The Silly Nonsense Note 33 (by Jomaribryan)

I wrote the thirty-third silly note:

Let's Go Hunting is the only Barney & Friends Season 9 episode where nine of these kids (Whitney, Jackson, Kami, Nick, Laura, David, Rachel, Miguel and Stacy) appear where Anna doesn't appear.

This is the first and only time the nine kids (Whitney, Jackson, Kami, Nick, Laura, David, Rachel, Miguel and Stacy) appear without Anna.

"Wild Animal Baby Explorers" available on DVD from Mill Creek Entertainment

Bring the natural world to life for your preschooler with the award-winning Wild Animal Babies! This sensation series has children laughing and smiling at the antics of Izzy the Owl, Benita the Beaver, Sammy the Skunk, Miss Sally the Salamander and Skip the Rabbit as they learn about the natural world. Each educational and entertaining episode features a unique mix of high-quality animation and live-action footage so children stay engaged and have fun while they learn!

"Space Racers" now on your local PBS station

Space Racers is a new, original, half-hour animated series for preschoolers that follows young spaceship cadets at the Stardust Bay Space Academy as they soar through the Solar System. Young viewers will learn about the power of scientific investigation and observation, the wonders of space exploration, and the importance of working together as a team, all with fun and engaging characters they can relate to.

King Features Syndicate and Safety4Kids Launch SeeMore's Playhouse in September

Innovative New Pre-School Series Focusing on Teaching Safety and Well-Being Will Be Supported by Comprehensive Global Licensing Program

King Features Syndicate and Safety4Kids present SeeMore's Playhouse, an award-winning, first-of-its-kind pre-school television series designed to engage and entertain children while teaching them the basics of safety and well-being. Starring "SeeMore The Safety Seal" and targeting 2- to 6-year-olds, the television series will launch nationally on Public Television on September 10, 2006. Thirteen 28-minute episodes have been created and will begin airing through the fall and winter.

With a unique blend of puppetry, animation and live action, as well as catchy, original, sing-along music, SeeMore's Playhouse presents a colorful world full of lovable characters, irresistible music and laugh-out-loud fun that conveys to children the importance of safety, health and wellness. Each episode has an original storyline, which teaches children about a particular safety, health or lifestyle issue. These issues are explored in an imaginative way that both entertains and empowers young kids. Storylines focus on important topics, including guidelines for fire, car, bicycle and water safety. The program also promotes healthy living through nutrition and exercise.

The SeeMore's Playhouse characters have distinct and lovable personalities. Bright, tropical colors are used throughout and reflect the upbeat nature of the show. Each week, the zany action begins in SeeMore's Playhouse where his friends, Basil Wombat, Shades the Wolf, Lottie Lamb, Penny Pup, Barb the Porcupine and Harry Hippo, gather to play and learn.

King Features Syndicate will support this innovative television series with a comprehensive licensing and merchandising program focused on developing products for children and their parents that reinforce safety, empowerment and healthy lifestyle messages. Initially, King Features will look to establish key deals in such core categories as apparel and accessories; DVDs, music and entertainment; food and beverage; footwear; health and wellness; gifts and party goods; publishing; toys and interactive games.

"King Features Syndicate has been developing brands, many based on animation, for more than 75 years, and we are delighted to incorporate SeeMore's Playhouse into our portfolio of quality content. We are working with Safety4Kids to establish and build out the SeeMore's Playhouse brand for entertainment and consumer product licensing by leveraging our strength in the global marketplace. We are confident that the expertise we bring to the project as a fully integrated licensing, marketing and public relations agency plus that of our broad network of licensing agents around the world will ensure the success of this wonderful child safety program," said T.R. ("Rocky") Shepard III, president of King Features Syndicate.

Co-executive producer and King Features Syndicate Creative Director Frank Caruso added, "When we began working with S4K (Safety4Kids) in the development of SeeMore's Playhouse, we took care to develop characters that would move seamlessly from screen to playtime. We wanted to create simple, cartoon-like puppets with fun, zany and compassionate personalities that would appeal to kids. Kids love drawing cartoons and I wanted them to have fun drawing the characters of SeeMore's Playhouse."

