WFT Actor: Jessica Ayer in Shrek the Musical

"I remember seeing WFT's production of The Sound of Music with Angela Williams as Maria. This particular show stood out for me because it was my first time seeing a show with non-traditional casting. Before this, I had thought that if the original character was white, then you had to be white and if the original was black, then you had to be black. Being a mixed girl, that did not leave me with many options. So this show truly made me feel like I could do anything. 

I started at Wheelock when I was 6 years old with their summer acting classes. Being the overly-dramatic, high-energy child I was, I automatically fell in love. I remember the teachers made it so much fun that I never wanted to go home. Since then WFT has taught me so many important lessons that I will never forget, the most prominent of which is to never give up. During middle school I dealt with a lot of disappointment during school shows and began to think that acting was not for me. I decided to give it one last shot when I heard that WFT was going to produce Hairspray. As soon as I walked into the first rehearsal I realized why I had fallen in love with WFT and acting so many years before. Everyone was so kind and helpful throughout the whole process. I felt like my 6 year old self again, excited to perform and never wanting to leave a show because WFT felt like home. 

WFT is inspirational - from their non-traditional casting to their ASL performances and affordable prices, there is absolutely no other place like it. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to grow up here and work with so many talented people. WFT will always hold a special place in my heart."

WFT Actors: Lexi Ryan in Shrek the Musical

"My first experience with WFT came when I was ten years old, playing Cindy Lou Who in Seussical. I grew up on this stage. But more importantly, I grew up a part of this family. The people at WFT, from the directors to costume designers, from the crew to my fellow actors, are among the most caring, kind, and talented members of the theater community, and of the world. Nowhere have I found a more supportive, hardworking, and transformative group of people. 

A key theme of WFT that has stuck with me is the idea of storytelling. I have learned that that is an actor’s true craft. Wheelock brings stories to life in a very special way. Beyond colorful costumes and impressive high notes, the point of theater is to touch people through effective storytelling. Storytelling is a means of sharing experiences through bridging cultural divides. The best stories show how all humanity is connected. 

What is truly magical about Wheelock is that it brings positive messages to children through its incredible storytelling. Where adults may be judgmental, children are prejudice-free. WFT helps to cultivate acceptance in its audiences, from the youngest children to the oldest patrons. Children start colorblind. They accept WFT's colorful casting without a second thought. Children will view avant-garde art as fun rather than weird. As I've gotten older, I've realized that WFT creates family-friendly theater with a message, something young viewers won't even register at the time, but guides them to become better people as they grow older. Shrek marks my sixth show at WFT in seven years and perhaps the most fun of them all. Shrek is a delightfully whimsical story that will make children and adults alike laugh out loud, but it also teaches an important lesson, one near and dear to most in the theater community: be true to yourself and 'let your freak flag fly!'"

"Alice" Performs a Mash Up at the Wheelock

Wicked Local 10/23/2014
-Iris Fanger

Lewis Carroll’s beloved classic "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" is about a bored little girl who falls asleep at the edge of a river and dreams of a fantastic country where she must use her wits and ingenuity to make her way. At the end, her sister wakes her on the riverbank and since she’s a child of Victorian England, she probably returns home for tea. Not so in the latest dramatic adaptation of the story,"Alice," now running at Wheelock Family Theatre.

Writer Andrew Barbato and composer and lyricist Lesley DeSantis have created a new work that discards Carroll’s simple frame to the story for a mashup of themes from "Peter Pan," "The Nutcracker" and Maurice Sendak’s "Where The Wild Things Are." Their "Alice" pictures a young girl on the brink of adolescence who must grow up and accept responsibility. This trade-off has its pluses and regrets in the Wheelock’s elaborate production filled with visual treats.

The new musical begins (and will end) in Alice’s room, on the morning of her 13th birthday. Alice (Maritza Bostic) is in bed with her cat, a sinuous, ever-adoring animal (Julia Talbot), when her mother (Leigh Barrett) enters and orders her to get dressed and ready for the party. "Don’t disappoint me, " Mother says, echoed by the character of Alice’s older sister (Jennifer Elizabeth Smith). And Mother never even wishes her daughter "Happy Birthday."

