The chamber at the Winspear is buzzing. The energy of hundreds of preschoolers is palpable. The excitement makes them buoyant; sitting in their seats is an impossibility. The heroes of PJ Masks are about to take the stage in real life, and I am slightly concerned that the little girls bouncing in the row ahead of me might have their heads pop off when the lights start to dim and the upbeat music swells.

The PJ Masks Live show is based on a very popular cartoon –now being shown on Kids CBC– about 3 kids who become superheroes at bedtime. Gekko (yes, that’s how they spell it) has strong muscles and super grip, Owlette has keen eyes and powerful wings that can blow away her enemies, and Cat-boy has extra sensory hearing and cheetah-style speed. The audience was peppered with kids, and the occasional dad, in masks and costumes.

The show itself didn’t get started until a quarter of an hour after the advertised showtime in order to give everyone time to get to their seats. Which is good if you were one of the ones running late, but 15 minutes is almost an eternity in excited kid time. Imagine hundreds of kids begging “Is it now? NOW?” and all the parents saying “Any minute now!” and you get the idea…

 

Once it got started though, they delivered an incredibly high energy show. The PJ Masks team set out to defend a new playground from the evil clutches of Romeo, Luna-Girl and Night Ninja. In every episode of the show, the team faces one of these ne’er-do-wells, but for the live version, the bad guys have teamed up! The theme of cooperation and looking out for your friends is central to the show.

The show was full of exuberant singing and dancing, onstage and in the audience. My 5 year old felt it was not enough like his beloved show, with too much dancing and not enough fighting, but judging from the throngs of fans dancing in the aisles, his was a minority opinion.

Were you at PJ Masks Live? What did you think?

*****

Show details:

It’s Time to be a Hero with PJ Masks Live! Owlette, Gekko and Catboy are suiting up to fight the things that go bump in the night, and they need your help! Be there for all the fun onstage at the Winspear, with singing and dancing and general heroism, you won’t want to miss the first live action PJ Masks tour!

 

PJ Masks Live: Time to Be a Hero

When: December 11, 2017
Time: 6 pm
Where: Enmax Hall, Winspear Centre
Address: 4 Sir Winston Churchill Square NW, Edmonton AB
Website: www.winspearcentre.com