March 11th and 12th, Cherish the Ladies are going to be playing with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, about an hour from where I live. I have an interest in attending with my family, which includes my 8-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.
Any thoughts on whether they would be welcome, or viewed (by other audience members if not by performers) as inappropriate?
Some background: We’ve taken our kids to cultural events before–Broadway plays and such. They are pathologically well-behaved. They’re quiet, and I’ve impressed on them to keep their feet off the backs of the chairs in front of them (it drives me crazy to have a kid behind me kicking my chair), and other matters of etiquette relevant to kids. It seems that so much kid-oriented entertainment is such crap these days. I think it’s good to expose them to something finer.
The shows start at 8pm, which certainly leads me to believe that bringing kids is not encouraged.
Whaddya think?
(BTW: Forgive me if this is too OT. The newish Pub Forum seems like it’s for even Off-er Topic posts, and this Whistle Forum is still where I feel most at home.)
I think the start time is simply what is customary for the orchestra–nothing there to indicate that children aren’t welcome. Symphony orchestras tend to do their thing right about 8 p.m., so I’d think that’s all it is. I don’t think Cherish the Ladies are going to put on a scandalous performance, either.
If there are no other performances at an earlier time, then I think you should take your children simply because your children will benefit from this. It’s educational, as well as entertaining. It’s a cultural event, after all, not the dog track.
If you are confident your kids can behave, then take them. If the bluebloods sniff their noses at you . . . well, that’s just too damn bad.
And if you want some kid-oriented entertainment that is not crap, watch for Trout Fishing in America, which is several orders of magnitude above the duck-heads-on-ice disney shows that pander to that age group.
Take them: they’ll flip out!
Every Irish event I’ve ever been to has had kids in the audience, and they always seem to really get into it a lot. As a bonus, you’ll be introducing them to symphonic music too, which is a great thing. As Bloomie mentioned, do bring them to meet Joanie afterwards-- she’s a charmer.
So, how far from Cohoes is Rochester…?
Thanks for the input, everyone. I’m gonna buy the tickets tonight. I do like the idea of giving the kids additional exposure to Irish music as well as to symphonic music (especially since my son plays clarinet, and my daughter is set on starting violin next year).
I went back to check RPO’s website, and it specifically says that kids are welcome at all performances. It didn’t exactly gush about it, but that’s okay. I do “get” that kids are not exactly the target market, which is fine (actually, they have special programs for kids). Apparently, the conductor gives a 1/2 talk about the music prior to each performance, so maybe we’ll even try to attend that.
Um, Cohoes? Cohoes? Where is that? (I suspect that if I have to ask, the answer may be “too far.”)
Not that you need any more encouragement, but I grew up in Rochester and got taken to lots of RPO events as a kid. Maybe because of the Eastman School, it is (unless things have changed greatly) a city with a strong interest in musical education. And the Eastman auditorium (assuming that’s where it is) is great fun for kids all by itself–lots of stairs and alcoves and places to explore.
I was purchasing the tickets online, and the site didn’t seem to be working out quite right, so I’ll do it tomorrow either on the phone or in-person. Of course, in the process, I got to see what the total will likely be-- $220. Ahh, I knew there was some other reason why I shouldn’t bring the kids.
[quote="DarnTootin I got to see what the total will likely be-- $220. Ahh, I knew there was some other reason why I shouldn’t bring the kids. [/quote]
A good show like this can easily be a life changing experience for your kids. You get to introduce them to first rate Irish music AND a symphony orchestra (btw-- is it an all Irish program, or some mainstream classical too?). In an era of canned music or superstars of pop with questionable (at best) talent, hearing expertly played live music is a fabulous experience.
Pop a CD of Cherish the Ladies in the machine and see if your kids don’t start tapping their toes. If they do, get those tickets. None of you will regret it. Who knows, they might even want to start playing whistle…
I don’t think 220 for taking out the family to a show is a good value. I suppose it depends on how much you make etc. but it seems like alot to me. I see the ticket prices range from 22 up to 52 so if I were to be considering such a show, I’d probably check the seating chart and if the seats aren’t too far away opt for the 32 dollar tickets. I see they have a kidfest, or something like that, for reasonable prices. This isn’t exactly the Irish music show you were talking about but it’s nice to see they have more affordable priced shows.
My mother began taking us kids to the L.A. Philharmonic back in the 60s to introduce us to classical music. I was about 7 and didn’t really understand it but the music just swept me away.
I think kids ought to be exposed to as much a variety in music, as young as possible, before they get jaded and snotty about musical tastes.
Hey, I owe a mea culpa (?) to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Ultimately, I learned that they give a 20% discount on tickets purchased for kids – a very kid-friendly policy. (I’m glad the website didn’t take my transaction. Otherwise, I don’t think I coulda scored the discount).
Ultimately I went for the 34-dollar tickets. The whole shebang cost 160 bucks.
It’s billed like this: "We celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Cherish the Ladies and their spectacular blend of instrumental, vocal and dance talents. They join your RPO in captivating new arrangements of traditional Irish folk music featuring the band’s signature harmonies and traditional Irish step dancing. Joining the band as special guest is Triona Ní Dhomhnaill, a founding member of the legendary Bothy Band. "
Sounds good to me. I’m really looking forward to it! I’ve seen (heard) plenty of Irish music in my life, but this is the first time since I started learning the whistle, last year.
