''How to Eat Like a Child – And Other Lessons in Not Being a Grown-up'' is an original
musical
Musical is the adjective of music.
Musical may also refer to:
* Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance
* Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
television special
A television special (often TV special, or rarely television spectacular) is a standalone television show which may also temporarily interrupt episodic programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Some specials provide a full range of ent ...
that aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
on September 22, 1981. Based on
Delia Ephron
Delia Ephron ( ; born July 12, 1944) is an American bestselling author, screenwriter, and playwright.
Life and career
Ephron was born in New York City, the second eldest of four daughters of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron. Her movies i ...
's best-selling book of the same name, and adapted for television by
Judith Kahan
Judith Kahan (born May 24, 1948) is an American actress and television writer. Early years
Kahan was born May 24, 1948, in Roslyn Heights, New York, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kahan. She attended Boston University's School of Fine and ...
with music and lyrics by
John Forster, the one-hour special, through a series of comedy skits and songs, lampoons the adult world through the eyes of children. The musical variety stars
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
as the resident "grown-up" alongside 15 children (8 boys and 7 girls) ranging in age from 7 to 13. Several of the special's young performers would subsequently go on to achieve child stardom in their own right, most notably
Corey Feldman
Corey Scott Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor and musician. As a youth, he became well known for roles in the 1980s in films such as '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984), ''Gremlins'' (1984), ''The Goonies'' (1985), a ...
,
Billy Jacoby
William Jayne Jacoby (born April 10, 1969), known professionally as Billy Jayne and previously Billy Jacoby is an American actor. His siblings, Robert Jayne, Susan Jayne, Laura Jacoby, as well as his half-brother Scott Jacoby are also actors.
...
and
Georg Olden.
Synopsis
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
opens the musical, stating "When you're a child, having fun is what you do for a living". As the "guest adult", Van Dyke seeks admission to the secret world of children and persuades a group of 15 singing and dancing kids to guide him on a wry and whimsical trip through childhood. Throughout a series of 12 comedy sketches and songs, the special takes an irreverent, but good-natured look at the time-honored dilemmas that children face.
The musical sketches include: "How to Eat Like a Child" (bite a hole in the bottom of the cone and suck out the ice cream.), "How to Stay Home from School" (flu, mumps, stomach ache, or maybe all three.), "How to Understand Parents" ("We'll see" means "no", "Not now" means "no", "Ask your father" means "no"...), "How to Laugh Hysterically" (a young
Corey Feldman
Corey Scott Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor and musician. As a youth, he became well known for roles in the 1980s in films such as '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984), ''Gremlins'' (1984), ''The Goonies'' (1985), a ...
makes prank phone calls and cracks juvenile jokes before hanging up), "How to Act After Being Sent to Your Room" ("With nothing but my private stereo media center to keep me distracted, I think they overreacted..."), "How to Beg for a Dog" (
Billy Jacoby
William Jayne Jacoby (born April 10, 1969), known professionally as Billy Jayne and previously Billy Jacoby is an American actor. His siblings, Robert Jayne, Susan Jayne, Laura Jacoby, as well as his half-brother Scott Jacoby are also actors.
...
playing opposite
Judith Kahan
Judith Kahan (born May 24, 1948) is an American actress and television writer. Early years
Kahan was born May 24, 1948, in Roslyn Heights, New York, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kahan. She attended Boston University's School of Fine and ...
's real-life stepson's four-legged friend, "Bandit"), "How to Torture Your Sister" (a quartet of boys antagonizing their female siblings), "How to Deal with Injustice" (having to walk to the candy store when the adults can just get in a car and drive), "How to Practice the Violin" (a pre-adolescent
Georg Olden transforms into rock-star
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...
after growing tired of practicing his violin), and the big finale number, "How to Refuse to Go to Sleep".
A couple of the numbers take on more serious issues that children face, including "How to Wait" (a segment which depicts a youngster impatiently waiting to be picked up at a bus stop, while addressing a child's anxieties and fears about being left alone), and "The Kid Inside" (a song in which Van Dyke provides an adult's perspective as he confides in the youngsters that children aren't the only ones to experience sadness and disappointment when one of their prized possessions is damaged and/or destroyed).
Cast
*
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
– Host
* Darien Dash – Darien
*
Corey Feldman
Corey Scott Feldman (born July 16, 1971) is an American actor and musician. As a youth, he became well known for roles in the 1980s in films such as '' Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter'' (1984), ''Gremlins'' (1984), ''The Goonies'' (1985), a ...
