Berenstain Bears LIVE! OFF-BROADWAY REVIEWS

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Opening Night:: June 25, 2011
Closing:: March 22, 2015

Theater: Manhattan Movement & Arts Center / 248 West 60th Street, New York, NY, 10023

Synopsis:

Come on down to Bear Country where the Berenstain Bears are starring in an exciting, new production, The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical . Papa Bear can't stop eating junk food, Brother Bear's grades are slipping, and Sister Bear still has a lot to learn about talking to strangers. Thankfully, we can always depend on Mama Bear and her loving patience to help set things right. After all, this is one bear tree house where family truly matters!

Officially approved by the authors themselves, the Berenstain Bears will be singing and dancing across the New York stage for a limited summer engagement.

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NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW OF Berenstain Bears LIVE!

Bears With a Treehouse and Tidy Tales for Children
Laurel Graeber

July 10, 2011: Bear Country, which Stan and Jan Berenstain created for their popular Berenstain Bears children’s book series, resembles human sitcom land a few decades ago. Each story about the Bears — Mama, Papa and their cubs, generically named Brother and Sister — features a nagging problem that homespun wisdom neatly and sweetly solves. With titles like “The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room” and “The Berenstain Bears and Too Much TV,” the books promise gentle laughs, lessons and escapades, but nothing too naughty — the Cosbys with fur.
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TIME OUT NEW YORK REVIEW OF Berenstain Bears LIVE!

The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical
Pamela Brill

July 12, 2011: Everyone’s favorite family of bears has taken up residence at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center—better known as Bear Country—this summer. In The Berenstain Bears Live in Family Matters, the Musical, Mama, Papa, Brother and Sister Bear make the leap from picture book to performance space in a spirited show that is short in length but generous in content. Packed into a mere 55 minutes, the perfectly paced production draws upon its rich storybook history by applying familiar life lessons (staying away from strangers and junk food, not necessarily in that order) to a day in the life of the Berenstains.
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NY THEATRE REVIEW OF Berenstain Bears LIVE!

The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical
Wendy Remington Bowie

July 2, 2011: The Berenstain Bears Live! does a spectacular job of bringing the world of Bear Country to life. This production combines three of Stan and Jan Berenstain’s stories, The Berenstain Bears and Too Much Junk Food, The Berenstain Bears’ Trouble at School, and The Berenstain Bears Learn about Strangers, into a live action play.
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CURTAIN UP REVIEW OF Berenstain Bears LIVE!

The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical
Deirdre Donovan

July 13, 2011: The qualities that have made Stan and Jan Berenstain's children's books a classic series are all present in The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical at the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center. You'll see some terrific dancing and hear charming, fun songs. You'll discover some new adventures and complications from this beloved Bear Family who always stick together. The tone of Michael Borton's work makes for a just right family entertainment.
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SHOW BUSINESS WEEKLY REVIEW OF Berenstain Bears LIVE!

The Berenstain Bears LIVE! in Family Matters, the Musical
Bryan Clark

July 8, 2011: If you are raising young children in the New York area, you know the frustrating limitations of live family entertainment. Typically, you must hand over your wallet to see an overblown spectacle that is an hour too long, or suffer through an incoherent adaptation of a television program in a hockey arena. But The Berenstain Bears Live! Family Matters, the Musical is a refreshing departure from the usual format. Family Matters dares to tell a logical, instructive and entertaining set of stories with upbeat music and a modest yet satisfying stage design. And it's under an hour long, with good seats for just under $30. (For the top ticket of $54.95, your kids get bear ears to wear and a seat on the faux-grass area at the edge of the stage. It's worth it.)
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