The little tiger is king for a day and learns some tough lessons that kids can relate to in this stage performance at the Paramount.
Many parents today — or even grandparents — no doubt remember spending weekend mornings parked in front of the TV, watching saintly Fred Rogers feed his fish, change his sweater, and, most importantly, be a good neighbor.
Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood was deceptively revolutionary in its day with its slow pace, reassuring honesty, and a simple yet compelling message of understanding that’s resonated with young and old ever since. The series ran for 31 seasons, but finally concluded in 2001.
Now Daniel Tiger, the son of the clock-dwelling puppet from the original series’ Land of Make-Believe, has returned in his own animated spinoff. It may be a little more colorful and fast-paced than the soothing conversational tone of the original Rogers’ series, but Daniel brings the same lessons about compassion and acceptance for a whole new generation of kids. Daniel Tiger appears in a live stage show, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood: King for a Day, where Daniel learns that it takes a lot of hard work to be a good king. So he’s probably going to just go back to being a tiger and give that crown back to King Friday XIII. It’s a hard life, being king. The stage show features all new musical numbers, surprise guests, and dancers in giant-headed tiger, cat, and owl costumes.
Thu., March 7, 6:30 p.m. $30-$75, The Paramount Theatre, 2025 Broadway, Oakland, ParamountTheatre.com.