PAWFECT FOR THE KIDDIES
I have often felt that anything that gets children exposed to live theatrical productions is such a gift. A staged show can have such an enormous impact on both creativity and cognitive development. With that said, Nickelodeon’s PAW Patrol Live! A Mighty Adventure certainly had an impact on all the little ones sitting near and around me. Audience participation was strongly encouraged with little hands in the air and hips wiggling from side to side in the audience. Multiple generations turned out for a show decidedly aimed for the littlest ones. It’s on tour now, as are three other PAW Patrol Live! shows: Heroes Unite, The Great Pirate Adventure and Race to the Rescue.
For those not in the know, myself included, PAW Patrol is the longest-running Nick Jr. series ever, currently in season twelve. The popular Dora the Explorer only made it eight. PAW Patrol is only behind SpongeBob SquarePants, which lasted a full 15 seasons before it was fleshed out in a full-fledged Broadway showcase, but I am getting ahead of myself. PAW Patrol combines the action of superhero mythology with the love of small animals, creating a team of super-charged dogs protecting Adventure City. Think a much more loveable Batman protecting Gotham, or Superman saving Metropolis, but of the canine variety. Lead by a tech savvy teen named Ryder, the PAW Patrol includes six “rescue” dogs; Marshall, the fireball tossing loveable leader, tough guy, Rubble, elusive and electrifying Rocky, and high-flying Skye, just to name a few. Each animal armed with special skill sets and modern gadgets to aid them in any of their adventurous rescues. Whether saving a parrot stuck in an apartment or stopping a runaway train carrying a teen pop-star sensation, the PAW Patrol is up for the challenge.
What is a hero story without a villain? For A Mighty Adventure, it is evil genius scientist, Victoria Vance, who has invented a shrinking machine, worn as sunglasses, naturally, who set out to steal the fun from a citywide celebration for the PAW Patrol. Don’t worry, the only real doom or peril is faced, head on, by intrepid reporter, Sam Stringer. If Underdog had Sweet Polly Purebred and Superman has Lois Lane, The PAW Patrol has Stringer, who constantly finds himself in the middle of the action, from Pizza Parlor fires to fly away balloon bundles, Sam is repeatedly rescued by these canine crusaders.
In between the action, there are life lessons too. It’s okay to make mistakes, pushing yourself is how you grown and we are better together than apart. The morals are all family-friendly-feel-good, as is the show’s runtime. The first act clocked in at just under 40 minutes, most likely to give young bladders a chance for a bathroom break without missing any of the action. The nineties boy-band choreography was enough to get any toe-tapping.
Look, this isn’t Wicked or Hamilton, but after a week of heart-stopping real world election coverage, escaping to the theater for some silly fun, imaginative puppetry, bubblegum dance music, and a story where the heroes always win, was the respite I needed, more than I even realized. Cute, fun, and strategically aimed at the small fries, PAW Patrol Live! A Mighty Adventure might fall flatter than the title implies, but a good time was had by all sitting around me and that certainly counts for something.
photos courtesy of VStar Entertainment © 2024 Spin Master Ltd.
PAW Patrol Live! A Mighty Adventure
Nickelodeon | VStar Entertainment Group | Spin Master Entertainment
reviewed at The Hobby Center, Houston, November 9, 2024
tour continues; other tours include Heroes Unite, The Great Pirate Adventure and Race to the Rescue
for dates and cities, visit Paw Patrol
