Family Night at The Eisemann Center: The Wizard of OZ

One of the greatest joys of motherhood is seeing your children experience something for the first time. This past weekend, I got the joyful opportunity to witness my twin daughters experience theatre for the first time at the Eisemann Center in Richardson. To my delight, the result was nothing less than magical.

I had been building up excitement and expectations throughout the week as I anticipated my daughters’ first theatre experience of  The Wizard of Oz at the Eisemann Center. I caught myself wondering if they were too young to enjoy it and worried that they may get bored. As soon as we walked in, all of my worries were washed away. I knew that we were in for a treat.

Even though it was unfortunately pouring rain that night, the parking was very easy to find. There was a valet option for parking also that allows for convenience and luxury while enjoying a night out at the theatre. Every person that we came across who worked at the Eisemann Center was unbelievably helpful. As a mom at a busy place with two toddlers, I was blown away by how accommodating and kind the staff was to us. We were helped to our seats immediately and my daughters were brought boosters seats so that they could easily see the show. Being new to this type of outing with toddlers, I honestly didn’t even know that there were booster seats available to us. It was such a simple gesture, but it made a world of difference in the twins’ experience.

The show, The Wizard of Oz,  was absolutely spectacular! I was so amazed at how engaging it was for even the smallest audience members. The lighting, visual effects, and music pulled the audience into the story. The acting and singing from the cast members made me feel like I could have been watching a show on Broadway! My own daughters, only three years old, were completely captivated. So captivated in fact that at intermission, one of them teared up because she thought it was over. She was determined to find out what would happen to Dorothy and her friends.

At intermission, we headed straight to the food and drinks at the concession. The prices were remarkably reasonable and the service was very fast. Of course, after we bought our food both of the girls informed me that they needed to use the restroom. There was NO way that I was going to be able to bring two toddlers, nachos, a pretzel, candy, AND my precious iced coffee into a restroom successfully. Seeing the look of panic on my face, a staff member came over to me to ask if she could hold our concession items while I handled the twins. Another small gesture that may have seemed like nothing to them, but was critical to this overwhelmed mother.

The second half of The Wizard of Oz was every bit as magical as the first. The costumes and choreography brought every minute of the show to life. I found myself dividing my attention between watching the show and watching the happiness on my daughters’ faces. At the end, without hesitation, my daughter, Keona, looked at me and asked, “Mama, can we come back to this place another time?” Absolutely, my darling. Absolutely.

As a parent, I feel like it is my responsibility to bring as much magic and wonder into my children’s life as possible. I believe that theatre is an incredible way to open up children’s imaginations, creativity, and experiences. It also provides us with time that you can spent with family away from televisions, phones, and other distractions that life brings.

For this reason, my family will be attending the Family Theatre Series of shows at the Eisemann Center, and I encourage you to do the same. This is a great lineup of shows that can be purchased individually OR at a package price as low as $36!

Upcoming Family Theatre Events: