Letters from the Max & Movie Fan Club
Carmen Adams, freelancer

My four year old isn’t exactly the biggest Max & Ruby fan. In fact, on the eve of the show, when her dad had me check if there happened to be tickets available, she was still calling them “Max & Movie” and hoping aloud that there was going to be popcorn at the show. But we don’t get out much and good ol’Dad, braving the notion of a thousand screechy preschoolers, said “just buy em.” And so they’re driving off into the sunset towards Trail’s Charles Bailey Theatre.

Yes Max & Ruby, an animated comedy series based on the children's books of Rosemary Wells, is making its foray into live theatre and we were fortunate enough to get last minute tickets. For those of you who are not privy to kiddie-culture, each Max & Ruby episode focuses on Max, a determined three-year-old bunny, and his big sister, Ruby, a smart, goal-oriented seven-year-old. Now this smacks of our household, although our elder bunny is 4-going-on-14 and our honey bunny is an equally determined two year old.

Their site describes the show as “offering an empowering message for children by showing Max and Ruby playing together and resolving their differences in ways that are respectful and supportive”. Now that is where the similarities between our households rest. But with the goal of the show to celebrate this brother and sister relationship, in which conflict is as “common an experience to childhood as Band-aids and birthdays,” suggests the author Wells, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to send the elder bunny, even though the tickets cost $20 for a 4 year old!

Elder bunny was so excited with the news that she was going to see Max & Ruby that she emptied a Costco-sized bottle of baby wash into her bath, “to get clean for Max & Movie.” After our slippery exit from the tub, the what-not-to-wear battle began. Her first pick was the multi-colored Barbie Island Princess gown she spent her birthday money on. “But you’ll squish the island wings” I tried to reason (who knew Princesses wore wings?) Her “comfortable” options were equally loud ghosts-from-Halloweens- past, being the elephant (complete with trailing trunk) and sweltering panda bear costumes. We managed to settle for the calmer bright red, toile party skirt, stripy tights and a pink sweater. Much better!

Now that she was squeaky, or, slimy-clean and dressed, it was all she could muster to wait until dad came home. She idled the time away drawing various pictures for “Max & Movie”, arguing with me that they were animals, “but animals can’t talk on staaage” she protested.

“As if they could talk at all”, I mused.

So out came the trusty colors and elder bunny kept herself busy making artwork for the dynamic duo. “I wonder if Max & Movie will remember my name?” she asked. And I can’t help but snicker that, as elder bunny goes off to see the infamous “Max & Movie” in last-minute seats, honey bunny has to settle for watching do-do-do-Dora on the big screen complete with popcorn!

Now there would be no name-confusion if Dora the Explorer came to town.

PS: heard the show was a yawner and Sunday School productions were better executed. Kiss that $40 good-bye & oh so relieved Ryder wasn't feeling well enough to go!