Love That Dog

The show stars the charismatic and talented Derek Christopher Murphy, who carries the show single-handedly. While he does talk to other characters offstage, including his teacher and an author, Murphy is front and center the entire time. Although Murphy is clearly a young man, he manages to convincingly portray a 10-year-old boy experiencing a range of emotions. He has also mastered the physical comedy that makes parts of the story lighthearted and relatable. Some of his exasperated expressions had my daughter howling with laughter

New York City Children’s Theater’s latest production for school-age kids, Love That Dog, is a one-actor play that manages to be both entertaining and poignant.

The most clever thing is the subtle way young viewers are introduced to poetry along with Jack. At first, he claims boys don’t write poetry, but as he—and the viewers—hear works by renowned poets, Jack slowly becomes captivated by the rhythms and the stories.

The great thing about the show is that it takes the children in the audience on the same journey as the boy in the book. It helps them to see what is great about poetry and inspires them to write poems of their own.

The star of this one man show, Derek Christopher Murphy does a really great job in the role. He is very good at capturing the innocence and joy of youth which helps the children in the audience relate to him better. His enthusiasm for the role is so infectious that even older children and adults can’t help enjoying themselves.

It is just an all around sweet and entertaining show for people of all ages.

We think you’ll “love that play” and also you will learn that even if you think you don’t, you really do have a lot to say! Thank you New York City Children’s Theater for putting on a great play!

The production of Love That Dog is an amazing one-man show that takes the audience through the development of a child’s love for poetry and his opening up about a tragic incident. Derek Christopher Murphy exudes all the sentiments of a child going through this process and his energy is incredible!

We loved the performance – it was perfect for both grownups and children. The young actor was wonderful and engaging. It had a great mix of emotions: humor, frustration, tenderness. And now we are going to start reading some poetry! Thanks for a great experience.

My daughter and niece had a wonderful time.  I think the performance was perfect for the age group. I could see my daughter’s emotions.  She laughed, she smiled, she was sad at times.  I was touched myself. I also had a dog that I love that I lost to cancer, so I was moved by the actor.  My husband and I discussed the show with the girls and the responsibility of owning a pet.  Both girls are at the age where they would love pets to have pets and they need to be aware of the pain associated with the loss of the pet.

The kids thought it was so amazing to see one actor do the entire play all on his own. He was ‘AWESOME’ is what I heard the kids saying on the ride back to school. I hope you know how truly blessed we feel to have been invited for this performance.

Thank you to Mommy Poppins for including both of our upcoming productions, Love That Dog and Please Bring Balloons, on their list of the Best Winter Shows for NYC Families!

Please Bring Balloons — Midtown West
Saturday, February 18-Sunday, March 5
Ages 2-5
New York City Children’s Theater debuts a new show inspired by Lindsay Ward’s picture book of the same name, about a little girl who helps a carousel animal realize his dream of flying. Due to its whimsical story and half-hour run time, this interactive, multisensory experience is ideal for first-time theatergoers.

Love That Dog — Midtown West
Saturday, February 18-Sunday, March 5
Ages 8 and older
New York City Children’s Theater’s other winter production is aimed at school-age audiences, a stage adaptation of Sharon Creech’s book of the same name, which was inspired by the late Walter Dean Myers’ poem “Love That Boy.” Jack doesn’t like to write, and constantly resists his teacher’s urgings to try. But as she feeds him various prompts, he discovers he actually has a lot to say, especially about his beloved canine. It’s a celebration of unlocking the creativity we all have deep within.

The play was great! Derek Christopher Murphy has Broadway written all over him. 45 minutes wasn’t enough — I would have spent the entire afternoon with him if I could have!