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Dinner & a Show: CAROUSEL
A Show that will Leave You Spinning
By Juliet Piccone & Katie Jillions

Emotions so powerful that they lifted the audience off their feet: Not many performances that warrant a full house’s standing ovation, but Roger and Hammerstein’s Carousel at the Walnut Street Theatre did. This month, we are taking you back to the Walnut Street Theatre for another opportunity to spend quality time with your family. This time, it is for a concert, play, and a ballet. Three shows for the price of one!

End this school year of accomplishments with a reward that the whole family will love. Whether your child is involved with singing, dancing, acting, or playing a musical instrument, Carousel is a great way to show your children what they could feel the emotions the arts bring to people. The show is an also excellent source of family discussions. What do your kids think that the carousel represented?

Carousel is a musical set in New England during the 1870s. Julie Jordan, the female lead character, falls for carnival barker Billy Bigelow and, consequently, both lose their jobs. Before two months have passed, the couple is wed and Julie is expecting. Billy is convinced by his old jail friend Jigger that the only way Billy will be able to provide for his child is through robbing Julie’s old boss. 

The end of Act I is the beginning of a rush of different emotions. When Act II opens, tears will fall from your eyes just like they did from Julie’s eyes. We don’t want to tell you to much as you will have to see it, or, more correctly, feel it for yourself. As the show ends, the audience is confronted with another wave of emotions that leaves you mystified. The show is a strong lesson in relationships and we recommend it for your older children. There are a few illusions to intimacy and kissing scenes, although younger children would not understand most of them.

Not only were the voices, acting, and dancing phenomenal, but so were the technical aspects of this show. The scenery took you straight to the shores of New England or to the fair ground with the carousel. Lighting provided special effects to make scene changes seamless. Computer generated images projected onto the scrim provided a background for heaven and made you feel like you really were in heaven’s backyard. The set was enormous, but certainly not cumbersome as it moved the audience flawlessly through New England.

The show runs until July 15. For ticket information, call 215.574.3550 or 215-336-1234 or visit www.WalnutStreetTheatre.org.  

Before You Go, Take A Trip To Collingswood

Why travel to Europe when you and your family can enjoy delectable French food and a relaxing atmosphere without setting foot in an airport. South Jersey’s Les Crepes is the perfect get away. This authentic French bistro is one of Collingswood’s many secrets. Not only do they offer savory and sweet crepes, they also have classic French bistro favorites. Dishes such as Country Pate, beef bourguignon, onion soup, salads and even a burger are on the menu. We ordered the quiche lorraine, steak frite and coq au vin for our entrees. They were all delicious and had a certain je ne sais quoi! Don’t forget to save room for dessert. The dessert menu offers a diverse selection of sweet crepes. We ordered our favorites, a simple nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread) crepe, fresh strawberry and nutella and banna foster crepe too. They were the perfect ending to a classic French dinner. The service was great, as it was the same as any bistro in France—deliberately leisurely. Indoor and outdoor seating are available. We sat outside to enjoy the meal enclosed on a balcony surrounded by foliage. Les Crepes is a great place to introduce your family to something different. Tuesday night is French Conversation Night so you can practice your French. They also offer etiquette classes for children and birthday parties where the children can make their own crepes. Les Crepes is located at 712 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, N.J. (minutes away from the Ben Franklin Bridge). For more information about the restaurant, call 856.858.1511.

Juliet Piccone is a junior at Moorestown High School and Katie Jillions is a junior at Holy Cross High School.