Cultural Events

Mother's Day always feels like so much pressure. Where will you brunch? Will the kids like it? Will you ever be able to pay off the credit card bill? With Mother's Day fast approaching on Sunday, May 12, it's time for you (or your partner) to start planning (although what's the old adage? If you want something done right...).

Our NYC Kid-Friendly Restaurant Guide is filled with fantastic family restaurant recommendations in all five boroughs, including eateries with family entertainment. We even have two posts dedicated to traditional Mother's Day brunch options, both swanky spots and reader favorites. But if you're looking for a unique Mother's Day brunch experience, one that comes with more than just a meal, we have five offbeat ideas that include arts and culture, a cool waterfront foodie tour and fun at an iconic racetrack.

From Fancy Nancy to the Berenstain Bears to Matilda, putting popular children's books on stage is nothing new. And yet TADA! Youth Theater's musicalization of a pair of Ezra Jack Keats stories is pretty daring because most theater companies stay far away from the award-winning author/illustrator. Yes, he's famous and many of his books are beloved, so adapting his work might seem like a no-brainer. But here's the thing: While Keats' tales are quite evocative on the page, with moody illustrations and sparse text that capture the inner lives of his characters, there isn't a lot of action. How the heck do you make that theatrical?

Well, TADA!—a company made up of talented local kids ages 8 to 18 that we're always raving about—decided to give it a go. How did they fare?