BROADWAY IN DETROIT 2023 SHOWS

Broadway in Detroit has announced their lineup of stage shows which will be presented at the Opera House and Fisher Theatre for its 2023 season. Shows include Company, Disney's Frozen, Mrs, Doubtfire, Six, To Kill a Mockingbird, Wicked, and a seventh production yet to be announced. The schedule is as follows:

Six [May - June 2023 @ Fisher Theatre]

Six is a modern retelling of the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. They have come together as a band to stage a pop concert and invite the audience to hear their stories. They cannot decide who should be the lead singer, so they initiate a competition, or singing battle, to see who suffered the most as Queen. Each wife believes they had it toughest and they belittle each other’s attempts to prove their hardship. However, they become frustrated that their place in history is defined by one man. Together, they decide to pick up the pen and the microphone, and re-write their own stories. They are more than a rhyme, more than a wife, and much more than one King could handle.

Company [October 2023 @ Fisher Theatre]

On the night of his 35th birthday, Robert struggles to think of a wish to make as he blows out his birthday candles. The lone bachelor, surrounded by “those good and crazy people” -- his married friends -- Robert is uncertain whether he should simply be happy with his lot or whether he should wish for his own romantic partner. Over a series of dinner parties, first dates, and thoughtful conversations, Robert attempts to understand the pros and cons of marriage from his diverse and frequently hilarious friends, and begins to make sense of his own persistent bachelorhood. Company, Stephen Sondheim’s groundbreaking modern musical, is a mature, intelligent, and wildly funny look at relationships, vulnerability, and “being alive.”

Mrs. Doubtfire [November 2023 @ Fisher Theatre]

Unemployed actor, Daniel Hillard, loses custody of his three children after a messy divorce from his wife, Miranda. Desperate to connect with his children, he creates the alter ego of Euphegenia Doubtfire, the picture-perfect Scottish nanny. Unaware of Mrs. Doubtfire’s true identity, Miranda hires Doutbfire to take care of the children. As his alter ego begins to take on a life of her own, Daniel learns more than he bargained for about fathering from Mrs. Doubtfire. From the writing team behind Something Rotten (2014), Mrs. Doubtfire is a smash hit comedy filled with lots of love and laughter!

Frozen [November 2023 @ Detroit Opera House]

When newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally sets off an eternal winter in the town of Arendelle, her younger sister Anna (along with her friends Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven) goes off on a thrilling adventure to find her sister and save the kingdom. Facing an unsuspected villain, unpredictable ice powers, and something new waiting round every corner, Anna must fight alongside her friends to bring back summer. Frozen reveals how true love can come in many forms, and that the bond between sisters is something truly special.

Wicked [January - February 2024 @ Detroit Opera House]

Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz takes place before L. Frank Baum’s classic Wizard of Oz story ever began. Before Dorothy was even alive, two young girls met in the Land of Oz, became rivals, and then friends. One was born with emerald green skin, with a brilliant mind and a fiery spirit. The other was classically beautiful, with great ambition and incredible drive. The green-skinned Elphaba was ostracized by her family and by everyone at school. The beautiful Galinda was destined to be forever popular. Over the course of Wicked, we discover how these two young women became rivals and then the closest of friends – and how they ended up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Originally starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, Wicked is an amazing vehicle for two powerhouse actresses, and also features a large, strong ensemble.

To Kill a Mockingbird [March 2024 @ Fisher Theatre]

It’s 1935, and racial tensions are high in Maycomb, Alabama. Nonetheless, young Jean Louise Finch -- or Scout, as she is fondly called -- manages to live a rather carefree, privileged existence, insulated from issues of race. All that changes when Scout watches her father, Atticus Finch, defend an innocent man, Tom Robinson, against a potential death sentence, which looms threateningly against him because of prejudice due to race. Scout begins to realize that just because society portrays something as being true doesn’t mean that it actually is fact. With the the help of Atticus, and her older brother Jem, Scout learns that “growing up” often means doing what is right, even when it comes at great cost. To Kill A Mockingbird is now considered an American masterpiece about the power of childhood innocence, morality, and love. However, it is important to note that the author, Harper Lee always defined it as a simple love story.

