• Home

Kids Get Special Treat at Shopping Festival

From T-rex Barney and his hosts of dinosaur buddies, BJ, Baby Bop and cousin Riff to Ben 10, and the Power of the Omnitrix to the talented clown and theatrical entertainers of Fringe Festival, the list is endless.

Children can have a good time to see them and have pictorials with them.

A premiere of the latest production “Power of the Omnitrix of Ben 10, the ever-popular cartoon character, made its Middle East premiere on Saturday as children swarmed the Palladium at Dubai Media City to watch Ben 10 and the larger-than-life characters take the stage for a 90-minute show.

Ben 10 will be shown at The Palladium till February 26 (no show on Feb 22) with two shows per day, at 4pm and 7pm. The show will then go on a tour across the Middle East throughout the summer.

Children of all ages have been delighted to be with Ben 10 and to watch its latest production.

Saudi children, Ahmed, 10, and his sister, Shekhah, came to Dubai to watch the show and find time with their favourite hero.

“I love Ben 10 because it is all action. It is something I and my sister Shekhah treasure so much,” Ahmed told Khaleej Times. His sister said she liked the free Ben 10 toys distributed after the launch at the Dubai Festival City over the weekend.

Gameel, a father of two boys, and wife Omaima have to go with his sons many times to Toys R Us to see if tickets for Ben 10 are available.

At the launch, both sons, Sharaf and Ramy got their tickets and a pictorial with the Ben 10 cast. Ramy said he likes Ben 10 very much. “I have asked my Dad to buy me Ben 10 custumes.”

Abhinav, 8, immediately grabbed the opportunity to play the Xbox 360 after the launch of Ben 10. His mom, Manu, who is working with an FM Radio in Dubai, was there with her sons, Abhinav and Advaith.

Cartoon Network Live on Stage – Power of the Omnitrix combines the best of Ben 10 and Ben 10 Alien Force in a theatrical extravaganza.

Skateboarding stunts, thrilling acrobatics, jaw-dropping action scenes, and dazzling multimedia effects are just few of what audiences can expect.

The show features a cast of 14 dynamic characters (live actors and costumed), including Ben and his cousin Gwen Tennyson, Kevin Levin and Grandpa Max.

Making their global debut live on stage are Rocks and Squidstrictor, brand-new alien superheroes from Ben 10 Alien Force! They join popular superheroes Four Arms, Wildmutt and Heatblast, and menacing villains Vilgax and HighBreed Commander while stunt performers entertain the audience with slick moves.

Tickets are priced at Dh50, 75 and 100, and are now available at Toys R Us, Virgin Megastore, and through www.timeouttickets.com or by calling 800-4669.

At Wafi, a key sponsor of DSF2010, Fringe Festival has been drawing large crowds since it started on February 15. One of the highlights of DSF, it features a clown and cartoon interactive show, including numerous performers.

Fringe festivals are staged in many parts of the world – such as Toronto, Montreal, Edinburgh, Shanghai, Melbourne and Dublin - to celebrate various forms of art and entertainment, including theatre, comedy, visual arts, dance and music.

Artists from Hungary also performed a variety of shows such as the Talented Circus Clown from February 15 to 18 and the Fruit Kingdom from February 19 to 21.

Clad in bright and flashy jester and clown costumes, the performers delighted audiences with a number of acts that included stilt walkers, unicyclists, magician, jugglers, ribbon dancers, comical show, acrobats, and Arabian dances, to name a few.

In the one hour show, some children have been asked to take part in some of the acts in this cartoon and interactive clown theatre show.

The Talented Circus Clown and the Fruit Kingdom will entertain guests from 5pm to 10pm daily with each show lasting for about an hour.

The Show is preceded by a colourful parade. From today to February 28, a Chinese Variety Show will mesmerise the crowds in the mall with acrobatic stunts and stylishly choreographed routines with three shows daily.

Families heading to Dubai Festival City have witnessed a breathtaking 60-minute show featuring car crushing, motorcycle free-styling, ramp jumping, wheelie pulling, quad bike leaping, two wheel car driving and fire walking.

Popular cartoon character T-rex Barney and his hosts of dinosaur buddies, BJ, Baby Bop and cousin Riff captured the hearts of families and children for almost a week.

Joining Barney and his dino friends were the much loved Bob the Builder, Wendy and Spud, Angelina Ballerina and her best friend Alice, Pingu, Fireman Sam and his sidekick Naughty Norman, and Thomas the Tank Engine, all in one line up, as never seen before.

The entire show lasted for approximately 90 minutes, including a 20-minute interval.

Known as the Little Big Club Show, the musical featuring a host of favourite international cartoon characters, thrilled the children and families alike when it opened to crowds at the East Hall of Airport Expo Dubai on February 5.

Organised by the Dubai Events and Promotions Establishment (DEPE) exclusively for DSF, the ticketed event went on till February 12 with two shows a day at 4pm and 8pm.

Naser Hakim, Senior PR & Communication Executive of DEPE, said children swayed to their favourite songs, including Colours All Around, The Dino Dance, Mambo Number 5, Webby the Spider, Thomas, You’re The Leader, Thomas’ Wheels and Barney’s much beloved hits If All The Raindrops, Mr Knickerbockers and I Love You.

lily@khaleejtimes.com

• UAE