Lots of children’s musicals that I have listened to seem to focus more on the fun nature and exciting characters in the show rather than the musicality of the show. Oftentimes they contain fairly simple melodies, basic story and not too intense themes/story which while this appeals to the audience that will be performing the show it does mean that when older audience members listen/watch the show they become bored very , very quickly! However, this is not the case for the children’s musical titled “Leap Day (a new children’s musical” which is available on Spotify. Despite having your classic over-the-top character and constant high energy throughout, what seems like just a fun show is a reflection of modern life. This musical is based on the famous short story called “days of the week” originally written by Hans Christian Andersen but the music, book and lyrics for this show were written by Denver Casado. The story follows the days of the week as they meet up for their leap day celebration (which occurs every four years) but things are not as they usually are. There is a lot of tension, resent and sorrow in the air at this party which is usually a night to remember at Father time’s home. The party does not go to plan and so the celebration has a very rocky start which is very relevant with the current lockdown situations across the world, however, the days still find things to celebrate and we follow their journey from despair to joy throughout the show. This means everyone leaves the show/finishes listening to the playlist with a joyous feeling which I love!
The show only contains 9 songs and all together last around 20minutes. Overall the show itself is only 30 minutes long which is obviously to speak to the young audience it involves. I loved the opening number in “Leap Day” called “the house of time” which builds a fantastic sense of excitement through the inclusion of a ticking clock. The next song is the one where we get to meet the characters of the show. During “The days of the week” each day gets a chance to deliver a short introduction to themselves which is where we get the incredible line delivered by Monday where they say “the only time people like me is on a Holliday.” This song was extremely cleverly written and hilarious to listen to which I loved! What many people love about Disney movies is that kids can enjoy them but there is a layer to the story that only adults will understand which this show also does incredibly. The song Cuckoo delivers a powerful message about being yourself and not being afraid to show who you are while still being a fun song that kids can also understand. This is the song where we hear the incredible lyric “I know the only one I can control is me” which so powerful that I almost can’t believe this appears in a musical for kids. The song “Leap Day Party” is a high energy number at the end of the show which demonstrates the happy nature of the show. It is the dance number of the show which I imagine is staged with fantastic breakdancing. These songs suggest there “ain’t no party like a lead day party” (I feel likes club 7 might not agree) and creates a very joyous atmosphere that radiates through the song and fills up the viewers/listeners.
Overall, this is a high-energy and fun show that is perfect for any young musical theatre fan. This show would be great for musical theatre companies who have a large number of young performers as the rights are available on https://www.bbbpress.com/musicals/leap-day/ with a gender blind casting opportunity so it could fit any cast. I would rate this show 4 out of 5 stars!
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