– Corey
* Andy Freeman – Andy
* Brandon Goldstein – Brandon
* Paula Hoffman – Paula
* Rachel Jacobs – Rachel
*
Billy Jacoby
William Jayne Jacoby (born April 10, 1969), known professionally as Billy Jayne and previously Billy Jacoby is an American actor. His siblings, Robert Jayne, Susan Jayne, Laura Jacoby, as well as his half-brother Scott Jacoby are also actors.
...
– Billy
* Sunshine Lee – Sunshine
* John Louie – John
* Arlene McIntyre – Arlene
* Christy Murrill – Christy
* Georg Olden – Georg
*
Rick Segall – Ricky
* Rebecca Wolfe – Rebecca
* Kimberly Woodward – Kimberly
*Bandit Kampmann – Dog
Production
The special was based on
Delia Ephron
Delia Ephron ( ; born July 12, 1944) is an American bestselling author, screenwriter, and playwright.
Life and career
Ephron was born in New York City, the second eldest of four daughters of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron. Her movies i ...
's best-selling book, "How to Eat Like a Child" (written largely from an "adult" perspective, appealing to adults who enjoyed the memories of childhood) and was adapted for television by
Judith Kahan
Judith Kahan (born May 24, 1948) is an American actress and television writer. Early years
Kahan was born May 24, 1948, in Roslyn Heights, New York, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kahan. She attended Boston University's School of Fine and ...
, an alum of
Boston University
Boston University (BU) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. The university is nonsectarian, but has a historical affiliation with the United Methodist Church. It was founded in 1839 by Methodists with its original campu ...
and the improvisational comedy troupe "The Proposition". Produced by
MTM Enterprises
MTM Enterprises (also known as MTM Productions) was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' for CBS. The name for the productio ...
, Kahan worked on the script for a year, while competing with
Walt Disney Productions
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
, which had wanted to adapt the book as an animated cartoon. The special's 12 original songs were written by composer-lyricist John Forster.
Making its television premiere on Tuesday, September 22, 1981 (7pm or 8pm, depending on the time-zone), ''"How to Eat"'' aired as one of
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
's "Project Peacock" children's specials, the first series of prime-time specials for youngsters and their families on network television and was billed as "a look at the manners, language and logic of adults in training." The special aired as part of NBC's "theme week" entitled "Get High on Yourself" which had begun that Sunday, September 20, 1981, and that NBC deemed in its press materials as "the biggest and most concentrated, positive, alternative-to-drugs campaign ever produced for television."
Reception
''"How to Eat"'' received largely positive reviews from critics, who commended everything from the insightful writing to the witty songs, as well as the special's talented young performers. The ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
's'' television critic Marilyn Preston wrote, "The show has fun with children, as opposed to those that make fun of children, which is what most kid shows do. A talented writer-producer named
Judith Kahan
Judith Kahan (born May 24, 1948) is an American actress and television writer. Early years
Kahan was born May 24, 1948, in Roslyn Heights, New York, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Kahan. She attended Boston University's School of Fine and ...
put this one together, basing her cleverness on the cleverness of
Delia Ephron
Delia Ephron ( ; born July 12, 1944) is an American bestselling author, screenwriter, and playwright.
Life and career
Ephron was born in New York City, the second eldest of four daughters of screenwriters Phoebe and Henry Ephron. Her movies i ...
who wrote the original book.
..Thanks to 12 mostly terrific tunes by composer-lyricist John Forster, it's a reasonably fast and funny story.
..Each skit has a theme and a song, and each song has a story to tickle your funnybone or your memory, depending on your age.
..NBC could do a lot worse with its children's programming...and usually does."
''
Baltimore Sun
''The Baltimore Sun'' is the largest general-circulation daily newspaper based in the U.S. state of Maryland and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries.
Founded in 1837, it is currently owned by Tr ...
'' critic Bill Carter expressed appreciation for the special's young performers, writing "(''How to Eat Like a Child'') is an hour of true children's entertainment – that means both that it will entertain children and that children do the entertaining. They sing, they dance, they cut up and they outperform just about every adult you've seen on a variety show in years.
..If any big person can scale down to the level of a kid, without being condescending, it's the always elastic
Van Dyke Van Dyke, VanDyke or Vandyke is an Americanized or anglicized form of the Dutch language, Dutch-language toponymic surname ''Van Dijk'', ''Van Dijke'', ''Van Dijck'', or ''Van Dyck (surname), Van Dyck''. Meaning living near the dike.
