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The remarkable kid friendly play, “The Nightingale”, finishes its month long run this weekend at the SteppingStone Theatre and is a St. Paul Staycation jackpot.

Now, I’m by no means a theater critic.  But how can you not love a kid’s play that begins with the crash of a loud gong, moves into a song about cheese, and features a giant gold toy bird that looks like C3PO from Star Wars?  Heck, the hilarity starts even before the curtain even goes up.  On a recent visit, the Stepping Stone house manager came up on stage and instructed the audience of children and their adults to actively practice laughing, clapping, and cheering.

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After a few practice rounds, the beautiful theater erupted with the sounds of circus seals.
With the audience pumped up, the play began. The Chinese Emperor appeared and servants did somersaults and cart wheels to please him.  Singing and dancing and cheese juggling filled the stage.  The Emperor was glum, though, until the gorgeous sounds of a nightingale echoed over the palace walls.

“It is like my own mother kissing my ear,” gushed the Emperor.  The bird was captured to fill the hole in the empty heart of the lonely Emperor.  Trapped in a cage, the nightingale soon lost its true voice and a golden toy bird was brought in to please the Emperor.
“That Nightingale is a party pooper,” a snarky Palace guard smirked.  “The toy is shiny!  And not pretentious like the real bird!”

But the toy eventually went hay wire, blurting out slow-mo cartoon-y warbles.  The nightingale comes back and singing and dancing and wiggle waggling ensued.

After the play, the entire cast of outstanding actors lined up in the lobby so that the audience of children could meet them.  My rag-tag assembly of Smiths stared in amazement at the child actors.  When we saw the actor who played the Emperor standing near the front door, my son said, “He’s…like…the greatest person in China.” So, don’t be a party pooper this weekend.  Go see some theater.  Support the arts.  You’ll feel better.

What:  The Nightingale

Where:  The SteppingStone Theatre
55 Victoria Street North   St. Paul  55104

When:  Friday July 31st             7pm
Saturday August 1st        3pm
Sunday August   2nd       3pm