Why Curious George at the Lyric Theatre is a Must-See for Your Family

Our family makes “dating” our kids a priority. It’s one-on-one time for each kiddo and parent, and it truly is one of the most meaningful things we do with our kids. Sometimes it’s low-key; sometimes it’s structured, but beautiful conversations and experiences are borne out of these dates. And I just HAVE to tell you what our mommy-son date next month will be.

Last week, I had the privilege of sitting down with Matthew Sipress, director-choreographer-jack-of-all-trades of Curious George at the Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma. The theatre’s passion to make high-quality theater accessible for everyone is evident in every little thing that they do. Y’all, this team has thought of ERRRRYTHING. Now, I’m not one to give away secrets, but you have to know what you and your kiddo have to look forward to! Matthew describes the production as a condensed version of the touring Curious George Live. The story follows George through Rome, as he learns about cooking and, of course, gets into trouble. Everyone’s favorite mischievous monkey graces the stage for just under an hour with no intermission, which is the perfect bite-sized chunk of time for your little one’s first exposure to the theater.

Lyric Theatre’s 2017 production of James and the Giant Peach-Stage photo credits: KO Rinearson

One thing I have to highlight: Lyric Theatre is offering one sensory-friendly show for the community! If your child has any sensory sensitivities, this is the show to see! You will see the same production as all of the other showtimes, but at roughly half the volume and without any flashing lights. If your child still becomes overstimulated, the theatre provides a sensory-friendly room to assist you in soothing your child. In this room, you will find blankets, yoga mats, pilates balls, fidget toys and more. Believe me when I say this team truly has a heart for this community and wants to make the theater accessible for EVERYONE.

Down to the smallest of details, Lyric Theatre is busy preparing an incredible and adventure-filled show for kids and the adults who bring them! Believe it or not, jack-of-all-trades Matthew Sipress is also the bar manager, and he shared a few refreshment secrets as well. The bar will offer extremely-reasonably priced snack bags for kids, that are allergen-aware and include organic juice. For adults, wine, mimosas, and coffee will be available for the all-daytime show schedule! Because what is better than watching a curious little monkey? Watching a curious little monkey with a mimosa. Obviously.

Tickets for Curious George range from just $20-$25, and there is not a bad seat in the house! With a capacity of only 281 people, literally every seat feels like you can interact directly with the actors. And you can! All of the Lyric’s actors are trained for interaction with kids, and they welcome your kiddo cheering wildly and shouting instructions to help George! The end of every show also features a Q & A session with the actors, designed specifically for young audiences. In addition, great discounts are available for groups of 8 or more. This is ideal for homeschooling groups, clubs, or even just a group of friends!

If theater is your jam, you should also know that tickets are now available to all of Lyric Theatre’s productions next year! Though Lyric only does one production per year that is designed specifically for young audiences, many of the shows running in 2019 would be both appropriate and entertaining for older children. Though I might not recommend taking your kiddo to Rocky Horror Show, my 12-year-old daughter definitely needs to see Newsies!

Curious George runs from January 23 through February 17, 2019. Get your tickets HERE. Stay tuned to the Oklahoma City Moms Blog website next month for a Curious George ticket giveaway! You can join me, because I will be there with bells on. And a mimosa in hand.