Tom Blair, president of Safety4Kids, said, "S4K is the first media brand to focus its content solely on child safety and well-being. We are proud to have the King Features team as our global marketing and licensing partner as we launch our pioneering television series, SeeMore's Playhouse. S4K believes it will reach a large national audience of pre-school children who will become immediate fans of SeeMore the Safety Seal and all his friends. SeeMore's Playhouse will provide children a safe space of their own, featuring a colorful blend of puppet characters and animation, which we refer to as 'Puppetmation.' The program also features original music, which reinforces the safety messages, along with storylines that are both hilarious and educational for kids.

"We're proud to have a team of widely respected advisors led by Shalom "Sholly" Fisch, Ph.D., Dr. Alan Langlieb M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., and Dr. Sheryl Brown Graves, Ph..D., who are recognized in their field and bring a wealth of knowledge in delivering appropriate messaging to children in television media," Blair added.

Michele McDonough, executive producer of SeeMore's Playhouse, said, "With more than 15 years' experience in the film and television industry, I am thrilled and honored to be able to create children's programming that both entertains and educates. It was my goal when I joined Tom and the S4K team to create a show that is unique in its combination of well developed, lovable characters living in an extremely beautiful, magical environment enhanced by upbeat, sing-along music. The results of our focus groups show that we have accomplished our goal and are successful at teaching important safety messages to children. Parents have provided us with feedback about how happy they are to hear their children singing the songs and repeating the safety messages back to them."

SeeMore's Playhouse has won an Aurora Award. This "Gold Award for Children/Youth" honors outstanding production in a children's series. The comments by the judges specifically applauded the series' use of music, its concept and innovative graphics. The Aurora Awards is an international competition designed to recognize excellence in the film and video industries, including cable programming, documentaries, commercials, instructional, industrial

Barney's Christmas Star aired on PBS this Sunday of December.

Barney & Friends Family Marathon

Barney & Friends Family Marathon was an event which aired on PBS stations across the United States and Canada in 1993.

History

After PBS decided to cancel Barney & Friends despite being renewed for the second season, members of local PBS stations across the US and Canada called to object. After the decision was made to keep Barney on the air, PBS realized that they were short on funds for their children's programming.

Event

The marathon was basically an ordinary PBS pledge drive, however during this drive, PBS only aired episodes of Barney & Friends and offered Barney merchandise as thank-you gifts for contributions to PBS. During the pledge drive, Barney was also shown giving messages to viewers asking to pledge. The marathon was wrapped up with a television airing of Barney in Concert.

Controversy

Some parents and members were offended by the use of Barney merchandise, such as plush toys and videos as recognition gifts. They saw the use of them as a commercial rather than a sign of recognition for devotion to trustworthy PBS programming.

When "Barney Safety" originally aired on television, it was aired during PBS Pledge Drives in 1995, unlike how Barney's Imagination Island originally aired on NBC a year earlier.

Barney Celebrates Children airs on PBS on December 4, 1994.

This was the first Barney video "Barney in Concert" to be televised, as part of the Barney & Friends Family Marathon.

Short Clip from Barney & Friends Family Marathon

When my Tapes Came in the Mail Today These were from 1993. Even thought it didn't had Any Way You Slice It, It contain this clip from the Barney & Friends Family Marathon, the day Barney in Concert aired on TV. This aired before 1-2-3-4-5 Senses! was shown and yes i do have that episode finally. the 2nd tape had Barney and Lamb Chop episodes but those are the pledge drive versions.

This special "Barney's Night Before Christmas" aired on PBS and PBS Kids Sprout.

Barney's Imagination Island airs on NBC April 24, 1994.

