Children’s Day saw Chinmaya Heritage Centre erupt with squeals, giggles, laughter and gasps as Karadi Path Education Company and Evam came together to bring to the children and adults the Karadi Rhymes - Once Upon A Bak- Bak Tree, a spectacular theatrical musical, recently.
This one-of-a-kind show saw young and old of Chennai laughing, clapping, singing along and dancing with the pop legend Usha Uthup to the delightful tunes of the evergreen Karadi Rhymes.
The audience was introduced to Kunyu (a tiny mouse), Loki (the sad crocodile), Shoosha (the happy monkey), Samba (the ferocious lion) and Bak-Bak (the wise mango tree), who entertained them with puppetry, juggling, magic and music.
“It was great fun, full house show at the Chinmaya Heritage Centre at the show. As the director, the stars of the show for me were the kids in the audience. The abundance of energy and enthusiasm with which the tiny tots in the audience absorbed the performance really brought out the best from the performers, much more than any rehearsal ever has. Of course, sharing the stage with a veteran like Usha Uthup was an immensely humbling and a huge learning experience,” said Bhargav Ramakrishnan, director, Karadi Rhymes - Once Upon A Bak-Bak Tree.
The hall was packed. The energy of Usha Uthup and the cast was so infectious that the children could not contain themselves in their seats! Some of the adults had to resist the temptation to join their kids on stage.
The play featured popular stories from Karadi Tales and these were interspersed with the popular Karadi Rhymes.
“It was wonderful to see children respond to the music of Karadi Rhymes. We’ve always believed in them and this reinforces our belief,” said Shobha Viswanath, co-founder, Karadi Tales, which is a 15-year-old children’s publishing house.
The musical was a stupendous success and left the audience yearning for more. “It was great to connect with the children. They are the true audience!” said Usha .