Van Dyke, Van ...
. The real performers, however, are 15 energetic, gifted young people, many of whom may be heading for future show-biz assignments after the act they pull off in this one.
.. The main kid, called George in the show (
Georg Olden), has a kind of chip-on-the-shoulder mien; but he sings as sweetly as a choirboy. Another standout is a golden-haired youth (Andy Freeman) with a throat just as golden.
While somewhat concerned by some of the "lessons" children watching might learn (i.e. learning how to harass a sibling, or how to make "prank" phone calls), ''
Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...
'' critic Robert A. McLean also praised the special, writing, "(Van Dyke) and the talented, charming kids assembled for the happy hour are aided and abetted by a marvelously-upbeat TV adaptation by Judith Kahan.
..If you've ever been sent to your room, or told to pipe down and go to sleep, or heard one of the parental phrases which means 'no!', then this will be a special treat for you, regardless of your age.
..All the kids are great. Rachel Jacobs, a blonde doll with a flair for histrionics is wonderful in a touching birthday sequence.
..And Rebecca Wolfe (mistakenly giving her name as "Rachel Wolfe"), a saucy maid with spectacles and pigtails, is a low-key charmer who apparently could sell Van Dyke the Brooklyn Bridge."
''
Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
'' television writer Fred Rothenberg was less impressed with the network's attempt at a prime-time musical for children, writing "This is the kind of thing Public Broadcasting's ''
Sesame Street
''Sesame Street'' is an American educational children's television series that combines live-action, sketch comedy, animation and puppetry. It is produced by Sesame Workshop (known as the Children's Television Workshop until June 2000) a ...
'' and ''
The Electric Company
''The Electric Company'' is an American educational children's television series produced by the Children's Television Workshop (CTW, now known as Sesame Workshop). It was co-created by Paul Dooley, Joan Ganz Cooney, and Lloyd Morrisett. The ...
'' win awards for. But take the same concepts to network TV in prime time and it loses something in the translation and transition.
..We watched the program with three neighborhood kids, ranging in age from 6 to 8. They seemed to enjoy watching the kids on the screen, but the musical variety nature of the program, the hook for adults in prime time, was lost on them completely." However, he, too, would go on to praise some of the elements of the special, writing, "There were some highlights. A fantasy imitation of Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger from a kid (
Georg Olden) tired of practicing the violin (and) all the different ways parents say 'no'."
Theatrical adaptation
After the television premiere of ''How to Eat Like a Child'', the musical was subsequently adapted for the stage as a one-act musical revue performed exclusively by children, using songs from the original NBC special. The first theatrical production was by TADA! (the Theater And Dance Alliance) in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in 1984.
As the original NBC production had used the child performers' real names (essentially crediting each child as portraying "himself" or "herself"), subsequent theatrical productions would continue to use the names of the original NBC players as the young characters' names in the stage adaptation. With the original special running approximately 45 minutes without commercials, the revue was also expanded to include a total of 22 lessons and 2 optional "supplemental" lessons. These 24 "Lessons" are:
*Lesson 1: How to Eat Like a Child – Part I
*Lesson 2: How to Stay Home from School
*Lesson 3: How to Ride in a Car
*Lesson 4: How to Laugh Hysterically
*Lesson 5: How to Practice the Violin
*Lesson 6: How to Express an Opinion
*Lesson 7: How to Beg for a Dog
*Lesson 8: How to Play
*Lesson 9: How to Understand Your Parents
*Lesson 10: More How to Laugh Hysterically
*Lesson 11: How to Eat Like a Child – Part II
*Lesson 12: How to Deal with Injustice
*Lesson 13: How to Hang Up the Telephone
*Lesson 14: How to Wait
*Lesson 15: How to Eat Like a Child – Part III
*Lesson 16: More How to Laugh Hysterically
*Lesson 17: How to Torture Your Sister
*Lesson 18: How to Look Forward to Your Birthday
*Lesson 19: How to Eat Like A Child – Part IV
*Lesson 20: How to Act After Being Sent to Your Room
*Lesson 21: How to Watch More Television
*Lesson 22: How to Go to Bed
:*Supplemental Lessons (Optional)
::*Lesson: How to Behave at School
::*Lesson: How to Brag
References
External links
*
''How to Eat Like a Child''NBC promo on
YouTube.com
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most vis ...
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1981 in American television
1981 television specials
1981 musicals
1980s American television specials
Musical television specials
Musicals based on short fiction
NBC television specials
Off-Broadway musicals
One-act musicals