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Disclaimer:
The reviewers' opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of TheatreLouisville.org. |
Reviews The Little Lame Prince Directed by John R. Leffert
Reviewed by Keith Waits Entire contents are copyright © 2009, Keith Waits. All rights reserved.
CenterStage's production of this classic is a model of how theatre targeted for children should be presented. It benefits from not being overly-familiar, and, in fact, I myself had never heard of the source material, but it is still a story that functions in the best traditions of children's fairy tales. An infant prince is accidentally injured in a fashion that causes him to grow up with legs so weak that he never ventures away from the exile imposed on him by his self-serving aunt and uncle, who have taken charge of the kingdom of Normanland after the untimely deaths of both of his parents. The intervention of a wise but funny Fairy Godmother sets things right. It is a simple story that carries worthwhile moral lessons in justice and overcoming handicaps. A few of the plot turns seem to miss opportunities for a more complex rendering of the conflict between good and evil that is always central to these types of stories, but I'm not certain I would have desired a drawn out scenario for a show of this nature. The tuneful score is well performed by the small cast, who are in very fine voice, and the pace keeps things moving fluidly through the short running time of about an hour. The show includes just enough audience interaction to involve the young ones, and just enough subtle humor to provide a few laughs for the adults who brought them. The performances by the able cast set an appropriate tone that avoids the easy pitfall of condescension and effectively charms the audience. I was particularly fond of the haughty and sarcastic quality that Jill Janowiecki brought to the Lady Regent, who serves as the villain of the tale, and the daft but authoritative sense of humor Jill Sullivan brought to life as the Fairy Godmother. Alonzo Richmond and Jeff Simmons both proved able Kings in their turn, and Monica Suarez was bright and funny as the Prince's Nurse. As for the young Prince, he is played by Max Abner with a no-nonsense sensibility that doesn't allow us to feel sorry for him, and his happy ending seems logical, if perhaps a bit too easily earned. The remainder of the cast was Sean Sullivan, Alex Kapp, David Watkins, Graham Pilotte, Olivia Allison and Madeline Barger. They were an energetic chorus, filling the stage with song and dance and hula hoops. The richly textured fabrics of the costumes provided the perfect visual equivalent of the pages of an illustrated story book and contrasted nicely with the simple colors of the settings. If you feel as if young children are missing out on the virtues of classic fairy tales about good and evil, this bright and entertaining show is the perfect way to introduce them.
The Little Lame Prince CenterStage 3600 Dutchmans Lane Louisville, KY 40205 459-0660 ext. 0 jccoflouisville.org/ December 6 - 13, 2009
Posted December 6, 2009
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