For more information about theatrical productions coming to Detroit, visit broadwayindetroit.com

AquaBall Holiday Giveaway

AquaBall, the zero-calorie, sugar-free, and preservative-free children's beverage know for packaging featuring Disney's Frozen, Disney Princesses, Marvel's Avengers and Disney Classic Characters for its Berry Frost, Fruit Punch, Grape and Strawberry Lemonade flavors is hosting a very nice holiday giveaway.  You'll want to check this out because not only are they giving away a great prize for kids, but also some things moms and dads will appreciate winning as well.

There's a prize pack just for dads with useful and fun tech items from Logitech and Ultimate Ears.  I especially like the headphones for online video game play.

A lucky mom will win a prize pack with a limited edition Laura Mercier cosmetic set, stained glass birthstone dish, and a nice scarf featuring the quote "I love you more today than yesterday, but far less than tomorrow."

Plus there is a prize pack just for kids that includes a space scooter, bell helmet, and Light Stax block set.

Get your entries in because this giveaway ends at 3pm (ET) / Noon (PT) on December 15, 2017.  CLICK HERE and fill out the entry forms for each of the three themed contests (Dads, Moms & Kids) located on the AquaBall blog for a chance to win.  Good luck!

Shimmer and Shine Whirl onto Nickelodeon's TV Lineup

Thanks to our friends at Nickelodeon, my twins were two of the first kids to be able to watch a brand new animated TV show featuring the whimsical adventures of twin genies-in-training named Shimmer and Shine.  My son and daughter were amused by the first few episodes of Nickelodeon's Shimmer and Shine and found the show to be full of magic, music and misadventures.  Like many of Nickelodeon's shows aimed at young audiences, the show incorporates a social-emotional curriculum within its stories that highlights the importance of teamwork, resilience, and overcoming obstacles.  It is a cute show that is primarily aimed at preschoolers but probably would keep the attention and entertain children as old as Kindergarten or First Grade age as well. The show takes a lot of cues from Nickelodeon's Dora shows and movies which makes a lot of sense knowing that Shimmer and Shine's creator Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz has spent the last ten years working as a post-production supervisor for Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go.

Shimmer and Shine premieres on Monday August 17, 2015 at 7:30 pm (ET/PT) across the United States on Nick and the Nick Jr. channel.  Following its U.S. launch, the series will debut on Nickelodeon's international channels beginning in the fall.  The first season of Shimmer and Shine will consist of 20 episodes featuring the twin genies making wishes for their friend Leah that lead to surprising mishaps but the trio is always able to figure out a way to make the mistakes turn out great.

In Shimmer and Shine, the twin sisters are Leah's secret genies.  Leah always has a dilemma that she needs her magical friends' assistance with, and the genies-in-training are happy to grant her a maximum of three wishes a day to help her out.  Sometimes they misinterpret what Leah wishes for and accidentally grant her wishes she didn't even mean to make.  Each wrong wish quickly compounds into a crazy adventure.  Ultimately through teamwork, the genies and Leah find a way to fix the problem and save the day!

Eleven year old Eva Bella is the voice of Shimmer.  She booked her first professional gig at 6 years old in a Disney Jr. commercial and shortly afterward landed a recurring role on NBC's Parenthood.  Since then, this charismatic young actress has appeared in a variety of regional and national television commercials.  Eva has also provided the voices in a number of prominent animated feature films including Frozen, Despicable Me 2 and Mr. Peabody & Sherman. Despite her focus on acting and performing, Eva has also kept her focus on school and is a straight A student, making her a remarkable role model for children showing you can reach for your dream while staying grounded in the ordinary routines of life.

Shine is voiced by 10 year old Isabella Crovetti-Cramp.  For a young age, she has an impressive list of TV show credits for her acting credentials having appeared on The Neighbors, Jessie, Happy Endings, In Plain Sight, Mike & Molly, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and  CSI: Miami.  Isabella will also be appearing in Colony, a brand-new series on USA Network. She has twin brothers at hime who help inspire her for this role.  It looks like Isabella is a name to remember as she continues developing a career in the entertainment industry.

"The beautiful fantasy world of Shimmer and Shine offers endless possibilities for magical adventures," said Russel Hicks, Nickelodeon's President of Content Development and Production in a press release sent to A Geek Daddy.  "First-time creator Farnaz Esnaashari-Charmatz is a homegrown success story who started as an intern at Nick.  She epitomizes the diverse talent and empowering spirit that comes from Nickelodeon Animation Studio."

