It’s strange what you find acceptable and inscrutable as a kid. I remember thinking the Berenstain Bears were acceptable as a kid until I found out that they were Christian. A family of anthropomorphized grizzly bears acting like humans? That’s okay, but once they start praying for some reason it becomes...unseemly to me as a five-year-old.
Suffice it to say, however, the family of Christian grizzlies has a huge following. And though the series of children’s books has received well-deserved criticism for being formulaic and syrupy and . . . all those things the children’s fare is so often criticized for, there’s no doubt that there’s an audience for a live musical based on the books. It’s a story full of important lessons about the importance of honesty, health and safety that really works for any religion.
Later this month, the musical adaptation The Berenstain Bears: Family Matters will make it to the stage of the Ruth A. Knoll Theater at the Schauer Center in Hartford on Oct. 18. The one-performance-only matinee starts at 3:00 p.m.
