With almost 4 billion (yes, billion with a B) views, “Baby Shark” is undeniably one of the most popular children’s songs of all time. Its easy, repetitive lyrics make it a hit with children, who doo doo doo doo their way throughout the day singing the catchy ditty. And now, you can take your own little minnow to see the legendary shark, as the Baby Shark Live! show tours throughout the United States. Parents, you might be shocked to realize that Baby Shark Live! will make you want to dive right into the water, too.
You’ve got to hand it to the creators of Baby Shark Live! for being able to transform what is essentially a two-minute song into an almost hour and a half show and never miss a beat. Audiences follow Baby Shark on an adventure as he meets new friends. Pinkfong and Hogi (a hedgehog) meet two rangers who help them learn what it’s like to live in the rainforest. Unfortunately, the only shark actually appearing in the show is Baby Shark, although Mommy, Daddy, Grandma and Grandpa Shark all show up on the screen during the show.
At its core, Baby Shark Live! is a simple show. There aren’t a ton of live performers (in fact, there are less than a dozen), who sing and dance, often wielding puppets. Its target audience is young kids, and it knows exactly what kind of content (i.e. cute critters, familiar childhood songs, and oh yeah, Baby Shark) its young ticketholders want to see.
But if you thought that you would be stuck sitting in your seat, think again. This show is like a rock concert for the preschool set, and there is tons of dancing—in the aisles, in the rows, and even in the seats—from both kids and parents alike. There’s a brighter-than-bright LED wall on the stage, along with fun set pieces and super colorful lighting, which makes the show so visually stimulating that you can’t (or won’t) want to take your eyes away from it.
The show is also educational, with kids counting along and telling what color something is. It focuses on how children learn: giving them interesting, entertaining information sung by cute characters in songs that are sure to stay stuck in your head. As their children answered questions, parents armed with phones beamed proudly.
And, of course, there’s the music. Baby Shark Live! (thankfully) has a wide variety of songs performed during the show, from “The Wheels on the Bus” to “Five Little Monkeys” to “Skidamarink”, which got the biggest audience reaction as moms and dads (and grands) everywhere hugged their sweet little babes.
Since the show is about Baby Shark, you might assume that the song will play ad nauseum throughout its entirety. Not so. In fact, it only plays twice, once at the end of the first act, but it also comes on randomly during the show as a little yellow shark appears on screen and sings “doo doo doo doo” which hyped up the kids every time.
As the show ends, though, you might begin to gather your belongings and think, “Is that it?” But then, the real party starts. The “Baby Shark” song begins to play, but it’s not just the regular version-it becomes like a scene straight out of a club. There are lights flashing everywhere, Baby Shark is practically break dancing onstage, colorful streamers come flying out at the audience, and huge plastic balls are bounced around the audience. By the time it’s over, everyone has been worked up into such a frenzy that you —or your kids— might not want to leave the theater.
Whether you love or loathe the song, Baby Shark Live! is 90 minutes of fun, family, cute songs, and a great time with your own little shark. You might (just might) not mind “Doo doo doo doo doo doo” being stuck in your head the whole way home.