La Gran Sorpresa de Barney

"La Gran Sorpresa de Barney" debuta hoy sábado en el Coliseo. Llega al teatro uno de los personajes televisivos más resonantes de toda América

Con el nuevo y espectacular show que ganó en EE.UU el premio "Best Family Tour", llega Barney, el dinosaurio más famoso de la televisión al teatro Coliseo de la Capital Federal, este sábado 9 de julio y las funciones se extenderán hasta el 7 de agosto.

La obra cuenta en esta puesta con sus inefables amigos BJ y Baby Bop y se suman ahora Mamá Gansa, el Profesor Tinkerput, Camila, Benito y cuatro niños argentinos que han sido seleccionados para hacer las delicias del público infantil, con canciones inéditas y varios cambios escenográficos.

La presencia de este singular personaje, con tantos seguidores entre los más pequeños, será de gran atractivo, tanto en lo visual como en el guión, dado que la historia gira acerca del festejo del cumpleaños de BJ; con la intención de divertir y seguir aprendiendo en familia.

La Gran Sorpresa de Barney tiene canciones propias que se interpretan en escena junto a destacadas coreografías para cada uno de los personajes.

Barney es un dinosaurio púrpura de 1,80 mts de alto, cálido y amistoso, que cobra vida a partir de un juguete de peluche, a través de la imaginación de los niños.

De apariencia infantil, juguetón y lleno de energía, abre los ojos a las alegrías del descubrimiento, a las maravillas de la fantasía y a la belleza del amor incondicional.

Barney es una propiedad de Lyons Partnership y de HIT Entertainment de EE.UU, a través de su representante EXIM Licensing Group. ADP Producciones adquirió los derechos exclusivos del show en vivo "La Gran Sorpresa de Barney" para todo el territorio de la República Argentina.

Barney es uno de los videos infantiles de mayor venta, y está ubicado entre los tres favoritos de los niños desde 1992; con más de 66 millones de copias en EE.UU desde 1998, además de 100 millones de libros y seis millones de artículos de audio vendidos en todo el mundo. Es un espectáculo visto por más de 3, 3 millones de fanáticos en todo el mundo y se transmite actualmente por Discovery Kids y TV abierta.

Barney's Musical Castle "Live" Asian Tour 2005 at Downtown East

I have 2 Adult tickets for sale to Barney's Musical Castle "Live" Asian Tour 2005 to be held on Sun 11th Dec, 2005 at 7.30pm at Downtown East D'Marquee. Each ticket costing $57.25 (inclusive of SISTIC fees). The seat is just front of the stage Blk 4 with "A" Row having 2 corner seats - VERY GOOD VIEW! If interested, please call me on 93628690 or email me at cynthia@eastern.com.sg for further details.

Barney live in Bangkok

The adorable purple dinosaur Barney and his friends are back in Bangkok for "Barney's Let's Imagine Live in Bangkok" from today to Sunday at Royal Paragon Hall.

Barney, BJ, Baby Bop and Barney's cousin Riff take journey to Barney's Ideas Factory, learning about healthy eating, exercise and caring for the environment.

Shows are at 11am, 3pm and 6pm, with English-language performances at 11am today and tomorrow and 6pm on Sunday. Tickets are Bt300, Bt600, Bt1,000, Bt1,500 and Bt2,000, available from Thaiticketmajor. For more information, call (02) 262 3456.

More shows by Barney, the children's celebrity

Barney the purple dinosaur, the TV character sure to delight children in live shows over Christmas, will return to the stage in Easter by popular demand.

The dozen sell-out shows have not seemed enough to satisfy the many parents eager to please their young ones. So Curtain Raiser, in collaboration with Premier Stage Productions Ltd and HIT Entertainment have announced that another 10 Barney Live! - The Let's Go Tour shows will be held between April 12 and 19, 2009.

Barney paid a brief visit to the children's clothing shop Adam's at the Plaza shopping complex in Sliema on Monday. Here no more than 30 children were the privileged bunch given the unique opportunity of meeting, singing and dancing with their favourite dinosaur.

