Sing along with ‘CoComelon Live!’ at the Wang

Your toddler's favorite YouTube video comes to life, for better or for worse, March 26.

CoCoMelon Live! Courtesy Photo

1 minute to read

If you don’t happen to have children, or your kids have reached the age where you’ve given up on trying to monitor their viewing habits (we’re sure it’s all fine), you may be blissfully unaware of the existence of “CoComelon.” But if your kids are in that toddler-to-pre-K sweet spot, there’s a good chance it’s overtaken your life, much like “Baby Shark” assaulted parents two years ago, or like “Barney the Dinosaur” did back at the turn of the century. The characters may change, but the level of parental dismay remains remarkably consistent.

What may raise the stakes for “CoComelon,” though, is its ubiquity — its YouTube channel is apparently the most-viewed in the U.S., and the second-most-viewed in the entire world (behind this one). That means its bright colors, slightly creepy big-headed child characters, and earwormy-in-a-bad-way nursery rhymes and original (“original”) tunes are always just a click away. At least back in the “Barney” days we would get a break during the two minutes it took to rewind the tape.

And now “CoComelon” is taking its show on the road, jumping from your phone or tablet screen onto the Wang Center stage for two shows March 26 at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (So, we guess the 11 a.m. is the matinee?) “CoComelon Live! JJ’s Journey” will feature all your favorite characters — JJ, YoYo, TomTom, Bingo, Dad, Mom, Ms. Appleberry, etc. — and look, well, pretty much exactly like the videos, except Mom and Dad are real people and the kids are plastic-faced creatures with toothy mouths locked in perpetual smiles your children will love but that you’ll find vaguely frightening.

Still, it’s a chance to get out of your house, commiserate with other parents of toddlers, and get your children used to the idea of singing in public. Let’s face it, there are plenty worse things for kids on the internet (and at the Wang, probably) than fake smiley children singing about manners and the alphabet.