of suburbia to modernist skyscrapers and products such as electric toasters, nylon stockings, and television. The fairs looked forward to an era of prosperity, when ingenuity and innovation would transform not only American cities but also the everyday lives of American citizens. Visitors will see sleek, modern furniture and appliances of the era, vintage footage from the fairs, and futuristic drawings of the New York World’s Fair’s buildings from the Museum’s collection.

Currier & Ives and Other Winter Tales, Opens Dec 15th, 2012

Currier & Ives and Other Winter Tales presents highlights from the Museum’s exceptional collection of works by 19th-century New York’s preeminent printmakers. From 1834 to 1907, the firm of Currier & Ives produced more than a million prints for the mass market, many of them based on works by the leading artists of the day. Currier & Ives’s iconic winter scenes of skaters in Central Park, along with bucolic scenes of snow-covered small-town life, became the standard imagery for the American holiday season. Other treasures on view from the Museum’s collection bring the spirit of Currier & Ives’s winters to life, with 19th-century skating outfits, old-fashioned ice skates, and a real one horse open sleigh. Completing the wintry scene are notable paintings from the collection by New York artists, including Childe Hassam and John O’Brien Inman, depicting the distinctive light, color, and activity of old New York under the mantle of winter.

The museum is located at 1220 Fifth Ave
 East, Harlem.  Consult their website for details:
 mcny.org.  Opening hours:
 Daily 10am–6pm. Transport:
 Subway: 6 to 103rd St. Suggested donation: $10, seniors and students $6, children 12 and under free.

Disclosure: I am working with the museum on a project and was allowed complimentary admission.

I wasn’t looking forward to Thanksgiving.  With my mom unable to join us this year, the holiday leaped out of nowhere and threw me for a loop.  Two days ago I had a blank slate before me, which I needed to fill in order to provide a fruitful holiday for my children.

Having never witnessed the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Blow Up after living in NY for more years than I’d like to admit, I jumped at the chance today when I was invited to a special event at the New York Historical Society which overlooks West 77th Street where it all takes place.

First we attended the preview of Holiday Express: Toys and Trains from the Jerni Collection at the NY Historical Society.  Model trains, train stations and sheds, bridges and tunnels, carousels and Ferris wheels—all populated with toy figurines in colorful nineteenth-century dress, are on view this holiday season, in the first museum exhibition of selections from the renowned Jerni Collection. Among the unique, hand-crafted and hand-painted toys is the only existing first model elevated station. Designed by Märklin, ca. 1895, it is known as the Rolls-Royce of toy train manufacturers and is displayed in the Judith and Howard Berkowitz Sculpture Court, near the 77th Street entrance. It’s stunning and so is this fabulous museum.  I was thrilled to explore the Children’s Museum which really brings NYC history to life.  I want to return to the museum for a much deeper exploration.  After a bit of an explore, we headed outside to see the balloons bring blown up.

After Hurricane Sandy, there was apparently a helium shortage, but that wasn’t apparent today. The blow-up takes place all around the American Museum of Natural History and we got glimpses of Kermit, Hello Kitty, Papa Smurf, Kungfu the Panda, Spider-Man and Charlie Brown.  It was amazing to see how many people it actually takes to inflate each balloon.  There were upwards of a dozen people standing in each one.

This was a much better idea than trying to battle the crowds at the parade tomorrow, although I won’t lie – there were some heavy crowds tonight.  If you want to do this next year, it’s along Central Park West at West 81st Street and at West 77th Street, from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Watching these huge balloons get filled is just as exciting as seeing the parade in real life.  Tomorrow morning we get to keep our pj’s on and watch the parade from our sofa, which is exactly where we want to be.

The night completely rejuvenated my spirits and in the upcoming days as we are thankful for what we have, I’ll be thinking about how lucky we are to live near the greatest city on earth.

The NY Historical Society is located at 170 Central Park West at Richard Gilder Way (77th St).

Disclosure: We were provided with special media access for the exhibit opening and access to the less populated side of West 77th Street but all opinions are my own.

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar

So I jumped at the opportunity to take my son for a special “back screen pass” to Treasured Stories by Eric Carle at The Symphony Space today.

Located on the Upper West Side, this was our first time to The Symphony Space (Broadway & 95th Street) Darren Critz, Director of Family Programs, explained, “Going to see the arts is easy to do. Families can roll out of bed and come here.”