Mother’s demand is the cue for Alice to run away. After hearing some lovely chimes and crossing paths with a large, clothed White Rabbit in a fearful hurry, she follows him down the rabbit hole to land in a strange place filled with some vaguely familiar creatures. Her pet has morphed into the Cheshire Cat who will be her guide; her sister shows up now and then. Most significantly, her imperious Mother has become the Queen of Hearts who rules her kingdom with fear, masked by a pretended civility. We are in a post-Freudian landscape, indeed, unknown to Mr. Carroll.

Happily, Barbato and DeSantis have populated the stage with Carroll’s inventive characters. However, Barbato, who also serves as director, has made one major error in casting. Bostic as Alice is an assured actor-singer, with a winning sense of humor, but she’s a recent college graduate, too old to play the part. Barbato wisely begins the show with a chorus of well-spoken children reciting one of Carroll’s poems. The children later transform into Flower Buds in the Red Queen’s garden. Since the cast is a mix of children and adults, surely one of these charming young actors might have been entrusted with the title role.

The adults in the show portray the characters who guide Alice along the perilous pathways of her journey, leading to the garden of the Red Queen. Barrett, one of the most accomplished members of the Boston-based theater community, is nothing less than a wonder as the monarch, enriching the DeSantis score with her luscious operatic voice. She also exaggerates the Queen’s bad manners to a laugh-out-loud delight. As anchor of the production, she is one major reason to attend it. Although she is worth waiting for, the Deck of Cards as her courtiers are missing.

Other stellar performances are delivered by Robin Long as a hip swiveling, gospel-like, shouting Duchess, William Gardiner as the kindly Mouse, Aubin Wise as the White Queen, and Jenna Lea Scott, last season’s knock-out Tracy Turnblad in Wheelock’s production of "Hairspray," portraying a genial Frog Footman. Stephen Benson needed a song to cap his quivering performance of the White Rabbitt. Lisa Simpson has delivered an attractive group of costumes that echo the original drawings by Sir John Tenniel. Matthew T. Lazure built an all-purpose, wooden scaffolding to hold the action.

While Mr. Carroll doesn’t need this reviewer to defend him, it is strange that Barbato and DeSantis wrote their own lyrics rather than using the poems that dot "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" and its sequel (other than "Twinkle, twinkle little bat"). How sad to not to hear "You are old, Father William," and "Soup of the Evening, Beautiful Soup," among the many omitted verses.

Wondering what ALICE is up to now?

The New England Professional Premiere of ALICE by Andrew Barbato.

ALICE

October 17 – November 16, 2014

Friday nights at 7:30, Saturday & Sunday matinees at 3:00

This new musical adaptation of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” and “Through the Looking Glass” is by Andrew Barbato, a Stoneham local, with music by Lesley DeSantis, from Rockport.  “Alice” offers a fresh musical perspective on the satirical vignettes drawn up by Lewis Carroll.  Barbato, who has graced local stages as an actor, has been writing plays since he was a teen.  “Alice” first took stage with the Stoneham Young Company and was performed by Barbato’s production team “Cellar Door Stage” in 2011.  “Alice: A New Musical” made its NYC debut at the Midtown International Theatre Festival in 2011 and was also performed at Marymount Manhattan College in 2013.

 

“Boston is where the seeds of Alice were planted,” explained Barbato, “I am so drawn to the nostalgia, the whimsy, and the magic of Alice’s story “

 

“Alice” retains the beloved distortions, musings, and caricatures that have enchanted readers and inspired illustrators, filmmakers, playwrights, and choreographers since the book’s publication in 1865.  Barbato’s adaptation has threaded Carroll’s distinct symbolism with a story of a young girl “coming-of-age”.

 

“There have been about four incarnations of this play. And as I’ve developed this girl who is on the cusp of young adulthood; I can definitely relate.”

 

Wheelock Family Theatre has always been a home for young talent, nurturing young artists in a safe, professional environment.  And “Alice” asks a question many young people struggle with;  must you relinquish the dreams of your childhood when embracing the responsibilities of adulthood?

 

“WFT has been an instrumental force in my artistic development and I feel lucky to have been mentored by founding members Jane Staab and Susan Kosoff”, says Andrew Barbato.  “Places like WFT replenish my soul and remind me that the journey is much richer than the destination.”

And under the leadership team of Wendy Lement and Shelley Bolman, Wheelock Family Theatre will present the New England professional premiere of Barbato’s “Alice”.

 

Wendy Lement states, “I want Wheelock to present new work that brings beloved stories to life in fresh and dynamic ways.  The stories we tell must awaken our senses, alter our perceptions, promote empathy, and encourage dialogue.  I am thrilled to put this new work by Andrew front and center as our season opener.  Alice’s trip down the rabbit hole will send us on a fantastical coming of age adventure.”

 

Featuring Leigh Barrett* as the Queen of Hearts, Stephen Benson* as the White Rabbit, Jane Bernhard as the March Hare, Maritza Bostic as Alice, Dash Evett as Tweedledee, William Gardiner* as the Mouse, Russell Garrett* as the Mad Hatter, Elbert Joseph as the Caterpillar, Robin Long* as the Duchess, Alexandra Nader* as the Cook, Merle Perkins* as the Dormouse, Jenna Lea Scott* as the Frog Footman, Jennifer Elizabeth Smith as Sister, Julia Talbot as the Cheshire Cat, Noah Virgile as Tweedledum, and Aubin Wise as the White Queen.                               *Members of AEA

 

Wheelock Family Theatre is a professional, non-profit theatre associated with Actor’s Equity, the union of professional actors and stage managers. Located on the campus of Wheelock College, Wheelock Family Theatre seeks to improve the lives of children and families through the shared experience of live theatre.

For additional information please call 617-879-2300.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon in the Boston Globe

In ‘Mountain,’ a girl’s quest, and an author’s

By Joel Brown  Globe Correspondent   April 10, 2014

 

As a girl in upstate New York, Grace Lin rejected her Chinese heritage.

“There were no other Asian or minority families that lived in the area,” says Lin, whose parents emigrated from Taiwan. “I kind of decided early on that I was just going to pretend that I wasn’t Chinese. I was going to pretend that I was Caucasian, like everybody was in my class. I did such a good job of that that I really did forget most of the time that I was Chinese. I used to walk down the street and see my reflection in a store window and be like, ‘Oh, there’s a Chinese girl. Wait, that’s me.’ ”

Growing up in Cambridge years later, Caroline Workman embraced her own mother’s Chinese heritage. And one of her favorite books was “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,” a novel for young readers based on Chinese folk tales, written and illustrated . . . by Grace Lin.

It all comes full circle beginning Friday, when Workman, 14, stars in a stage adaptation of “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” at Wheelock Family Theatre, a New England premiere that runs through May 11.

“I loved the story, and I was so excited to see what it would look like onstage, whether I was in it or not,” says Workman.

Lin will spend much of this weekend at Wheelock, where she will receive the Wheel Award for commitment to children and families and changing lives through art. “It’s a really neat thing,” says Lin, who counts 15 books in print that she both wrote and illustrated, “because you spend so much time alone in your studio or your writing room, and you kind of put your work out into the universe and you don’t really know if it goes anywhere.

“And then to know there’s a whole production being made of something that came from nothing, that just came from your imagination, is a really cool feeling,” says Lin, who moved from Somerville to Northampton last year.

The book and play tell the story of a girl named Minli (played by Workman) who, inspired by her father’s folk tales, sets off on an adventure-filled quest to find the Old Man of the Moon and ask him how she can change her family’s fortunes.

“What she learns on the journey is: The good fortune we seek to begin with isn’t the good fortune we find, but we do find what really matters,” says director Jane Staab.

“I love that Minli is so kind and so smart,” says Workman. “She puts the puzzle pieces together, and she thinks of what to do to go over an obstacle. She’s so quick-witted.”

Lin says she used to get angry when her parents tried to teach her about Chinese culture “because I felt like all they were trying to do was remind me how different I was from my classmates.” But eventually she changed her mind, and “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” in part resulted from one of her mother’s early efforts to connect her to her roots.

“One day she went out and got about six to 12 Chinese fairy tale books that had been translated to English, and she put them on the bookshelf in the living room and just left them there. She knew if she gave them to me I’d get mad.