The new series will debut with "The Sweetest Thing" on August 17th.  In the episode, Leah wishes for the genies help in making cupcakes for her school bake sale.  Through silly misunderstandings, Leah, Shimmer, and Shine find themselves stuck with a giant birthday cake, some farm animals and no wishes left.  They must work together to fix their magical mistakes without drawing the attention of Leah's curious (and hungry) neighbor Zac.

CLICK HERE to watch a full episode of Shimmer and Shine for yourself before the series debuts on TV.  Enjoy the GENIE TREEHOUSE!

Tips for Creating a Food Allergy Friendly Easter Basket

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DisneyEaster  #CollectiveBias

According to the non-profit group FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) 1 in 13 children suffer from food allergies.  A statistic my daughter joined when she was 18 months old and went into life threatening anaphylactic shock after eating some peanut butter which resulted in her being rushed to the ER and a three day hospital stay.  Prior to that incident our family didn't know much about food allergies or understand how dangerous and severe of a medical condition it can be, now taking protective steps regarding food and products has become part of our daily routine. 

What is a food allergy? FARE describes it like this, "the job of the body’s immune system is to identify and destroy germs (such as bacteria or viruses) that make you sick. A food allergy results when the immune system mistakenly targets a harmless food protein – an allergen – as a threat and attacks it." What makes dealing with a food allergy especially challenging is that the trigger is microscopic (you can't see a protein) and even if a food or product like shampoo doesn't have the allergen as an ingredient if it is bakes, created, or processed with the same equipment or utensils that have handled those ingredients the contamination can cause a reaction.

Holidays like Easter can be very difficult for children with food allergies because many of the treats associated with it, like candy from the Easter Bunny, are off limits due to their ingredients or contamination issues.  To make it up to my daughter, we work to make these days extra special with non-food treats.  My daughter, like most 6 year old girls, is enamored with FROZEN so we went to our local Walmart and created a #DisneyEaster basket for her.  Here are some tips on making a food allergy friendly Easter Basket.

In addition to large assortments of candy on stock, Walmart has a nice selection of fun non-food related Disney FROZEN items that can be used to fill an Easter basket ranging from activity sets to clothing to toys.  Even if a child in your life doesn't have a food allergy you may want to check out some of these items if you're  looking to cut down on the sweets they are eating.  Here are some food allergy friendly categories of items to look out for and examples of products we purchased during our shopping trip.

CLOTHES

My kids are often just as thrilled and excited to get some cool clothing items as they are to get candy.  Plus a fun t-shirt or hat lasts longer and is more useful compared to candy for a treat.  We picked up an adorable cap and a hair accessory set that included barrettes, terries, snap clips and elastics to put in my little girl's Olaf basket.

ACTIVITIES & CRAFTS

Art supplies, temporary tattoos, and stickers can be creative and imaginative treats to use as prizes for Easter egg or basket hunts instead of jelly beans and chocolates.  You'll never have to worry about putting a kid at risk at a family gathering, school function or community event by providing these types of items as a treat.  Walmart has available a #Disney FROZEN 3-in-1 Activity Set and sticker books that we picked up for our Food Allergy Friendly Easter Basket.

TOYS

Toys are always a safe option to candy as a treat when it comes to food allergies.  They often times will be a more expensive option than candy but provide peace of mind when it comes to a child's safety for parents and of course always put a smile on a kid's face.  Walmart has a great selection of #FROZEN toys for budget conscious shoppers - keep an eye out for them rolling back those prices too!  We picked up a trio of Anna, Elsa and Olaf plush toys to fill our daughter's #DisneyEaster basket.

SNACKS & TREATS

Whether it is filling Easter Baskets, hiding Easter Eggs for a hunt, or entertaining a party providing candy, snacks and food can be a touchy subject.  While the numbers of people suffering from food allergies is growing, it is still a relatively small percentage of the overall population which means that many people aren't aware of the seriousness of the problem and the difficulties associated with the medical condition because they don't have to deal with it on a daily basis so food allergies just isn't a top of mind issue.  The fact is though that most schools average two children per classroom with a severe food allergy that once triggered could cause them to go into life threatening anaphlyactic shock so it is likely that someone you know is impacted.  My daughter's class for example has two girls with peanut allergies and another girl with a milk allergy. That makes it important to be considerate of the problem when planning snack or treats for events and parties, especially ones where children are involved.  Please keep the following points in mind:

READ THE INGREDIENTS - In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list the eight most common ingredients that trigger food allergies: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy, and wheat.  The label should include any specific allergen included in the food as well as any ingredient, coloring, flavoring or other additive that contains a protein from the eight major food allergens.  Carefully reading labels is a good way to be proactive in avoiding food allergy problems.

