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Wiggles’ youthful spirit is contagious
I have a confession.
Not only did I go to The Wiggles concert. I clapped and sang along with just about all of the Wiggles songs.
Go ahead. Call me a dork. I don’t mind.
I’ve always heard The Wiggles really know how to put on a good show. And the foursome from Down Under certainly met and even exceeded my expectations during their “Pop Go The Wiggles Live” tour, which stopped at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena on Wednesday, Aug. 13.
Talk about a kid-friendly show. When my dad and I arrived at our seats with my 4-year-old daughter and 11-month-old son in tow, we found a sticker/activity book rolled up in the cupholders perfect for pre-show entertainment. This is just one example of a really nice touch that shows The Wiggles really go out of the way to please their audience.
Once the show started, there was never a dull moment — from the Big Red Car, to inflatable fruit salad, to monkeys dangling from vines, to Humpty Dumpty (this time in the form of Purple Wiggle Jeff) falling off a wall, to Wiggles cast members running through the audience giving high-fives and collecting roses for Dorothy the Dinosaur and bones for Wags the Dog.
Just about every song was interactive in some way — from encouraging the kids to clap, point their fingers and do the twist, count to nine, mash bananas or wake up the very sleepy Jeff. Mind you, neither of my children like to sit still (especially my daughter), and they both were completely mesmerized.
The Wiggles really do have a way with children. I’ve taken my kids to a lot of kiddie shows including Barney, Elmo, Disney on Ice and The Doodlebops, and none compare to the Wiggles concert experience. The Wiggles’ really know how to relate to and engage children, and I suspect their background in early childhood education is a big reason why.
They just have such a youthful energy, and it’s infectious. Most of the moms, dads and grandparents in the audience (even the ones who initially looked annoyed to be there) found themselves singing and clapping along.
I also was really impressed by the newest Wiggle, Sam Moran. Though Sam has been part of the group since 2006 after founding member Greg Page retired from the group due to a chronic illness, unless you buy every new DVD or go to a lot of Wiggles shows, most of your Wiggles exposure is to the repeats on the Disney Channel still featuring Greg as the Yellow Wiggle.
Sam is really an incredible performer. He has a beautiful voice, especially evident on ballads like “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” He even does an almost dead-on Barry Gibb falsetto during the group’s “Saturday Night Fever” inspired set.
I was also impressed by the cast’s energy … all those flips and acrobatics by the Wiggly dancers (including some by The Wiggles themselves) were tiring to watch.
I have only one complaint — and that’s to Nationwide Arena. Next time, you might want to think about opening more concession stands. The lines were ridiculously long and very slow moving. Not good in general, but really not good when you’re dealing with hungry children who don’t care much for standing in line. I stood in line for almost a half-hour for a bucket of popcorn and a soda. And I had to repeat my simple order three times, and the employee still got it wrong. But I digress …
Before the show, we were lucky to have the opportunity to attend a Meet and Greet. Though the group of about 50 people in the room only had a few minutes to say hello to the cast and snap a few shots before the concert, The Wiggles really went out of their way to make their fans feel welcome and make the most out of those few minutes.
I will never forget the look of pure joy on my daughter’s face when The Wiggles walked in the room, nor the look on the faces of parents of some children with disabilities and illnesses as they watched their babies meet their idols.
We definitely got more than our money’s worth out of this concert.
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