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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Reviews Winnie the Pooh Reviewed by Cristina Martin Entire contents are copyright © 2009 Cristina Martin. All rights reserved.
You have to hand it to Derby Dinner Playhouse. As far as theatre offerings aimed at a very young audience go, their Children's Musical Theatre program certainly gives the people what they want and has their caregivers bringing them back for more. Founded in 1986, the program offers a lineup of four shows a season, performed for school groups during the week and for the public on Saturdays. Lesson plans are available to help teachers expand the discussion of all shows into the classroom, and the printed program includes activities for kids as well (in the case of Winnie the Pooh, some interesting facts about bears and a spot to draw your favorite type). The Saturday shows include an all-you-can-eat breakfast or lunch buffet guaranteed to satisfy growling tummies. Before you see Pooh give in to his penchant for honey, you can enjoyed an ample salad bar, rolls, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, pasta, mac 'n' cheese, roast turkey, mashed potatoes and some particularly savory green beans. Milk, iced tea, coffee and water come at no extra charge, and Coke products are available for purchase. The dessert menu consists of four reasonably priced offerings that look scrumptious: sundaes, chocolate Oreo pudding crunch, double chocolate cookies and strawberry cake. Bravo the Star, mascot of Derby Dinner's children's theatre, pays a visit to each table as the plates are cleared, and most young audience members are quite fascinated to see him up close and personal. Shortly thereafter, he takes to the stage and warms up the crowd with a lively song, also reminding the adults in the audience that season tickets are available. Representing over a fifty percent discount off the regular children's ticket price and a savings for adults, too, they are quite a deal if you'd like to commit to all four shows. Bravo's name does not appear in the program, unfortunately, but when Pooh (Bill Hanna) appeared on stage, his face looked mighty familiar. And then we get down to the business of our "silly old bear" and his friends. A.A. Milne's enduring collection of stories about young Christopher Robin (based on Milne's own son of the same name) and his animal friends in the Hundred Acre Wood was first published in London in 1926. Its appeal throughout the world is unflagging. Milne sold the U.S. and Canadian merchandising rights to Pooh to Stephen Slesinger in 1931, from whom The Walt Disney Company acquired them in 1961. To Pooh purists, there is a world of difference between Classic Pooh, as Milne's original conception is known, and the Disney adaptation. E.H. Shepherd's softly colored pen-and-ink illustrations create a wistful, whimsical world. The narrator's marked affection for the quirks of these anthropomorphic animals endears them to adults and children alike, creating an overall mood of gentle nostalgia. Disney is, well, Disney. Bright colors, boldly conceived characters; simpler, louder, brasher. Kids don't seem to mind, but fans of Classic Pooh find themselves longing for the nuances that provide rich fodder for thought and imagination, holding children spellbound by requiring more of them, somehow. Maybe it says it all that Disney dropped the hyphens in Pooh's full name. Typographically speaking as well as in other senses, William Theisen's adaptation leans more toward the Disney camp. Though the artwork on the program and in the publicity for the show is à la Shepherd (the original Winnie-the-Pooh does not wear clothes), Costume Designer Butch Sager has outfitted Pooh in the familiar red shirt and made all the animals look fairly similar to plush toys available at the Disney Store. Cary Wiger was strikingly officious in Owl's costume, complete with a big stuffed hood and thick, round glasses that made him look particularly, well, owlish. Through the ingenious use of stilts and platform "hooves," Eeyore (Kevin Crain) is able to walk on all fours, looking like a believable gloomy old donkey. Piglet (Jamie Lynn Sutton), in her signature pink and black stripes, looked dirtier at first than I remembered any version of the character being most of the time; it all made sense, however, when a crucial element of the show's plot centered around Kanga giving Piglet his first bath. With the help of an awning, some greenery, a big log and some stumps and such, Scenic Designer John Witzke has created an uncluttered, credible Hundred Acre Wood, lit warmly by Ron Breedlove (who serves as Musical Director and Pianist as well as Lighting Designer). I was reasonably sure that at least some of the set must do double duty in Murder on the Nile, the other show running currently at Derby Dinner Playhouse, but it all worked. Theisen has done an excellent job of incorporating some of the most memorable adventures of Pooh and his friends into a coherent, hour-long show complete with six musical numbers. Kanga and Roo arrive in the Wood for the first time; Piglet receives his aforementioned bath; Tigger bounces in; Pooh quests for honey and gets stuck in Rabbit's doorway; Roo and Kanga are separated for a while and then reunited; and along the way, we learn some lessons about the danger of overindulgence and about the self-sacrificing nature of true friendship. Theisen knows exactly how keep children's attention with lots of action, physicality, and lively songs in which the audience is asked to sing along sometimes, but he brings smiles to adult faces as well. Eeyore’s eternal pessimism is always amusing. Tigger has said, "TTFN, ta-ta for now!" since the Disney Pooh films of the 1960's, but it’s especially funny to include it nowadays when it sounds like a texting abbreviation! Under Michael J. Drury's fine direction, this cast plays effectively to the audience on all sides of the stage. The consistently strong voices and energetic acting are impressive. These are obviously very talented performers who appear to be quite seasoned; I wonder why it was decided not to include a few lines about their previous acting credits in the program? Was it because of layout constraints, or did the producers think it might be confusing to young theatergoers? Sandra Rivera is perfectly prim and fussy as Kanga, who, of course, always knows best. Young Roo, played alternately by Ashley Gurwell and Lauren Petrey, was both cute and petulant in the show I attended, though it would have been nice to know which of the young ladies I had the pleasure of seeing. Lem Jackson brings out Tigger's over-the-top élan, and Melissa Combs is a fittingly bustling and somewhat curmudgeonly Rabbit. At times, Rabbit's wavery accent was a bit difficult to understand, however. There was an interesting variety of accents altogether, as a matter of fact, some verging on the British and some more American. Then again, who said that all of the denizens of the Hundred Acre Wood must hail from the same corner of the English-speaking world? The only human among the characters, Christopher Robin, was played ably by Kyle Reagan. When his microphone failed to amplify his voice during his first few lines, I thought perhaps this was an existential statement of some sort: the director was perhaps emphasizing the degree to which the focus is on the animals, underscoring that they are more three-dimensional than the lone human. But it turned out to be simply a technical glitch, and Christopher Robin soon had his voice back. Edgy this production is not, nor will you find anything too revolutionary or unexpected. It's true that most people don't go see children's theatre for that. If you're happy with straighforward tales bearing simple, wholesome messages for the six-and-under set, this is your ticket.
Featuring Kyle Reagan, Bill Hanna, Jamie Lynn Sutton, Cary Wiger, Kevin Crain, Sandra Rivera, Melissa Combs, Lem Jackson, Ashley Gurwell and Lauren Petrey. Posted October 17, 2009
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