As my youngest, Shea, was growing up we had a tradition of watching Marvel movies as soon as they hit the theaters. If we missed them there, we'd watch them as soon as they were made available for home viewing. Over the years, that tradition has come to include my husband, too. So much for mom and son time.
But it all honesty, it's been fun. Especially since ...
- We've never had this much time with JUST Shea until the twins went to college last year, and
- These are the few times we get to spend alone with our almost 17-year-old, because, well, he's a teenager and has "better" things to do.
Last night, while enthralled with the action on the stage during Marvel Universe Live at the Times Union Center with my God Sister, her son and his friend, I became somewhat nostalgic and wished Shea had come. This was a mashup of Marvel characters like only seen in "Avengers Infinity War." Except for Ant-Man, I think pretty much everyone was in attendance — Dr. Strange, Captain America, Black Widow, Spiderman, Guardians of the Galaxy and yes, The Hulk — to name a few. I'm proud to say the 8-year-old boys were impressed with my knowledge of all the characters, and the smiles on their faces made it worth the hour trip to Albany. I know Shea would have enjoyed it (although he never would have let on), but I believe these little ones enjoyed it a heck of a lot more!
A few of our favorites scenes from the night:
- Black Widow — Bar none, ANY scene that included Black Widow. The boys were obsessed with the Black Widow. I LOVE that they're favorite is a female Avenger.
- The Stunt Riders — Captain America, Black Widow, and Spiderman ride motorcycles people, and they're awesome! So much fun.
- The Fire Dancers and Flame Throwers — There's an incredible scene where there's fire everywhere. Giant drums with firey drumsticks, performers juggling batons of fire, fire surrounding the staged area and being thrown into the air. It's really fantastic.
- The Finale — And of course, the finale! Because ... who doesn't love a great finale?
So if you haven't made plans for the weekend yet, you might want to add Marvel Universe Live to your Weekend Bucket List.
Showtimes are:
- Friday, Oct. 5, 7 p.m.
- Saturday, Oct. 6, 11 a.m., 3 p.m., and 7 p.m.
- Sunday, Oct. 7, noon and 4 p.m.
Tickets are available online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone at (800)745-3000 and at the Times Union Center Box Office. The Times Union Center, 51 S Pearl St, Albany, NY.
