THE SPACE CHUMS! by the company (Space Chums). At Kidsfest at George Ignatieff Theatre. July 9 at 11:45 am, July 11 at 10 am, July 12 at 3:45 pm, July 15 at 1:30 pm. See listing. Rating: NNNN
This space-themed kids band doesnt just perform rockin songs about rocket rides and worm holes. They craft an immersive family-friendly sci-fi experience that gets little space cadets dancing in their seats and singing along.
The fun begins even before the show starts, when audience members are issued a special boarding pass and enter the theatre through a space-aged silvery archway that builds the hype. Once the three-piece band hits the stage decked out in colourful costumes theres Space Ninja Linda, Fashionista Gussy, and Cosmic Rock Star Nikolai they take their new crew through an exciting countdown and launch sequence (complete with an impressive liftoff video on the main viewscreen).
Their funny songs maneuver between pop, rock, electronic music and rap, and tell the story of the bands attempt to reach a gig in a different star system to open for The Spiders From Mars.
The group excels at audience interaction with call-and-response bits, grey beachball asteroids tossed into the crowd and a really cute cross-cultural contact moment where the Chums ask kids to teach them their favourite Earth music (in the performance I saw this led to an impromptu sing-a-long of Katy Perrys Fight Song).
Weaving in tongue-and-cheek humour for adults too, The Space Chums deliver good times of galactic proportions.