“She was really smart. I did end up reading every single one of them,” Lin says. “But I remember feeling like these books weren’t that great. The translation was kind of rough, there wasn’t a lot of detail, everything was kind of flat, and the illustrations were really kind of crude. I think it kind of reinforced the idea that my Asian heritage was kind of inferior to these Western things, like ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘Cinderella.’ ”

Many years later, she regretted not knowing more about her heritage and spent a lot of time trying to recapture what she had missed, including travels to China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. “All of a sudden those fairy tales came back to me. I’d see them in the landscape around me.”

She started making up her own stories about them, and “Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,” published in 2009, was the end result. Workman and her mother attended Lin book signings, and a print of Lin’s art hangs in Workman’s room.

“Where the Mountain Meets the Moon” will be Staab’s last show at Wheelock, at least for a while. After 33 years at the theater, as cofounder, casting director, business manager and artistic director, she is retiring in June. Going forward, the theater will be run by producer Wendy Lement and assistant producer Shelley Bolman, who have been in their jobs since Staab’s cofounder Susan Kosoff retired in 2012.

“There’s no particular reason, it’s just I turned 70, you know?” says Staab. “But I don’t believe I’m done with the creative side of my life. I sure hope not.”

Workman is a busy young actor and dancer whose resume includes a stint in “Billy Elliot” on Broadway. She says she’s excited to work once again with Staab, who also acted in or directed the other three shows she’s been in at Wheelock.

“Caroline is a special talent. We’ve seen her grow up in this theater,” Staab says. “I think we’ve brought her and her acting to a place she can be thrilled with.”

To this day, Lin says, she doesn’t speak Chinese well and cannot write it. Workman, though, is excited for next fall when she’ll be a freshman at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, where one of her classes will be Mandarin Chinese.

Joel Brown can be reached at jbnbpt@gmail.com.

Red Carpet Sunday at The Hobbit!

Christopher Sherwood Davis, Richard Wayne, Greg Nash (the Trolls) with Audree. Jenna and Audree with Jake Athyal, the Great Goblin!

V.I.Parents have something to say...

This spring my 11 year-old daughter Anna, attended an audition workshop for The Hobbit at the Wheelock Family Theatre.  She had a great time at the workshop and decided to try out for the show.  We didn’t know how many kids would be selected or how many would be auditioning.  We told her to enjoy the experience and wait to see what would happen.

 

A few days later Anna received an invitation to join the cast.  The rehearsal schedule included with the invitation was daunting - six days a week, with full day sessions on the final weekend and long nights in the last week before Opening Night.  Anna has always been a conscientious student and readily agreed to our requirement that all homework be completed before dinner on rehearsal nights.

 

Rehearsals started on October first.  It was a lot of hard work.  As a parent the most impressive thing to me was the way that everyone in the cast and crew treated the youngest performers as peers while being mindful of the limits of their abilities and stamina.  Anna learned a lot working on her own scenes and listening intently when the director, Shelley Bolman worked with the older kids and adult performers many of whom are professional actors.  Anna especially liked working with Robin Liberty who was the Assistant Stage Manager.  Susan Lombardi-Verticelli was a warm and calming influence as the Stage Manager.

 

Anna was one of 20 boys and girls cast as Hobbits and Spiders.  They were split into two casts.  They were in the first scene of the show as hobbits and two other scenes as spiders.  Because of that it wasn’t necessary to attend all 6 rehearsals each week.  Also early in the process they were released at 8 or 9 PM while the rest of the cast worked late into the night.  Still in the last week the hours and intensity increased.  All of those hours together brought Anna and her fellow spiders together as friends.

Opening night was thrilling. It was amazing to see the results of all of that hard work.  I will never forget the look on Anna’s face during the curtain call.  Her joy became my joy.  We don’t know where Anna’s journey will take her as a performer, but I’m sure that this has been an experience she will carry with her for the rest of her life.

A note from an actress at Wheelock Family Theatre

Hello Pippi family!

 

How I have missed you! I have been meaning to write a note of thank you to everyone- Wendy, the cast, the crew, and the parents. 

