Gabby’s Dollhouse Live! @ Boch Theater, Boston MA [11-02-25]

I never thought I’d know what Gabby’s Dollhouse is, but there you have it. You can’t control cultural phenomena. I have kids so it’s inescapable. There’s also something to be said for letting your kids be products of their time and not some unrelatable fossils. Do I want my kids to be well-versed in Bugs Bunny and Warner Brothers cartoons? Yes. But, instead they’re really into Gabby’s Dollhouse, Kpop Demon Hunters, and Pokemon. That last one has kind of bridged generations at this point, hasn’t it?

Anyway, Ground Control has a history of covering rock shows (and the occasional rap show a la Aesop Rock), and that history runs almost 20 years, which is plenty of time for the writers and audience to grow up and have kids. Would it be fun or interesting to cover a kids’ show? Why not? Life is all about experiencing new things. Pretty soon most entertainment will be completely AI, anyway, so why not enjoy something with actual human beings (both on stage and in the audience) while we still can?

So yes, my kids are big time into Gabby’s Dollhouse. They watch the show almost every day, they have toys, and they’ve seen the movie in theatres. Hey, Kristen Wiig and Jason Mantzoukas are in that one, which means it’s hip! But right, the kids are fans, so why not treat them? This is THEIR Nick Cave, after all.

The ambiance is different for a kids show but the setting is great. There aren’t many better theatres in Boston (or the world, for that matter) than the Boch smack dab in the middle of the theatre disctric. The excitement was palpable as families poured in, wearing cat ears on their heads and smiles on their faces. It was a beautiful room for the show, which lasted about 75 minutes (there was a 15 minute interlude, which is something you need with little kids), and all the main characters of the show made an appearance, either played by actors in costume or some form of puppeteering. There was plenty of audience participation in this story involving the restoration of a rainbow and everyone was either riveted by the colorful and lively show or happily participating.

I’d have to recommend this show for kids who are fans, and maybe even kids in general. The Gabby’s Dollhouse Live tour checks all the boxes of what a good kids show should do. Now imagine if Nick Cave sang one of the songs.

Comments are closed.