Snowday, courtesy Strathmore
It’s ridiculously hot outside, but guess what, this Thursday the weather forecast will be partly cloudy, with a high near 84. No thunderstorms expected, which means it’s a good day to grab your clan and head to Strathmore in Bethesda for the start of their annual Backyard Theater program. Every Thursday for four weeks, Strathmore will present a different performance (twice a day!) for families eager for a little bit of culture (not to mention the snowcones).
Last year, my kids and I attended a Russian dance troupe’s Backyard Theater performance, and it was amazing. Barynya beautifully depicted traditional music and dance from Russian, Cossack, Ukrainian, Jewish and Gypsy Roma culture. The kids and I loved it, and we kept talking about the dances, costumes, and songs for a long while (I had just read a book about the Romanov family, so I had Russia on the brain last summer).
This year, Backyard Theater is kicking off with Snowday, a quintet that exposes kids to the entire spectrum of a cappella music. Strathmore has kindly offered our readers a four-pack of tickets to one of this week’s two performances: 9:30 am or 11:30 am (value of giveaway is $32 total).
Check them out this promo of their group:
More about Snowday: A Snowday always makes kids giddy, even in summer, and the group kicks off Backyard Theater for Children with a repertoire that spans the history of a cappella from chant to barbershop, doo wop and modern pop, from Palestrina to Rihanna. Founded in 2008 with the mission of bringing contemporary vocal music into mainstream education, Snowday performs all genres of music. Mini Madonnas and Michael Bublés will learn about voice parts, rhythm and basic arranging techniques, culminating with opportunities to try out singing and vocal percussion for themselves.
Snowday at Backyard Theater:
Thursday, July 12, 2012
9:30 & 11:30 a.m. (Tickets cost $8 per person (Strathmore Stars, $7.20), and children 2 & under are free)
The Strathmore Mansion is at 10701 Rockville Pike North Bethesda, MD
To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment by 9 AM this Wednesday morning explaining why your family needs a little theater outing this week. Winner will be notified Wed. afternoon!
Sandie clearly loves Strathmore nearly as much as the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She blogs about Young Adult literature at Teen Lit Rocks and occasionally about herself at Urban Mama.
