Pinkie Pie, friends throw a tea party

GUMBO STAFF REPORT

My Little Pony surfaced in 1982. A spin-off of Hasbro’s My Pretty Pony, the smaller ponies quickly captured the hearts of little girls across America.

Now, Pinkie Pie and seven of her Ponyville friends are coming to Houma for tea.

“My Little Pony Live! The World’s Biggest Tea Party” rolls into the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center Feb. 8, 9 and 10.

Tickets are $14 and $20, and are available through Ticketmaster or the Civic Center Box Office.

The highly interactive, 90-minute show includes plenty of singing, dancing and opportunities for the audience to join in the fun, according to Clara Rusch, director of production for VEE Corporation, the company behind the touring stage show.

“These are the same ponies generations have come to know and love,” Rusch said. The stage ponies – Pinkie Pie, Minty, Sweetberry, Rainbow Dash, Rarity the Unicorn and Wysteria – match the toys right down to the trademark “cutie marks” on their rump, she added.

Initially targeted for girls ages 2 to 6, the show has struck a note with fans of all ages. “We’ve been really, really impressed with how much the older kids have enjoyed it, and we’ve heard from some boys that have gone and had a good time,” Rusch said. “We also have a large number of mothers who grew up with My Little Pony that want to share it with their daughters.”

Maybe it’s the teapots and rainbows, castles and unicorns or the fancy dress-up clothes and balloons that fill the stage that are the draw. Maybe it’s an appearance by Spike, a several 1,000-year-old friendly dragon who shares his sage advice with his equestrian pals. Or maybe it’s the music and lighting.

“It’s very much a show about friendship that touches a chord with all ages,” Rusch said. “When a problem arises in Poneyville, it has to be solved for the party to happen. It reminds children that it is OK to make mistakes. Your friends will still be your friends and are always there to support you.”

Like My Little Pony itself, the message is ageless. And for 90 minutes, Rusch said audiences are invited to step inside Poneyville.

“Pinkie Pie and the other ponies ask the audience to sing and dance along,” she said, adding an audience-led lesson in singing “I’m a Little Teapot” is a sure hit. “The reaction is great. The children stand up in their seats and dance along. Before you know it, they start talking to the ponies even though they haven’t been asked. That’s how invested in the show children become.”