Earlier, kept busy by four of Curtain Raiser's animators, they kept twisted on their heels in excited anticipation. Then, egged on by the animators, a chorus of shrill voices shouted out Barney's name until the big-footed plush character came stomping into the store.

"You're a big part of the show," said Barney to the children who were jumping with glee. "I want you to sing along, dance along and clap along."

As the glass doors shut Barney into the store, children quickly rallied around in awe of the lovable character. A crowd of parents and children were locked outside pressing against the doors in the hope of being let in. Launched last month, all 12 Barney shows were practically sold out in four days, said Curtain Raiser director Patrick Vella.

A few handfuls of tickets remain for the final performance in Malta on January 3, and about 150 tickets are still left for the Gozo show being held at the Astra Theatre, Victoria, on January 4.

Barney will be coming to Malta fresh from the UK, after touring for some 10 months and starring in over 233 performances.

For more tour information visit: www.barney.com or www.curtainraiser.org

"Barney Live! in New York City" on home video August 3, 1994 from Barney Home Video

'''Live! In your own home!'''

Barney takes the stage to bring you a musical extravaganza filled with mystery and imagination. Using the Barney Bag, the children create a wonderful gift for everyone to see. But wait! The bag is in the hands of the Winkster, a colorful character who pops up at surprising times and places! As a merry chase develops, Barney becomes the ringmaster at an "Imagination Circus." To retrieve their bag, Barney and his friends must help the Winkster learn how important it is to have friends and to share.

Appearing in Barney Live!: Barney, Baby Bop, BJ, Shawn, Derek, Tosha, Kathy, Min and Julie, with special appearances by a marching band, clowns, a real live elephant and introducing Carlos, Kelly and the Winkster.

"Barney's Imagination Island" on home video October 4, 1994 from Barney Home Video

Climb aboard the magical ship that takes Barney and friends to "Imagination Island" where they meet Professor Tinkerputt and all the wonderful toys he's invented. Derek, Shawn, Min, and Tasha teach the Professor the importance of sharing, while he helps them try to figure out a way to get their ship down from a tree! From Barney's first primetime network special.

Allegra's Window

Allegra's Window uses puppets, actors, story, and song to explore the neighborhood pre-school adventures of a three-year-old girl-puppet named Allegra. Along with her colorful friends, Allegra finds a world of discovery, adventure, and learning right outside her window. Preschoolers are encouraged to solve real-life little-kid problems, like making friends, taking care of pets, and learning to share through play.

Gullah Gullah Island

Gullah Gullah Island is where the Austin family and their friend Binyah Binyah Polliwog invite kids to experience the joys and trials of family life with a mix of music, storytelling, and games. Starring singers, storytellers, and real-life parents Ron and Natalie Daise, Gullah Gullah Island celebrates family life and community.

Barney the Dinosaur Gets a Home at Universal Studios

A certain purple Tyrannosaurus Rex has returned to Universal Studios Florida. This time, he's here to stay.

Barney will open the doors to his new home at the theme park Tuesday when officials plan to unveil an attraction called A Day in the Park with Barney.

Whether Barney makes you laugh, cry or gag, you can bet there'll be lots of fidgety, star-struck preschoolers lining up to see their TV idol next week.

The star of PBS' Barney & Friends program caused stroller gridlock when he appeared in parades at Universal Studios two years ago. He drew crowds again during his second stint at the park, a sing-along show in April.

The new Barney attraction will anchor a children 's area at Universal Studios that includes Fievel's Playland and the Animal Actors show. Park officials hope Barney will put Universal Studios on the must see list for families with young children.

The centerpiece of the attraction is a 15-minute stage show featuring Barney and his PBS cohorts, Baby Bop and BJ After the show, the audience files into a large indoor play area where parents can relax while their kids work off some energy.

Those are just the highlights.

As soon as visitors walk through the arched gateway to Barney 's park, they'll know they're in children' s territory.