During our theater tour, my three year old son had the opportunity to turn the stage lights on. It was a special treat to be able to see the puppets backstage prior to the show.

The special effects were very impressive. It was really fun and exciting to watch The Very Hungry Caterpillar bite into the various food items. The caterpillar was also adorable as he wriggled and climbed across the tree and kicked the left-over food.

My son enjoyed identifying each of the animals, what color and the sound each made during Brown Bear, Brown Bear….He also danced around in his seat. I enjoyed watching the students eyes moving back and forth as they recited each of the animals in the finale of that story.

We were unfamiliar with the final story, Papa, Please Get The Moon For Me. While the sets were beautiful, we did prefer the former two stories which we know by heart and were reciting along with the narrator.

We will definitely be returning to Symphony Space again. I’ve marked my calendar for KamiKaze FireFlies on January 12, 2013. I feel so fortunate that my son has been exposed to performances at such a young age and is able to be well-behaved and sit through stage shows.

The Mermaid Theater of Nova Scotia’s new tour includes stops all over North America including shows in ME, VT, MA, CT, NY, ON, NJ, DC, BC, WA, CA, NM, AZ, NB, WI and more so you may still have an opportunity to catch it while it tours the country.

Symphony Space is located at 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Check out their listing of events for the 2012-2013 season here.

Lainie Gutterman is the founder and editor of Me, Myself & Baby I.

Disclosure: We were provided with complimentary tickets in exchange for coverage but all opinions expressed are original and our own.

I started reading the Harry Potter books with my 7 year old this year and I understand the significance of this series.  I’m enjoying them as much as he is, perhaps even more.  It’s pure fantasy, a treasure of words for any child.

Since I write about culture and travel, I bring you an opportunity for you and three others to step inside the famous wizard’s magical world with Harry Potter: The Exhibition, returning to Discovery Times Square on November 3 in New York City. Since its hugely successful run in 2011, Harry Potter: The Exhibition has been updated significantly with artifacts from the film series, including the final film.

The 14,000-square-foot experiential exhibition, invites visitors to visit dramatic displays inspired by the Hogwarts film sets and see the amazing craftsmanship behind authentic costumes and props from the films. Harry Potter: The Exhibition offers fans a firsthand view of hundreds of artifacts displayed in settings inspired by the film sets including the Great Hall, Hagrid’s hut, the Gryffindor™ common room, and more.

Back by popular demand, this stop in New York City will serve as the exhibition’s return to North America after a yearlong international tour.  Tickets are available for $19.50 (child 5-12), $25 (adult) and $22.50 (senior 65 and over) and can be purchased starting today online at DiscoveryTS.com, at the Discovery Times Square box office (226 West 44^th Street) or by calling (866) 987-9692.

To win FOUR TICKETS to, all you have to do is comment below.

You can get additional entries by doing one of or more of the following:

- Follow The Culture Mom on Facebook.

- Follow The Culture Mom on Twitter.

- Follow The Culture Mom on Pinterest.

This giveaway will end on Tuesday, October 30th. Winner will be posted here as well and will have 24 hours to accept their prize.

Disclosure: I have partnered with the publicity firm representing the Harry Potter Exhibition in NYC to present this opportunity to my readers.  I was not compensated to write this post.

Pricing is $28.00 for adults, $20.00 for children (3-12) and there is an infant comp ticket, for children 3 and under.

The Kids Cruise is a great way for young children to discover the sights of NYC and have the chance to learn fun and exciting facts about the city. They will also have the opportunity to take a photo by the Statue of Liberty.

The Kickoff event will include a performance from special guest, Dan Zanes, as well as:

-Live interactive tour guide -Juggler -Magician -Balloon Artist -Meet and Greet with The Berenstain Bears -Food and drink available for purchase -Raffle prizes and giveaways -Complimentary giftbag

 There will also be many NYC attractions participating on Circle Line’s Pier 83 frontage. These attractions include:

-Ripley’s Believe it or Not -Bike and Roll -New York Aquarium -Yankees -Intrepid -Lucky Strike -Poll Position Raceway -New York Liberty

Broadway and Off-Broadway Show Performances included are:

-Freckleface Strawberry -Sister Act -Priscilla Queen of the Desert - One Man Two Guvnors -Ghost -Zarkana -Once -Rock of Ages -Traces -Memphis -Spiderman -Pottered Potter

 Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post.

