The Sneetches at the Children's Theatre
Like many who grew up in the Twin Cities, my first memories of seeing a play was at the Children Theatre, and now theater is my biggest passion. It had been a while since I had been back to the Children's Theatre Company and I was both excited and nervous. I was worried about the social awkwardness I thought was sure to accompany a trip to a Children's Theatre company without a child in tow, but as it turns out, I had nothing to worry about. The Children's Theatre holds all the same charm for adults as for children, and The Sneetches the Musical currently playing at the Children's Theatre is a perfect show for all ages.
As can be assumed from the title The Sneetches: the Musical is based on the Dr. Seuss story for the same name. It was adapted by Philip Dawkins whose work was seen around town last season in both Charm at Mixed Blood and Le Switch at The Jungle. His latest work, and from my knowledge his first time tackling the world of Seuss, maintains all the whimsy that you would expect while still teaching a lesson about racism and prejudice, a very important lesson for our time.
The Children's Theatre has provided all the resources and assembled a top notch team to make this production a success. The cast was filled with many names that were recognizable to me from their past work including Bradley Greenwald, Ryan Colbert, Kim Kivens, Michael Wiser and Max Wojtanowicz.
The design team comprising of William Boles (Scenic Design), Alex Jager (Costume Design) and Paul Hackenmueller (Lighting Design) have created a world on stage that is clearly set in the world of Seuss, and more specifically on the beach of the Sneetches.
Have I mentioned that this show is a musical? The music by David Mallamud mixed with Philip Dawkins lyrics wonderfully. And together they do what only musicals can do, strike the balance between delivering joy, but also not getting in the way of the story, which can ultimately teach a very important lesson. The Children's Theatre proves that you can start exposing an audience to this kind of work young.
The Sneetches: the Musical is a fun show that has been assembled with great talent. It is running at the Children's Theatre until March 26th, and is a must see show for family members of all ages.
*Photo by Dan Norman