Orphie and the Book of Heroes at the Kennedy Center review

by Jenn Robertson

O-M-Zeus!

Orphie and the Book of Heroes, now playing at the Kennedy Center and running through February 25, 2014 was an absolutely phenomenal family experience. In this seemingly never-ending DC winter, my family craved a distraction from what has become our cold-weather weekend routine of debating the expiration of screen-time and the boredom that follows. We found our break from the ordinary in a show that not only had our boys, aged 9 and 4, dancing in their seats but also added a modern twist to Greek Mythology that kept us all laughing and wonderfully entertained.

Orphie tells the story of an orphan girl in Ancient Greece who sets off on a quest to find her hero, Heracles, at Mount Olympus so he can save her beloved caretaker, Homer, who has been kidnapped by Hades, god of the underworld. Orphie’s journey through elements of Greek mythology leads the audience on the adventure of a true hero and has some seriously awesome girl power in 75 minutes of delight for children and parents alike. From the clever way the larger-than-life titan, Atlas, was brought to the stage for a song and dance number to Hermes, the messenger of the gods, delivering Zeus’ opinion via roller skates, this family musical is so well-crafted by the collaboration of Christopher Dimond and Michael Kooman that you’ll leave the theater pretty certain you’ve just watched what could easily be the next Pixar tale.

Performance Dates and Show times:
Saturdays, February 15th & 22nd : 11:00am, 1:30 and 5:00pm
Sundays, February 16th & 23rd : 1:30pm & 4:00pm
Tuesdays, February 11th & 25th : 12:30pm

Not sure your younger children would understand the mythology references? The production provides a cuesheet, download it HERE (http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/students/kc-connections/series/cuesheet/140128-tya-orphie.aspx), to read with your children before the show explaining the characters as well as prompting suggestions for what to listen and watch for. 

The show is recommended for ages 9 and up, however, if your child is able to sit through a full feature film, a younger child could enjoy the show as well. 

All seats are $20. 

More information and tickets available HERE. 


Check out the official promotional video from the Kennedy Center:

About the Author:

Jenny Robertson is an event and family photographer in Washington DC and Northern Virginia with Peanut Butter & Jenny Photography and writes about her family and motherhood on her blog Two Boys & a Blog. 


Photo Credits: The Kennedy Center