More Meatballs

I thought Flint Lockwood and Sam Sparks (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”) had taken care of the meatball making machine, but no, we saw a variation of one in “Curious George Live!” (a children’s musical that performed at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center a/k/a TPAC). This time the meatballs were square-shaped, but still a threat to world order. And this time it was Curious George who had to deal with the threat.


This time my granddaughter, Analayne, witnessed the meatball threat. In this adventure the inquisitive and resourceful little monkey went all out to help his friend, Chef Pisghetti, an Italian cook in “The City.” Of course, we saw the Man with the Yellow Hat, the Doorman and Hundley, the doorman’s dachshund. We saw George scamper up scaffolding, make “Ohu, Ohu” monkey sounds and walk on a large ball (balancing on a ball in costume had to be a challenge). Nevertheless, “Curious George Live!” is a musical, with songs sung by the Man with the Yellow Hat and others with themes and lines that included: “George is always curious,” “There’s more to explore,” “When one door closes, another one opens up,” and “You like to help your friends.” Of course, George always solves his problems.

Well it seems, someone had invented a machine that made square-shaped meatballs at an incredible speed that threatened his friend’s eatery. Because George had helped his friend, Chef Pisghetti, in his restaurant making meatballs, George decides to enter his meatballs in a world-famous competition, the Golden Meatball Contest. His first problem was how to get from “The City” to Rome. Using a shipping box previously sent from Rome, George sends himself to Italy using a “Return to Sender” stamp. The box and George arrive in Rome and he enters the contest. George is now missing. When his friends figure out that George has gone to Rome, they pursue him. When they arrive, the contest is already in progress and the contestants have all cooked their meatballs. Unlike the others, George had to make his friend’s meatballs without knowing his friend’s secret ingredient. Still, George wins the meatball contest. How could he have won against meatballs made by the square-meatball-making machine and all of the others? What was the secret ingredient George unknowingly used? His chef friend confides, “The secret ingredient is love.”

It is the same ingredient that Jesus tells His followers to base their lives on. A heartless meatball machine cannot compete against the power of love in one’s life. The bond of affection between Flint and Sam (in “Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs”) in shutting-down the food-making machine is just as effective as love is in making wonderful meatballs. Love comes in many forms. In the words of the playwright, “We are lucky to have a friend like that.”

Analyane’s review of the musical play: “George is bigger than he is on TV or in his books.”

Mimi and I agreed; “George is bigger in person than on TV or in his books.”

Afterwards, we went to Moe’s Southwest Grille. They don’t serve meatballs unless you consider a burrito a variation on one. At any rate, this outing was a hit with Analayne! She was still talking about “George” the day after and asked when we would go to another show.

Scripture:
John 13.35 – People will know you are followers of Christ by your love.
John 14.15 – Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments.”
John 15.5–8 – Jesus said, “God’s glory is shown by what His followers do.”
John 15.17 – Jesus said, “Love one another.”
John 22.36-40 – God’s law can be summed up as saying, “Love God; love others.”
1 John 4.8 – God is love.