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ParentGuide’s Review of the Wiggles Concert Read part of our exclusiveTampa Bay interview with the Wiggles at the end of this review and look for the full exclusive interview in the Best-Kept Secret of the Wiggles—Parents Really Enjoy Them Too In an era where excesses of purple dinosaurs and Teletubbies can easily push parents over the edge, the Wiggles’ musical appeal and their investment in developing songs that require their audiences to move (hand gestures or dance steps) is genuinely welcomed by parents. In fact, at a recent show in Tampa, while kids were bopping and boogying to their favorite tunes from the colorful troop, so were the parents! And how couldn’t they? The music is infectious, with catchy tunes and fun gestures. It manages to succeed where so many musical performers for children fail—it’s crafted by talented musicians and includes the parents. Listening to their music in concert provides discerning (read: older) ears with a chance to really hear the range of their music all at once from the tender, lullabye “Rock-a-Bye Your Bear” (Anthony Field’s—the Blue Wiggle—favorite song) to 60’s sounding “Do the Monkey.” While rock and pop influences clearly impact the band’s music, there’s also some jazz and boogie-woogie heard as well as some world beat. And, as just a reminder to the parents that they really “get” music, Murray (red Wiggle) digresses for a moment in the show and plays a flawless intro to Led Zeppelin’s classic “Stairway to Heaven.” It’s also worth noting that the guys rarely stand still on stage. Sure, each gets a mini break here or there, but they are bouncing, jumping, playing and dancing the majority of time on stage. And quite often, you’ll catch Anthony and Jeff rotating instruments—another reminder of how talented these guys are. Of course, the Wiggles bring their “team” along. Captain Feathersword dances and sings as does Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog and Henry the Octopus. And some of the familiar Wiggles’ schtick is included for fun, like Jeff falling asleep during the show (kids love it). But all in all, parents have to leave a Wiggles concert feeling like they, as well as their children, have just been treated to a great show. NOTE: Greg Page (yellow Wiggle) did not attend the US tour due to illness. He remained in Australia. Sam Moran, his understudy, played the yellow Wiggle and did a fine job. Excerpts from ParentGuide’s Exclusive Tampa Bay interview
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They rock. They romp. And they bring down the house with their talent. They’re the Wiggles—the world’s top performers for young children. But what you might miss about the Fab Foursome for the pintsize crowd is how much the parents enjoy them in concert.