The menu at the Kid's Cafe includes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and purple slushies. Even the restrooms - where some of the toilets are just inches off the floor and the walls are painted with lively murals - were designed for half-pints.

But for grown-ups' benefit, the creators of the attraction set out from the beginning to make this a mellow place that would entertain children without the intense stimulation found in other areas of Universal Studios.

We want people to find it as a little bit of an oasis in an otherwise hustle-bustle theme park, said Craig McIntyre, the project director.

The circular courtyard at the entrance to the attraction is surrounded by trees, flowers and grassy areas. The sounds of birds, crickets and frogs are piped in, along with children singing The Itsy Bitsy Spider and other nursery tunes.

The buildings and other fixtures of the attraction are painted in muted shades of blue and green. No neon or Hollywood hype in this corner of Universal Studios.

Before the encounter with Barney, visitors enter a large gazebolike building for a pre-show led by a clownish guy who goes by the cornball name of Mr. Peek-A-Boo.

A bumbling absent-minded professor type, Mr. Peek-A-Boo preps the kids with songs and other cues to build the anticipation for Barney's appearance. Borrowing from the television show, he tells them they can bring Barney to life just by using their imagination. Sure enough, at the end of his act, a waterfall on one side of the room stops flowing to reveal the entrance to a theater-in-the-round.

The theater has the look and feel of a wooded area in the countryside. The walls are painted with a landscape of green hills and blue skies. In front of the walls stand life-sized trees.

As soon as the audience is seated, there's more music and more buildup to Barney's arrival. The trees start to sparkle with fiber-optic lights as the room turns quiet and dark. Then, in a burst of sound and color, Barney suddenly appears on stage, laughing his goofy laugh and waving his stubby little arms.

The rest is mostly familiar stuff, including several sing-along tunes that many Barney fans know by heart: If You're Happy and You Know It, Down On Grandpa's Farm and Barney's take on rap music, Mr. Knickerbocker. Baby Bop and BJ come out about halfway through the show, waddling and skipping on baby dinosaur legs.

The show concludes with - what else - the I Love You song.

Next comes play time. The theater is connected to a large playroom with enough contraptions to keep a small child busy for an hour or more.

There are climbing structures, a sandbox area, a water-play area and plenty of ways to make noise and music, including colored stones in the floor that sound different notes when you step on them. For parents, there are benches.

The playroom also is the place where children can get their picture taken with Barney in meet and greet sessions after the show.

When everybody has had his/her fill and it's time to leave, prepare for one last dose of Barney on the way out.

This time, be prepared to pull out your wallet because the last stop in the attraction is a Barney merchandise shop.

Don't Laugh but 'Big Surprise' Is a Purple People Pleaser

Review: Barney and friends take their feel-good brand of merriment on the road in lavish style.

You may think you've got supersaur Barney's number--the high sucrose content, the merchandising empire--but just try to stay jaded as the thunder-thighed Pied Piper of PBS, goofy laugh and all, enraptures a couple thousand children at his live stage extravaganza "Barney's Big Surprise."

The big-budget touring event, a Barney first, opened Wednesday at Universal Amphitheatre with almost 3,000 tykes and their parents in attendance; it moves to the Anaheim Convention Center on Tuesday.

It's quite a show--lively, expertly staged and a lavish visual treat. (It's also pricey, although a portion of the two-year, 60-city tour's proceeds are going to the Starbright Foundation charity for seriously ill children. Barney T-shirts, banners and other stuff for sale are displayed with welcome restraint.)

Well-crafted, elaborate sets include a multilevel treehouse and "Professor Tinkerputt's" nifty toy factory; smaller set pieces accommodate nursery rhyme action and a balloon ride. The orange "Barney Mobile" is another crowd favorite.

The googly-eyed Purple One is joined by a quartet of stage-savvy kid performers, the aforementioned Professor, bunnies, Mother Goose and a very large gander, some oversize ducklings, a Humpty Dumpty puppet used to comical effect, a remarkably spry Old King Cole and dancing "robots."