 

I cannot tell you how special the experience was for me on so many different levels.  Because of my deafness, I always had to fight through life for everything- to get an education, to get a job, to get resources.  Even the simple things I had to fight for- to go to the movies with subtitles, to be allowed in a dance class, and so on.  Because I had to fight so much as just a deaf person, I went through most of my life keeping the part about my being blind a secret.  People were struggling enough to comprehend how to include a deaf person, never mind a blind person.  Yes, being blind was a secret I kept from friends, teachers, coworkers.  I did not admit it until I was 25.

Despite all the pushing for inclusion, I truly loved dancing.  It brought me joy and an escape from my disabilities.  Though there were times my partners tried to talk to me and did not understand why I could not understand them.  There were times teachers stomped away in frustration when I could not lipread everything they were saying. There were times I misinterpreted the music; a slow cha-cha can feel like a salsa.   But I persisted with dancing not from stubbornness (although that may be a part of it) but when you have a dancer’s heart, it is hard to ignore the siren’s call.

 

Imagine my surprise when someone approached me about a role for a deaf dancer in the part of Pippi’s Angel Mama.  A million thoughts and doubts raced through my mind.  But I am not deaf, I am deaf/blind.  Will they still want me if they know I cannot see well?  Should I hide my visual limits like I always have?  I am not an actress, I have never been trained on how to do a monologue or audition.  Then logistical issues ran through my head- how would I get from point A to point B?  Would people sigh in exasperation every time I “needed” something?

The moment I stood on the stage with Wendy to demonstrate some of the dance styles, something clicked that told me I was in the right place.  I imagined all the seats full and how the audience would (likely for the first time) see a deaf/blind individual.  And not only a deaf/blind individual dancing but also being part of a cast. I was nervous but thought, “ I bet I could make a difference here”.

 

Once I became part of the cast, I was nervous about meeting the rest of the performers.  Would I be the person relegated to the corner?  Would people talk over me and ignore me?  With each rehearsal, I met someone new.  Some of the kids ran up to me to show me how to spell their names, the other kids thought that was so cool so before the show’s run- every kid had come up to me to learn how to spell their names and asked me often how do you sign (insert a word)?  While I waited backstage for my cue, and the townkids ran off stage after the Pippi dance, they all ran by me to say hello (in sign!).  My past experience with children usually had them asking their parents what was wrong with me?  I marveled at how the kids did not let my disabilities intimidate them but thought it was “pretty cool”.

Aside from the children, I loved working with the adults and the crew too.  In the beginning, there were not many in the crew who knew sign language but by the end of the run, at least everyone had signed something to me. Many of the adults have asked where they could go learn sign language and had committed to taking a class. 

 

I also loved my “family,” Pippi and Papa Longstocking.  Families have each other’s back and Pippi and Papa sure had mine!  Both were protective and supportive of me.  I cannot say how many times I had the giggles with Sirena while we rehearsed.  Cliff not only helped me on the stage but continued to protect me off the stage. 

I never once had to worry about how would I get around, would I have an interpreter, or would I be accepted? 

 

For one of the first times in my life, I was able to simply be who I am and not worry about my challenges. I was accepted, I was included.

 

For that, I am grateful to you all and wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone.  (deaf hands waving).

 

With all my heart,

Kerry

“Angel Mama”

Performance Intensives at WFT

Under the direction of producer, Wendy Lement, the Wheelock Family Theatre is poised to become the summer haven for teen artists, craftsmen, and performers. The Advanced Performance Intensive is an audition based class led by teaching artists Fran Weinberg and M. Lynda Robinson for youth between the ages of 14-17. Within two weeks, the students will audition and be cast in scenes, work extensively with the directors and guest teachers, and present their scenes at a public showcase on the WFT mainstage on Friday August 16 at 8:00pm.

Summer Programs 2013!

Pippi VLOGstocking #2

Pippi VLOGstocking

SPRING SEMESTER of 5 week classes for children, youth, and teens!

FOR CHILDREN AGES 6-8

Spring Semester I:  5 Saturdays, 3/16-4/13/13– Tuition: $275

·         B7.  Many Voices Inside of You.   9-11am. Begins with the voice and the imagination to create unique characters and situations.  Improvisation, movement exercises, and vocal work all help let those internal voices be heard!

