Colourful singing, dancing trio have preschoolers entranced — and they appeal to parents, too Popular CBC Television entertainers head out on cross-Canada tourMar. 15, 2006. 07:34 AM
ANDREA GORDON
FAMILY ISSUES REPORTER
Photo Credit: DAVID COOPER/TORONTO STAR
They are more colourful than a bin full of Smarties — able to lure 4-year-olds off the couch in a single song. And for parents in earshot of morning television, they pack more punch than a jolt of extra-strong java.
Meet the Doodlebops, the biggest singing, dancing, rock 'n' roll sensation for the preschooler set since the Australian group The Wiggles made the leap to the North American market in the late 1990s.
The Doodlebops head out this Saturday for a Canadian concert tour that touches down in Toronto for two performances on April 8.
Since launching on CBC Television a year ago, this psychedelic trio has made its mark in the kiddie entertainment world.
At West Edmonton Mall in November, they drew crowds rivalling earlier shows by hip-hop band Black Eyed Peas and Canadian Idol's Kalan Porter. Their two DVDs have gone double platinum. Their CD is a top-selling kids' album in Canada. Currently amid their second season on CBC, they are among the highest-rated shows in the 2 to 5 age group, airing weekday mornings at 10 a.m.
And in the fall, they'll dance and sing their way through the United States, where they are about to launch their second season on the Disney Channel. There are also plans to air on Disney in the United Kingdom.
The three Doodlebop members seem to be taking it all in stride. "It's just fun to be doing what we love to do every day," Rooney Doodle told the Star.
In case you don't know, Rooney's the blue one. He plays the guitar and loves apple juice and asks a lot of questions. Not to be confused — as if you would — with Moe, who has flaming hair, a furry vest and the skin tone of a Creamsicle. Deedee Doodle plays the keyboards and Keytar and has a feisty singing voice. She confesses that underneath all her perkiness, she is kind of bossy. While the Doodlebops follow a long tradition of successful Canadian kids' performers, including their own childhood heroes, Raffi, Sharon, Lois & Bram, and Fred Penner, their influences are from all over the map.
"We love the Beatles," declares Moe. And the Monkees. You can see *NSync and Britney Spears in their energetic choreographed dance numbers.
"And we have the fun and exuberance of ABBA," adds Rooney. There's more than a dollop of KISS evident in their wardrobe tastes, though without the tongues and leather. And overtones of Elton John, the Bay City Rollers, maybe the Teletubbies for colour.
And they're not supposed to talk about their "other selves."
"We're ageless," Deedee smiles sweetly, after being asked for some personal details. They shake their multi-coloured heads. Sorry, can't say any more.
But you don't have to look too hard to see there's no shortage of talent and experience among the three.
Don't tell the kids, but Deedee, a.k.a. Lisa Lennox, 24, hails from Mississauga, is a graduate of Sheridan College's musical theatre program and has appeared at the Charlottetown Festival.
Moe is played by 21-year-old Jonathan Wexler of London, Ont., who has appeared in a slew of musicals since making his mark at 11 in The Music Man in Stratford.
Chad McNamara, 23, of Ottawa, is Rooney. His credits include roles in Mamma Mia and as guest star on television's Queer As Folk.
Deedee says she always figured she'd end up in children's entertainment. But the Doodle boys didn't imagine ever doing anything like this. According to co-creator and composer Carl Lenox, everything starts with the music. The 24-minute Doodlebop programs, produced by Cookie Jar Entertainment Inc. of Toronto, are written around the songs, which rely on a strong beat, a catchy melody, simplicity and repetition in the tune and lyrics.
Three years ago, Lenox and co-creator Michael Hirsh, both in career transitions, got together to trade ideas. They figured by drawing on the sounds of the '60s, they could create a group that would appeal to tots and parents. Lenox wrote a few songs, they pulled together a team, including producer-director Jamie Waese, and went off to pitch it. The timing was right because CBC was in the market for an original music show in their block of kids' programs and wanted something interactive they could take into communities, says Kim Wilson, creative head of children's and youth programming at CBC TV.
Now, after 26 Doodlebop TV episodes and 55 songs, Lenox says this is only the beginning: "There's lots more where that came from."
Warning: include() [function.include]: URL file-access is disabled in the server configuration in /home/zcujjavk/public_html/news/article2.php on line 57
Warning: include(http://all-together-now.net/footer.inc) [function.include]: failed to open stream: no suitable wrapper could be found in /home/zcujjavk/public_html/news/article2.php on line 57
Warning: include() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://all-together-now.net/footer.inc' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/lib/php:/usr/local/lib/php') in /home/zcujjavk/public_html/news/article2.php on line 57