Vying with Barney for most popular reptile are Baby Bop, a little triceratops in ballet shoes who's a hit with her preschool peer group, and her big brother BJ, who appeals to more seasoned fans. "He's just like me," observed one charmed 6-year-old.

The show revolves around BJ's seventh birthday party--the audience gets free paper birthday hats at intermission--and the surprise is what his gift will be. Needless to say, it's eye-poppingly big.

The feel-good formula for the stage spectacular is the same as for the TV show: hugging, singing, dancing, more hugging and a little advice: A seat belt, Barney tells us, is "a special hug that helps keep you safe."

Audience members can sing along with familiar tunes, dance to new ones, quack and bark to "Old MacDonald," play airplane and Simon Says, clap, stomp and shout. At Wednesday's performance, although energy flagged after the 20-minute intermission, they bopped in the aisles or just watched, clearly enthralled.

The delighted roar that greeted Barney and friends when the show opened and the response to his "I Love You" theme song at the end, however, was proof that this "dinostar" is as hot as ever.

A caveat: You might consider earplugs. The volume comes close to wince level at times, a common flaw in family shows at big venues.

* "Barney's Big Surprise," Universal Amphitheatre, today, 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; Sunday, 2:30 and 5:30 p.m.; Anaheim Convention Center, Tuesday-next Friday, 7 p.m.; Nov. 16, 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; Nov. 17, 2:30 and 5:30 p.m. $15, $18.50 and $30, plus local handling fees. (213) 480-3232, (714) 740-2000, (805) 583-8700, (619) 220-TIXS. Running time:1 hour, 40 minutes.''

 'Barney's Musical Castle' coming to the E Center

Barney, Baby Bop and BJ will find themselves on a quest through an enchanted forest to a magic castle when they come to West Valley City next week.

"Barney's Musical Castle" will come to the E Center for six performances beginning Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. Additional performance times are Thursday and Friday, Nov. 18-19, 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 20, 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.; and Monday, Nov. 22, at 7 p.m.

Tickets are on sale at all Smith'sTix outlets or the E Center box office. Prices range from $10 to $25.

Backstage with Barney

Family theater shows are well-oiled entertainment machines

They are the equivalent of rock stars for the toddler set, and Barney, Elmo and Bear in the Big Blue House, among other fuzzy and furry heartthrobs, are playing to standing-room only crowds.

As if keeping wide-eyed children glued to their TV shows (which in some markets run morning, noon and night) weren't enough, these oversized puppets are sure to make their way to a theater near you, fueling their popularity by literally reaching out to kids in the audience.

Live-action stage shows featuring these characters visit venues big and small in every state, ranging from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York to the Community Arts Center in Williamsport, Pa. And they really do travel like rock stars in large tour buses with bunks, baths and, in some cases, classrooms. Once they've reached their destination, they camp out in hotels.

Michelle Morin, a carpenter with the road crew for "Barney's Colorful World," repairs a wing of an prop airplane backstage at Radio City Music Hall Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003, in New York. --Associated Press

Purple dinosaur Barney shares his tour manager, Tim McWilliams, with Paul McCartney, and his production manager, Fritz Breitfelder, with U2 and The Rolling Stones.

When Barney launched his new world tour at Radio City Music Hall, his entourage, including the four children in the show, arrived in three buses while the sets, props and costumes came in five 53-foot-long trucks.

About eight hours after rolling into town, the curtain rises on "Barney's Colorful World." Four hours after the show, it's all neatly packed up and ready to move on.

"It's like a huge jigsaw puzzle that all fits together easily once you figure it out," explains Sloan Coleman, executive producer of the show by Dallas-based HIT Entertainment.

In the earliest preproduction phase, planners get the dimensions of every theater the show will play in to be sure it fits everywhere.

The first thing that gets unpacked is the portable classroom, Coleman says. The kids usually attend class from noon to 5 p.m. each day, have dinner, do the show and get to bed a little after 9 p.m. The morning is reserved for homework or a field trip to a cultural highlight unique to a particular destination.

