Thomas the Train Live on Stage

I think I may be a softie when it comes to spoiling my boys. I loved having three girls first with dresses, ribbons, ballet, etc., but now I am thrilled to be getting into boy stuff. It's a whole new world to me - firetrucks, airplanes, legos, etc. Well, anyone who knows Cameron knows that he's been obsessed with trains since he was one and a half years old. It all started with a trip to the Sacramento Train Museum. Since that time, he has collected trains, is mesmerized when trains pass by, and loves to ride any train. Last May, Lloyd took him to ride on Thomas the Train. I was really disappointed I couldn't go too, but I had a previous commitment that prevented me from going with them. Well, a couple weeks back I opened the newspaper to see an advertisement for Thomas the Train Live on Stage. It seemed a bit extravagant to go, but I just couldn't resist the opportunity to take Cameron. So after visiting Ticketmaster online and around $50 dollars later, we had tickets to go see Thomas at the Bob Hope Theater in Stockton. We had good seats too in the fifth row! Our big date was on Tuesday, January 27. I wasn't thrilled at the idea of going to downtown Stockton without Lloyd (he had to work), but I was determined to go. Cameron and I left early so we could find our way there while it was still light. We wanted to go out to dinner before the show, but weren't really sure what places were around the theater. It was cold as we walked around for a while, but we finally found a pizza place called Red Brick Oven Pizza. The pizza was wonderful and Cameron even got some gelato with his kid's meal. They had TVs at every booth so Cameron and I enjoyed watching "Dirty Jobs" on our own personal TV while we waited for our pizza. Then we headed for the theater. When we got there they told us we weren't allowed to bring in any cameras. They even checked your bags! I looked at the security guard and asked, "What no cameras? What pictures am I going to have to put in the scrapbook?" Well, obviously the picture above in front of the theater was the only one I got before I had to take the camera back to the car. We ran as we went to put the camera away because we were cold and excited. In fact a man at the theater commented to me, "I don't know who's more excited you or him!" Once we got in the theater, I couldn't believe how many people were there to see the Thomas show. There were lots of boys and lots of girls too. It's a big theater and the whole thing was almost full. I never knew that many people love Thomas the Train. Before the show started, I kept wondering what the trains would be like. Would people be dressed up like trains or would they have actual trains. I tried to keep low expectations. Surprisingly, the show was very well done. There were eight singers/dancers who performed in the show. They all were fairly talented, but I couldn't stop from thinking what shows they'd rather be in than "Thomas the Train." I can't imagine Thomas the Train Live being their first choice as a show to tour with, but they were great performers for the kids and very enthusiastic. The trains were actual trains around the size of a small car (I got this picture from the internet). The trains drive around and blow steam. We saw Thomas, Percy, Gordon, and James. We also saw Harold the Helicopter, Cranky the Crane, and of course, Sir Topham Hatt. The whole story is about Thomas and how he helps to bring the circus to the island of Sodor. There's a clown, an acrobat, and a strong man as part of the circus. There was lots of singing and dancing and the plot was actually pretty good. The songs were familiar Thomas ones and even fun to sing a long to. It was a fun show to watch for both me and Cameron. I held him on my lap throughout the show so he could see better. It was well worth the price and I'm so glad we went. I have to admit, the songs were pretty catchy and I found myself singing, "Thomas, we love you!" and "He's a really useful engine we adore" throughout the next day. I took this picture of Cameron after the show. He got this light as a souvenir. I would have got a souvenir program of the show, but they didn't have any. I think Cameron and I will always remember this special night!