Set to the classical music of Tchaikovsky in a tiny and magical kingdom beneath the roots of a lush, giant tree, the ballet tells the story of Princess Aurora, the evil spell cast on her 16^th birthday, and the gallant prince who breaks the curse with a kiss. A cast of fourteen dancers brings to life one of the most beloved fairytales of all time.

To enhance the experience, Artistic Director Diana Byer will hold a 5-minute workshop before each show to educate the children on the inner workings of the production. As a section of Sleeping Beauty includes mime, Ms. Byer asks the children to stand at their seats and learn the mimed sections. She explains what each gesture means so they can easily follow the ballet.

Each seat at the intimate Florence Gould Hall offers an excellent view of the stage. Tickets are $31 for children and $36 for adults and can be purchased at www.nytb.org, Ticketmaster (800-982-2787) or the box office at 55 East 59th Street (212-355-6160). Group rates are available. For all other locations please visit venue website for price and purchasing information.

Or you can enter to win a pair of  tickets to Sleeping Beauty at the NY Theatre Ballet! 

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below and let me know which show you would choose – March 10th or 11th – and who you would take.  Please be sure to leave an email address or Twitter handle IN YOUR RESPONSE below (this is important!)

Winners will be chosen on Friday, March 2nd at noon.  The winner will have 24 hours to accept the prize or it will go to the runner-up.

Disclosure: Giveaway courtesy of  the NY Theatre Ballet.

The concert is taking place at the Rose Theater at Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Broadway at 60^thStreet, New York, NY.  Tickets for the Jazz for Young People concert are $12, $20, and $28 and you can win a family pack right now on MamaDrama!

I hope that you’ll head over there to enter.

LOVE THE SKIN YOU’RE IN is Freckleface’s new motto.  Now called “Freckleface the Musical”, the new production is taking place at Manhattan Movement and Arts Center, a new facility that functions as a theatre, rehearsal studio center and dance school. The new show is better than ever, and best of all, its producers want this show to be a catalyst for change, to help teach some valuable lessons to kids about tolerance and self acceptance.  Producer and co-writer of the musical Rose Caiola, a staunch supporter of children and the arts, is a huge advocate of getting the message out that bullying is wrong to kids of all ages.

On Monday, January 16th at 1pm, which happens to be Martin Luther King, they are offering a special performance and talk back.  The discussion will be about bullying and in the audience will be school groups who are there to enjoy the theatre and take home an important message.

Producer and co-writer of the musical Rose Caiola, a staunch supporter of children and the arts, is a huge advocate of getting the message out that bullying is wrong to kids of all ages.

The MMAC Theatre (Manhattan Movement and Arts Center) is New York’s newest family destination for performances and classes. For information on all shows at the theatre go to www.manhattanmovement.com.  For tickets to other performances of FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY call telecharge.com and 212 239-6200.  FRECKLEFACE STRAWBERRY plays on Saturdays and Sundays at 1 pm and 3 pm with added holiday performances (check out website at www.frecklefacethemusical for complete schedule).

In addition, if you are looking for discount tickets to the show, please use this URL to purchase $40 tickets: http://www.broadwayoffers.com/go.aspx?MD=2001&MC=MAMADRAMA.

Disclosure: I am working with Freckleface Strawberry on behalf of my company, MamaDrama, but all opinions are my own.

Looking for something cool to do with your kids this holiday season in NYC?  I know what’s on my bucket list: The Amazing Max and the Box of Amazing Things.  It’s being billed as a magic show for the whole family.  According to the New York Times, “The Amazing Max and The Box of Interesting Things’ is a Magic Show with a mind of its own. Objects appear out of thin air, the laws of physics are defied, and miracles are performed inches from spectators’ faces. As the props onstage seem intent on surprising even the magician himself, this out-of-control show bursts with striking visual magic, comedy and juggling, and loads of audience participation.”

The AMAZING MAX plays at the MMAC Theater, located in Manhattan Movement Arts Center at 248 West 60th Street between Amsterdam and West End.  Performances begin at 4:30pm and tickets range from $29.50-$49.50.  They can be ordered through

Telecharge.

And now, right here on the Culture Mom, you can enter to win TWO tickets to the The Amazing Max and the Box of Amazing Things!

HOW TO ENTER?

Disclosure: These tickets were provided to me complimentary for this giveaway but I was not compensated for this post.  I will be receiving complimentary tickets to see the show in a few weeks and will review the show here on The Culture Mom.