I spent many enjoyable afternoons in Manhattan theaters as a child, seeing shows that (sometimes) went way above my head. We've taken Ben to exactly ONE Broadway production (Shrek the Musical), which he loved. We'll take him back, but that's another story.
People find their way to Broadway in numerous ways. Jamie Broza was literally born into it - his father, Elliot Lawrence was a musical director. The influence is obvious on his new childrens CD, "I Want A Dog."
His first childrens' album in five years, tracks on "I Want A Dog" sound like they're drawn directly from musical theater. More precisely, a latin-themed production for kids - especially tracks like "Guatemala," featuring Broza's brother, David Broza. David is an Israeli superstar and sings in Spanish and plays classical guitar on the track.
I'll want to see how Ben reacts to the song, "New School." Although he is now happily settled at his current elementary school, he spent a difficult four-year period hopping from location to location. And as for "Birthday Parties Always End in Tears," while Ben has not cried at his own party, we'll seen plenty of breakdowns at these over-amped festivities. I'm nervous that we'll wind up playing "The No Game" with Ben after he hears that track. As it is, he hears a parade of "no" answers, sans music. Older kids will figure out what happened to the cat in "Where's Charlie" long before the "surprise ending." As for "Sisters," although my wife might choke up (with three older sisters), there's enough of an age difference of 20+ years that tempers any devastating mood swings.
Broza's first CD for children, “Bad Mood Mom and other Good Mood Songs,” made the Parents’ Choice Foundation’s list of the top 25 children’s CDs in the last 25 years. His follow-up CD, “My Daddy Is Scratchy” also won a Parents’ Choice Silver award as well as a NAPPA Gold award. He and his dad, Elliot Lawrence teamed up and co-wrote two musicals with Stan Berenstain, “The Berenstain Bears Save Christmas” and “The Berenstain Bears Onstage” which toured all over the United States.
Broza and his family rescued a dog, Dusty, from the North Shore Animal League and credit him as the inspiration for the new CD. In gratitude, he is donating 20 percent of the profits from this album to the organization, and hope it encourages others to adopt rescue animals. You could do worse for your family - musically or pet-wise.
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