CONTAMINATION IS AS BIG AN ISSUE AS INGREDIENTS - Microscopic contamination of food or candy can make treats unsafe even if they don't have the allergen in their actual ingredients.  Don't just look at the ingredients on labels but also watch out for warningss that identify if a treat was processed, prepared or packaged in a facility with the allergens.  Note though that contamination warnings are voluntary and not mandated by the FDA so if something looks like it may be produced with other products that contain allergens but doesn't have a warning on the label it is best to still be cautious.

HOME BAKED & BAKERY MADE ITEMS ARE A NO NO - Unfortunately, even with washing, if the same bowls, pans, utensils and other kitchen tools are used to make and prepare items that contain allergens there is a significant risk of contamination though the food itself may not have the allergen as an ingredient.  That often makes most home baked goods from other people and items from bakeries off-limits for kids with food allergies.  If you bake or cook at home using any of the eight most common allergens in your kitchen, it is probably in every one's best interest not to include home made items as Easter treats unless you are certain no one has a food allergy.

For our daughter's food allergy friendly FROZEN Easter basket, after reviewing the label we picked up some movie themed Kellog's fruit snacks that are shaped in form of various Disney princesses including Anna and Elsa.  In the food/snack category we also picked up a 2-in-1 Snack & Drink cup so our daughter can conveniently enjoy her food allergy safe snacks at home while watching her favorite movie, FROZEN on the TV.

FARE cites on their website the stat "every 3 minutes, a food allergy reaction sends someone to the ER – that's more than 200,000 visits per year."  Nobody wants a holiday ruined by a trip to the hospital and by taking some precaution and consideration for this serious medical condition that outcome can very easily be avoided.  As we've demonstrated in this #CollectiveBias shop at Walmart there are numerous safe and fun items that can be used for Easter Baskets, egg hunts, and holiday celebrations that are food allergy friendly and don't put people's health and lives at risk.

Have a wonderful Easter everyone.  For more information on the products listed in this post, please visit www.walmart.com and for more information about food allergies go to www.foodallergy.org

Picture Yourself as a Disney Character with new Show Your Disney Side App

Transform yourself up as one of your favorite Disney characters through a new free virtual reality app available on iTunes.  Snap a selfie and you'll be pictured as a Star Wars X-Wing pilot, a zombie pirate, villains like Maleficent or Captain Hook, or one of the princesses from Frozen among other Disney characters. The app features four selections of characters you can choose from: Frozen Fun, Star Tours, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Villains of Disney Parks.  Plus you can unlock a fifth option with characters from the Haunted Mansion by visiting either Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort, or by sharing three of your Show Your Disney Side app creations with friends and family.

My kids and I had some fun playing with this app and were really impressed by the representations on the screen of my iPhone.  The images have a mirroresque appearance to them that make them look like a real time video of yourself versus a static photographic.  There are a number of costumes, background scenes, and special effects you can play with as well.

My daughter showed off her #DisneySide by portraying Anna from the Frozen Fun section, a Pirate Lady from Pirates of the Caribbean, and Maleficent from the Villains of Disney Parks.

 

My son enjoyed seeing himself as Captain Jack Sparrow, Kristoff from Frozen, and  as an X-Wing pilot.

 

So how do you think I look as Darth Maul, Jafar, and a zombie pirate?

 

Here are a few tips on using the app:

• Smile big – but without your teeth showing.
• Make sure your hair isn’t blocking your face.
• Try to take your photo in front of a plain background.

Note that while this is an ios app it doesn't appear to work on iPads just iPhone and iTouch devices.  It also doesn't appear to be available for Android and is exclusive to Apple devices at this time.

This app is completely FREE, no in-app purchases to worry about here, and fun to play with for kids and adults alike.  Have a blast showing your Disney Side and if you tweet your images generated from the app to @Geeky_Dad we'll RT them to share with all our A Geek Daddy followers.

CLICK HERE to download the #FREE Show Your Disney Side App.

Easter Eggs aren't just for the Holiday

When you hear the term "Easter Egg" the first thing that probably comes to mind is a furry bunny hiding colored eggs for children to find.  There is another term for "easter egg" though which can allow you to have fun hunting for things throughout the year rather than just around the Easter holiday.  Originating from a hidden message in the 1979 Atari video game ADVENTURE, the term "Easter Egg" now refers to a concealed joke or message in a video game, television show, or movie.  As with any good Easter Egg hunt, finding these treasures are tough to find and lots of fun when you discover them.