Spring Semester II:  5 Saturdays, 4/20-5/18/13– Tuition: $275

·         B8.  Tiny Dancers.  9-11am. Builds upon spontaneous movement to explore beginning ideas for shaping movement pictures and stories.  Ideal class for the kinesthetic learner and for any student who loves to move!

FOR YOUTH AGES 9-11

Spring Semester I:  5 Saturdays, 3/16-4/13/13– Tuition: $275

·         C7a.  QUICK!  It’s Improv Time!  9am-11am. When panic isn’t an option… Students will learn how to calmly, creatively, and quickly respond in a variety of unexpected situations, proving that quick thinking can save a scene or a play!

·         C7b.  Creating 5-Minute Plays.  11am-1pm. A bonsai approach to playwriting.  Students will write, cast, act, direct, and produce brief, original dramas in less than ten hours! 

Spring Semester II:  5 Saturdays, 4/20-5/18/13– Tuition: $275

·         C8a.  The Voice:  Exploring Characters Through Accents and Dialects.  9-11am. Connects vocal work to character development for focus and strength.  Explores and applies the principles of pronunciation, stress, and placement in creating specific and authentic accents and dialects.

·         C8b.  Broadway Hits:  Building a Singing Character. 11am-1pm. Examines the relationship between singer, character, and story.  Students will explore how to balance these elements using hit songs from Broadway.

FOR TEENS AGES 12-16

Spring Semester I:  5 Saturdays, 3/16-4/13/13– Tuition: $275

·         D7.  Stage Combat:  Duels and Battles.  11am-1pm. Emphasizes the safe and graceful dance behind the illusion of onstage violence.  In addition to the basics of stage combat, students will learn how to add character details and to place combat in the context of the dramatic scene. 

Spring Semester II:  5 Saturdays, 4/20-5/18/13– Tuition: $275

·         D8.  Comedy Improv. 11am-1pm. Covers the basics of comedic improvisation. Students will learn how to initiate and build on scenes, practice active listening, use the environment, and support scene partners. 

 

Register by Phone: 617-879-2235

Register online: www.WheelockFamilyTheatre.org

Register by mail: WFT Education Programs. 200 The Riverway, Boston MA 02215

Boston Globe finds "Heart" in "Oliver!"

The Boston Globe
January 28, 2013

Wheelock’s ‘Oliver!’ steals hearts

Charles Dickens’s bleak tale of a desperate orphan boy in 19th century London hardly seems like inspiring musical theater fare. And yet, what makes the musical “Oliver!” so uplifting is composer Lionel Bart’s emphasis on embracing life, no matter how small its pleasures. The Wheelock Family Theatre’s production of “Oliver!” finds Dickens’s sense of hope and love in the midst of degradation and despair and energizes the story with a terrific vocal ensemble of both children and adults.

In the title role, sixth-grader Charlie Clinton displays an angelic voice with a demeanor to match. His unadorned renditions of both “Where Is Love?” and “Who Will Buy?” create that delicate balance of utter loneliness and hope that fuels the emotional tone of this musical.

Clinton also has the support of every member of the cast of more than 40. From the moment the workhouse orphans march in to get their bowl of gruel singing “Food, Glorious Food” to the final moment of redemption, director Susan Kosoff and her production team attend to every detail.

Matthew T. Lazure’s adaptation of Anthony Hancock’s design is superb: A multi-level set is gray and cobblestoned, with bridges and arches suggesting the dark alleys of London complete with a bit of fog hanging over everything. With the simple addition of a table and chairs, each of the areas becomes an orphanage, a funeral parlor, a pub, or a pickpockets’ lair, with the help of Franklin Meissner Jr.’s lighting. Kosoff uses every inch of the set, creating a sense of movement to a variety of London scenes without slowing the action down for a second. Laurel Conrad’s choreography accents and amplifies important moments without becoming distracting.

Kosoff and musical director Jon Goldberg have also found some impressive talent for key roles. Brittany Rolfs has a truly stunning voice, and gives the saloon gal Nancy a rough edge that makes her willingness to risk everything for Oliver much more poignant. The emotional range Rolfs displays between “It’s a Fine Life” and “As Long as He Needs Me” offers another opportunity for Kosoff to walk that line between hope and despair.

