Baltimore Symphony Orchestra

We stopped by the Meyerhoff recently to try out one of the BSO's many kid-friendly programs. I was a little surprised to see a real live penguin hanging out in the lobby of the Meyerhoff, but hey, he was dressed nicely for the occasion, so why not. Actually, he was part of the pre-show festivities, and along with a 20 lb. bunny, was representing the Maryland Zoo.

 

We moved on to the face-painting line. I gotta say, this woman raised face-painting to an art. She turned my little one into an incredibly happy butterfly.

My butterfly enjoys lunch after the show.

We found our seats, way high up, but center, and still with a good view. The show was The Polar Express, based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, and it featured Mei-Ann Chen as conductor, Andre McRae as baritone, the Peabody Children's Chorus, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra — quite an impressive line-up for a kids' concert. Upcoming kids' shows are listed here. Tickets are prices reasonably for these events ($12-20) and the performances tend to be short. That's good news for me, because some of us are just too wiggly to make it past the one hour mark. As the show began, our kids slowly nestled into their seats, and for almost a whole hour all were calm...

 

I like to think that somehow this great experience will be permanently seared into their brains and classical music will forever be a part of their lives, growing those little neuron paths with every passing moment.

Maybe it worked. My budding violinist certainly enjoyed the show, my very busy son listened intently as soon as the story started, and Little Miss Butterfly does keep asking if we can go back...for another round of face painting.

410-783-8000

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Joseph Myerhoff Symphony Hall
1212 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201

[Map it]