Easter Eggs received a lot of public attention a few years ago when Director J.J. Abrams slipped in an appearance of the Star Wars character R2D2 into his 2009 Star Trek movie.

R2D2 made a repeat appearance in 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness:

In fact, R2D2 has been a popular Easter Egg that has been slipped in movies ranging from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to Transformers.  Can you spot the droid from Star Wars in this scene from Close Encounters?

R2D2 was also carved into the wood of the pirate ship deck for the movies Goonies.  If you aren't looking you'd probably miss him.

Did you catch him in these scenes from the Transformers movies?

My favorite R2D2 Easter Egg though is the robot's appearance in Raiders of the Lost Ark.  The Egyptian hieroglyphs in some of the scenes contain images of R2D2 with famous golden sidekick C3PO.

Disney, which now owns the rights for the R2D2 character, is known for placing Easter Eggs in their films.  It will be interesting to see if they add some R2D2 appearances in their future productions.  While R2 didn't appear in Disney's most recent animated feature FROZEN, here are a few easter eggs they did add to the film.

In FROZEN, there is a Mickey Mouse toy sitting on the lower shelf of supplies at the Wandering Oaken's Trading Post & Sauna.

An inside joke with the film's production team, during Anna's big song "For the First Time in Forever" she leaps into the air mimicking the pose of the painting "The Swing."  This Rococo-era masterpiece by Jean-Honore Fragonard was credited by the artists who worked on the movie TANGLED as the inspiration for the visual look of their film.

Take a close look and you'll see that they imported the candy from the Land of Sugar Rush in the Disney movie WRECK IT RALPH for the treats at the royal coronation in FROZEN.

In another nod to TANGLED, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider are guests at Elsa's coronation in FROZEN. Some people have even suggest that this ties FROZEN to THE LITTLE MERMAID.  The theory is that Elsa & Anna's parents boat that sunk in FROZEN is the sunken ship in THE LITTLE MERMAID which went down in a storm on its way to the Return Celebration held for Rapunzel in TANGLED.  Rapunzel and Flynn Rider are attending the coronation out of respect for loss of Elsa & Anna's parents relating to their loss at sea.  "The Little Mermaid" was written by Hans Christian Andersen and is set in Denmark.  Andersen also wrote "The Snow Queen" which FROZEN is based on and takes place in Norway.  The story of "Rapunzel" is based in Germany so it appears transit along the path of these three stories would be feasible if they were featured in one combined fairy tale timeline.  Hmmm?

Another Disney acquisition that makes use of Easter Eggs in its films is Pixar.  The creative team is known for slipping "A113" into their movies which has appeared in every Pixar film since TOY STORY.  The inside joke is that this is the classroom number at California Institute of Arts where John Lasseter and his Pixar leadership team learned about animation.  Well in MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY this is the classroom where Mike & Sulley learn the art of scaring.

A Pizza Planet truck appears in almost every Pixar film and MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY is no exception.  The truck made famous in the TOY STORY movies is parked outside the JOX Fraternity house in this movie.

The ball featured in Pixar's first short film "Luxo Jr" has appeared as an Easter Egg in most of the studio's feature films.  In MONSTERS UNIVERSITY the Luxo Ball appears in graffiti on a wall in a scene during the Scare Games first challenge.

Pixar often plants Easter Eggs in its films that tie to an upcoming film.  In MONSTERS INC for example, Pixar teased FINDING NEMO by placing a Nemo doll in Boo's room.  In MONSTER'S UNIVERSITY, dinosaur toys are placed throughout the movie that look like the concept art for an upcoming Pixar movie titled THE GOOD DINOSAUR that was originally slated to hit theaters in 2014 and is now being released in 2015.  Could these be an Easter Egg for things to come?!

Once people are aware that these hidden images are included in movies, Easter Egg hunts can be a fun addition to the enjoyment of a film.  Not all movie related Easter Eggs are on the silver screen though.  Did you know there is a Darth Vader gargoyle included on the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.?

You need binoculars to see it...but Darth Vader is there!  Print out this PDF for more information on how to find him if you are taking a trip to the nation's Capital: www.nationalcathedral.org/pdfs/darth  It pays off to always be on the hunt for an Easter Egg!