Kosoff casts against type with Jane Staab playing Fagin, the leader of a band of young pickpockets Oliver falls in with. Staab underplays a role that often turns into caricature, and finds more pathos than expected in Fagin’s fear of growing old. Her version of “Reviewing the Situation” starts out humorously, but becomes a little fearful, even desperate. Staab’s choice to play Fagin as a woman passing as a man isn’t jarring, but doesn’t really add much to the story or the character.

But nothing in this production disappoints, with the performances driving everything, especially Jeffrey Sewell as a charming Artful Dodger, Timothy John Smith as an absolutely terrifying Bill Sikes, and the ensemble in “Who Will Buy?” practically stopping the show with their delicious harmonies.

Goldberg’s six-piece orchestra provides the perfect accompaniment for the singing actors, sending the audience out of the theater on a wonderfully upbeat note.

Terry Byrne can be reached at trbyrne@aol.com.

Anne to the Rescue!

ANNE TO THE RESCUE!

by Janine de Souza

Ah!  I love Nickelodeon, especially Nick at Nite. It’s a quirky kind of TV twilight zone that time travels back electronically to all the old shows that you grew up with and loved.  No one ages. That ‘70s hair style still looks “Welcome Back Kotter” fresh. Every show is tied up with a pink bow of happiness and there’s a Snuggie-like comfort around you as you indulge. Way back when, there used to an old show on TV called Underdog.  It was a cartoon parody of Superman as a dog.  Whenever the lovely Sweet Polly Purebred was in trouble, Underdog flew to the rescue shouting, “There's no need to fear-- Underdog is here!” Okay, so what does this have to do with ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, the newest musical production at the Wheelock Family Theatre?  Everything! You see, Anne, (don’t even think about forgetting the e) is the adorable and enthusiastic Underdog of this musical story.

Adapted by Donald Harron and based on the autobiography of Canadian author, Lucy Maud Montgomery, ANNE OF GREEN GABLES is the musical journey of an orphan named Anne Shirley (Jennifer Beth Glick) who comes to live with Marilla (Jacqui Parker) and Matthew Cuthbert (Robert Saoud) on their farm.  Once Anne arrives, Matthew immediately bonds to the overly dramatic and linguistically gifted youngster. His sister, Marilla, however, needs much more convincing, but she too soon falls under Anne’s spell. Under the skillful direction of Jane Staab, this show seamlessly glides from one side of the stage to the other and even spills into the aisles of the theater.  A bicycle rides down the center aisle while turn-of-the-century school girls and boys frolic, run, and sing within inches of amazed audience members. It’s distinctly Wheelock and it’s also Wheelock at its best! One of those school girls is Josie Pye (Kaitee Tredway) who becomes jealous of Anne when her beau, Gilbert Blythe (Bradley Jensen), falls in love with the feisty redhead.  Josie bullies, intimidates, lies, and spreads rumors to poison the minds of those around her. But Josie and all the other adults behaving badly in her life have no idea what they are in for.  Anne stands up for herself using her talented sliver tongue and her street wits.  I guess it’s true…“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Even though, the story takes place in the early 1900s, kids these days still navigate and face the same challenges. Bullies still thrive and exist, except now they have expanded their arsenal to cyberspace via Facebook, email, and cell phones.  This is an empowering and uplifting show for kids, especially young girls, who feel peer pressure and the need to fit in on a daily basis.  Additionally, all of the songs in this delightful musical take the audience to a simpler time with their joyful and exuberant melodies under the musical direction of Robert L. Rucinski.  Finally, the main characters in this musical are played brilliantly by Jennifer Glick, Jacqui Parker, and Robert Saoud who pull out all the stops in their performances and pull a mesmerized audience in.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES represents the Underdog in all of us. It’s that part of you that’s tucked away in a dusty place and that won’t give up and won’t back down. She’s the part of us (even adults) that still thinks the brass ring exists and that if we just stretch a little bit further, maybe we really can reach up and grab it.

ANNE OF GREEN GABLES is running until November 18.