The children have access to laptop computers and textbooks. Some of their science experiments, though, might be unorthodox, such as learning fractions using the measuring cups from the kitchen of the tour bus.

"It's sort of like home-schooling. They (the children) follow curriculums set through the state board of education," Coleman says. For this show, one of the youngsters is from Oklahoma, the other three are from Texas. Over at "Sesame Street Live," all cast members are adults.

Joe Phillips, left the music director for "Barney's Colorful World," and Travis Meck, technical assistant, check audio at Radio City Music Hall Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2003, in New York.

--Associated Press

Dancers are chosen for their size as much as their skill, says Jay Humphrey, director of operations for Minneapolis-based VEE Entertainment. Children expect Cookie Monster (who's about 5 feet 7 inches tall on stage) to have a size relationship with Elmo (5 feet) and Big Bird (6-plus feet), and if a character is much bigger or smaller, it'll throw the kids off, he explains.

Humphrey reports that children used to seeing the characters on television usually embrace the large, live versions as long as they stay in character and have the same voices.

To ensure the voices are exactly what the audience expects, the soundtrack for each show — and there are three touring companies of "Sesame Street Live" at any given time — are done in advance with the same people who do the voices for the PBS series. The puppets dance on stage while the singing is piped in, although any human characters do their voice work from the stage.

The stage show's writers work closely with the TV team so they'll share the same themes, whether it's learning colors or diversity, Humphrey explains. Each year since 1981, when "Sesame Street Live" hit the road, the show has featured a new story line.

"We do everything we can to make the experience comfortable for kids. It's the first show (in a theater) for most kids and we want it to be positive and pleasant," Humphrey says. Hopefully, he adds, this will foster a lifelong interest in the performing arts.

Over the past few years, VEE shows, which also include "Dragon Tales Live" and "Bear in the Big Blue House Live," have made more of an effort to entertain parents, Humphrey says, using dialogue that will make sense to children but also offer parents a few jokes or plays on words that only they'll get. "Parents are the ones who buy the tickets," Humphrey adds.

And, they do buy them — four, five, six at a time.

"Family shows in general sell very well; they become a family tradition," says Joel Peresman, senior vice president of entertainment at Radio City Entertainment. "A good portion of our business and use of venues is for family shows."

He adds: "We have a wide demographic base in New York, and, knock on wood, we haven't had a failure with a family show yet."

'''Dragon Tales Live! - Missing Music Mystery'''

VEE Productions and Broadway L.A. present ''Dragon Tales Live! - Missing Music Mystery'' at the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Angeles, February 2-5.

So you're looking for some cool and fun family entertainment this weekend? With limited children's fare opening in movie theaters today, I highly recommend packing up the kids and driving over to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. There you will find the new stage musical ''Dragon Tales Live! - Missing Music Mystery'', which opened to a packed house last night.

For the uninitiated, the show is a live production of PBS's top-rated children's program Dragon Tales. If you know about Barney and The Teletubbies then you have an idea of what Dragon Tales is all about.

The show is an animated fantasy adventure series featuring 6-year-old Emmy, her 4-year-old brother Max and their four dragon friends. Each episode is set in the whimsical world of Dragon Land, where the young duo and their colorful pals help each other overcome various preschool challenges like expressing their emotions and tying their shoes.

Dragon Tales Live is a Broadway-style musical featuring the original voices heard on the award-winning television series. In Missing Music Mystery, we catch up with Emmy and Max on one of their journeys to Dragon Land where they hope to attend a concert at the bubbly Singing Springs. But something goes horribly wrong. After a few notes, the melody-making well of music suddenly falls silent. Oh no! How can you have an annual concert without the Singing Springs? It's now up to Emmy, Max and all of their dragon friends to solve the mystery of the missing music.

