A Musical Adventure for Kids - Worth the Splurge or Not?

I'm a sucker for musicals and fairy tales, so when I heard about the new show from Makers Lab, the producers of the hit musical 'Masters and Margarita', I just had to check it out.

Right off the bat, I'll say that Чудо-Юдо isn't a traditional musical - there were only 6-7 musical numbers in the 1 hour 40 minute show. But it's a great story with some amazing plot twists at the end, and the decorations are really cool!

The show starts off a bit like the movie 'Varyava-Krasa, Dlinnaya Kosa' from 1969, even down to the famous line 'Dolzhok!' But the ending is a total surprise, and it's only when you compare it to other Makers Lab shows that you realize how it all fits together.

I've got to say, the costumes are top-notch - they're really well thought out and add to the overall atmosphere of the show.

The singing voices of the actors are also really great - they all sing live, of course, and the original music is catchy and memorable.

One of the best parts of the show is that you're allowed to take photos and videos for free - that's a definite plus!

Now, I've got a few complaints. First of all, the storyteller - or 'vodochet' - just didn't do it for me. He's got a bit of a bad comb-over going on, but what really got me was that he didn't even try to change his voice to sound older. It was like a cheap animatronic at a kid's birthday party - really over-the-top.

The main character, Чудо-Юдо, is also kind of a letdown - he's supposed to be an underwater king, but he just blends in with the background (and the costume color choice was a bit off).

Also, if you've got kids under three, be prepared to shell out for a separate ticket - and they're not cheap. Plus, you can't bring them on your lap, so it's better to choose a less intense show for them.

I think the show is geared towards kids aged 3-11, but older kids might not be as into it.

Just for kicks, I asked a few kids in the audience how they'd rate the show on a scale of 1-5, and they gave it around 4.5 - not bad!

Seating:

Because of the acoustics, you can only really hear the words clearly if you're sitting in the center. If you've got a choice, go for the middle seats - I was on the last row of the balcony and it was fine for seeing everything.During the show, they throw out two huge balls, but only the kids in the front 9 rows can play with them. The other kids were getting really upset because they couldn't join in.There are also actors walking around in the middle aisles and between the 9th and 10th rows, so if you want to get up close and personal with the actors, you might want to splurge on seats near the front. Just don't go touching them, of course!One thing to note is that after the third bell, the front rows and balcony are closed off, so if you or your kid is late or didn't finish their ice cream (they don't let you in with food), you'll only be able to watch from the free seats in the balcony.Also, the seats aren't always in order - my friend had tickets in the balcony (rows 3 and 4, seats 17) right next to mine, but when we got there, they were actually separated by an aisle. We had to take her kid on our lap.Naturally, I hope my experience will be helpful to someone out there!

Verdict: It's a fun show, but it's definitely on the pricey side. If you do decide to go, I hope you enjoy it!