Globetrotters provide silly and sporty fun for viewers

On Friday, February 26, The Harlem Globetrotters made a stop in their 2010 world tour at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre.  With a focus on audience participation, the performance brought out the child in every audience member.

The show was a blend between humorous theatrical antics and athletic talent. It was constructed of a basketball game against the Washington Generals, with a silly plot line incorporated.

The players had imaginary names with personalities to match. The line-up consisted of the likes of Bear Butler, Moo Moo Evans, and Rocket Rivers. The leader of the pack seemed to be Hi-Lite Bruton, who narrated for the team as he played along.

Another player, Cobra Coley, entertained the audience with his signature cobra imitation after every slam dunk.

There were several basketball tricks incorporated into the game, which made it more of an entertainment event than a sporting event. Even if you are not interested in basketball, there were plenty of other types of entertainment included. At the beginning of the show, there was a break-dance performance showing off skilled moves and building the fun atmosphere.

During halftime, the show featured a dance and stunt performance by Northeastern Pennsylvania's very own dance company, The David Blight School of Dance. These dancers were from all age groups, and wore eye-catching neon outfits.

The audience participation was another entertaining element. The players pulled audience members out of the stands to dance with them. Children were able to shoot hoops and take part in games.

The mascot of the team, Globie, was one of the best aspects of the performance. He danced energetically, changing into different outfits to imitate various stars. Globie impersonated Taylor Swift, Michael Jackson, and many other performers.

The downfall of the performance was the time length, since it ran around two hours. The game began to drag on towards the end. Also, the performance was mainly geared towards a younger age group. However, if you embrace your inner child you can appreciate the amusing and humorous event.

The Globetrotters are scheduled to return to Pennsylvania on Friday, March 12 at 7 p.m. They will be performing in Philadelphia at the Liacouras Center at Temple University.