Emmy is smart, confident and a born leader. So, naturally, she takes charge and heads up the investigation. We soon find out that Emmy is also impulsive and acts before she thinks. And that does not bode well when you're leading a team into the dark and unknown woods of Dragon Land!

Brother Max is Emmy's partner in crime. He's just as fearless but often insists on doing everything by himself. (There is no 'I' in team young man!)

The four dragons also have issues. Cassie, the pink dragon, embodies the characteristics every parent wishes to have in a daughter' compassion, thoughtfulness and generosity. But she's also shy and sensitive. One of Cassie's challenges is developing the confidence to speak up and tell others what's on her mind.

Despite his rough and tough exterior, Ord, the blue dragon, is just a big ol' softie. His dream is to be more brave and confident like Emmy and Max so he can join in on Dragon Land adventures. (Think the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz).

Parents of young twins will relate to Zak and Wheezie, the two-headed dragon. This brother and sister duo may share a body, but they are complete opposites. Zak is a worrier and a pessimist. Wheezie is wild and free-spirited. Their mission is to learn to work together and respect each other's feelings.

Throw into the mix a wild assortment of grouchy giants, rapping rhyme birds and dancing dandelions and you've got quite a show that not only entertains but teaches children valuable lessons in a non-preachy way. I won't give away too many details, but in the end every character learns something special about themselves.

Unlike most stage plays, this production actually encourages audience participation. So bring your dancing shoes! Four cast members lead the crowd in a song and dance number even before curtain call. It's quite a sight to see middle-aged moms and dads shaking their 'dragon tails' alongside four- and five-year olds! Ariel Henkin of Northridge brought her four-year-old daughter, Chloe, to last night's opening performance. 'I think it's great that they teach children to share, to be good friends and to be involved,' she said. 'That was the best part.'

The young theatergoers seemed to be more interested in the storyline and seeing their favorite stars live on stage. And who could blame them! With the dazzling lights, flying dragons and pop-up props, the colorful set is quite a visual treat for the eyes.

At intermission, seven-year-old Elizabeth from Lancaster told me she couldn't wait for Act II. She wanted to know now what happened to the missing music! I checked in with her after show for a quick review. 'I like it a lot,' she said. 'I give it four stars!'

Parents familiar with the Dragon Tales television series and numerous DVD releases will enjoy this show. And not just for the lessons it teaches children. Missing Music Mystery is a 90-minute magical adventure that will have you reliving your childhood days. And if you're not clapping, dancing and singing along by show's end then you've missed the point of the show.

Tickets range in price from $19 - $39. A limited number of $49 Gold Circle seats were also available. Purchase online at www.BroadwayLA.org, by phone at 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878, or at any Ticketmaster outlet.

'''Care Bears Live! at the Nassau Coliseum'''

Location: Nassau Coliseum, 1255 Hempstead Turnpike, Uniondale

Date: June 15-18

Time: Varies

Cost: $15-$50

Care Bears Live is a must-see performance for all kids. These snuggly friends are headed to town and your kids are sure to tug at your shirt until your buy them tickets. And this is one show you won’t want them to miss.

The Care Bears are here to teach your children the importance of caring about friends and how to share.

Many of your children may identify with Lindsay, the little girl in the show, whose best friend has just moved away. Travel with Lindsay has she is magically taken to Care-a-lot, home of the bears.

With a little help from Harmony Bear, Grumpy Bear, Funshine Bear, Good Luck Bear and others, Lindsay will learn how to make new friends.

All the while, your kids will be having a great time singing, dancing, clapping and playing along with their favorite, cuddly Care Bears.

Kids will have so much fun with Friend Bear, Cheer Bear, Tenderheart Bear, Bedtime Bear and Wish Bear as they sing all the songs they love including With a Smile, Smile, Smile and Everyone Loves the Care Bears.

Even the bears will learn a valuable lesson about friendship - you have to be a good friend to make new ones.

Your kids will be smiling from ear to ear as they become part of the action during Care Bears Live! And remember to bring your camera to capture these lifetime memories.