Weekender: Things to Do with Little Culture Vultures!

We’re finally getting out of our post-Christmas haze… and getting ready for the Year of the Dragon instead! But before we put our feet up for that three-day holiday, here’s what’s going on this week – and it looks like it’s gonna be an extra-cultural one too!

Baby’s first concert
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra’s ever-popular family series of classical music concerts is back for their first show of 2012! Presented by the irrepressible Harry Wong, Harry & The Wolf clocks in at only one hour – perfect for squirmy youngsters – and is suitable for ages one year and above. Including Prokofiev’s children’s classic Peter & The Wolf (help your littlies listen out for all the different animals) and Dvorak’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, made famous by a certain cartoon mouse, it’s a relaxed and fun–filled event for the whole family to enjoy.

When: 13 January, 8pm; 14 January 4pm & 7.30pm
Where: Auditorium, Tuen Mun Town Hall, 3 Tuen Hi Road, Tuen Mun, Hong Kong; Concert Hall, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
How much: $100-260, www.urbtix.hk, 2111 5999

Perfect those pirouettes
The Hong Kong Ballet is launching a new series of Ballet Classics For Children – and what better to kick (or should that be jeté!) things off than Swan Lake. The performance has been specially adapted to only last one hour and includes narration, meaning littlies can keep track and get fully involved with the spellbinding story of the beautiful White Swan, the handsome Prince, the evil Sorcerer and the magical tragic romance that follows! We’re predicting a rise in ballet class sign-ups immediately afterwards!

When: 14 January, 2.30pm & 7.30pm (Cantonese), 5pm (English); 15 January, 12pm & 2.30pm (English), 5pm (Cantonese)
Where: Studio Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
How much: $120, www.urbtix.hk, 2111 5999

Go around the world
Get ready for a whistle-stop musical tour around the world thanks to Hong Kong Sinfonietta and UK favourite family concert presenter Alistair Molloy! Uncle Alistair is back in HK by popular demand for HKS For Kids: Exploring Our Wonderful World, a celebration of music and dance from different countries around the globe. There’s classical selections from Grieg, Dvorak and Mozart, plus a traditional Chinese piece, a Jamaican rhumba… and even the Irish Riverdance! It certainly beats having to do a dozen long-distance flights with the kids anyhow!

When: 14 January, 3pm & 7.30pm; 15 January, 3pm
Where: Concert Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, 5 Edinburgh Place, Central, Hong Kong
How much: $120-250, www.urbtix.hk, 2111 5999

We’re going on a bear hunt!
The Kidsfest series of children’s stage shows is onto another winner with this one! We’re Going On A Bear Hunt brings yet another bedtime story favourite to life, so join the exciting journey through the swishy swashy grass, splishy splashy river and oozy squelchy mud… with a few songs and interactive adventures along the way too!

When: 13 & 19 January, 5pm; 14 January, 10am & 12pm; 15 January, 3pm & 5pm
Where: Drama Theatre, Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, 1 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
How much: $195-395, www.hkticketing.com, 3128 8288

Waka waka waka!
We’ve been waiting for this one for ages and hearing rave reviews from all our friends Stateside – and now it’s finally here! The whole gang of colourful critters is back and reunited, with a host of celebrity cameos, new characters and all-singing all-dancing show-stopping musical numbers. Yes, it’s The Muppets movie… and we’re probably even more excited than the kids! All together now… Mahna Mahna *do doo do doo do*!

When: Released 19 January
Where: All good cinemas!