Fancy Nancy in the Windy City

Sweet Vivian.

My little #3 is 3 years old, and like many third children she has to go with the flow. A lot. Her two older siblings are very busy with activities and friends. And her little brother is still little enough to require most of my attention. Fortunately for me, Vivian is a happy and cheerful little girl who is often quite happy to tag along to “big kid” events.

I just love her.

So when I saw that the Emerald City Theatre is staging Fancy Nancy: The Musical right here in Chicago, I KNEW it would be a great way for me to have some special time with just Viv. She loves loves LOVES the book series, and she loves loves LOVES being fancy. We got tickets for the next Sunday morning performance. She was so excited!

Vivian adores (that’s a fancy way of saying loves) dressing up – not a day goes by that she doesn’t have a skirt or a tutu on – so for the show she picked a dress with extra ruffles. And a flower headband with crystals. And her “fancy” black shoes. She selected the entire ensemble (a fancy word for outfit) on her own. I couldn’t help but smile.

At a brisk 60 minutes, the show has enough action and interaction to keep kids of all ages interested. Several times Vivian shouted “HI FANCY NANCY!!!!!!!!“, but because it is a children’s theater no one gave us an awkward or rude glance. Vivian was so involved with the performance – she couldn’t help herself! Just like Fancy Nancy in the Mermaid Ballet book, Vivian was overcome with giddy emotion and excitement during the show.

I have pretty much memorized every Fancy Nancy book, which makes me practically an expert in all things Fancy Nancy. The actors in Emerald City’s staging really brought the characters to life. The costumes, the hair styles, the attitudes – it was all so recognizable (a fancy word for familiar). Even Fancy Nancy’s sweet mother wearing a decidedly unfancy outfit was just like the book character – ha!

Living in a big city gives me many opprotunities to easily plan special outings with my kids. I encourage all parents to seek out ways to connect with their children in unconventional (that’s a fancy word for unusual) ways. See a play. Try out unfamiliar cuisine at a new restaurant. Check out a different neighborhood. The world is so new and exciting for kids!

If you live near Chicago or are traveling here (Chicago is a GREAT city for tourists!!) take the kids to see Fancy Nancy: The Musical. Tickets are available herehttp://www.emeraldcitytheatre.com/shows_1415_fancynancy_bic.php

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2 Comments for this entry

  1. Laura says:

    Love this post Meau! Very creative. I think I have all those books memorized too.

  2. Catherine says:

    Glad I found this blog. I love reading about mothering at all ages. My blog post today will come in handy for your future. My youngest, my daughter will be moving away–it’s bittersweet!
    http://atypical60.com/2015/07/20/mothers-and-daughters-the-hair-ties-that-bind/

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