By Blogger Charles "Ebbie" Alfree, III
It’s hard not to
think of Tom Hanks playing Heart and Soul and Chopsticks at the
quintessential New York City toy store, FAO Schwartz (aka "MacMillan Toys" in the movie) when someone mentions the
film Big. Fortunately for the
audience at the Wilmington Drama League (WDL), they see the iconic scene from
Penny Marshall’s 1988 film live on stage in their holiday show, Big, the musical.
With a
boisterous score by David Shire, Big the
musical is exactly what it says it is…it’s BIG! Sharing the writing with
Richard Maltby, Jr. (lyrics) and John Weidman (book), the three men have
created a show that’s perfect for the whole family during
the holiday season.
Directed by
Kathy Buterbaugh, Big the musical
follows 12-year-old New Jersey boy, Josh (Connor Carp) who likes 13-year-old Cynthia (Rachel Ford). While waiting in line for a carnival ride — which he ends up being too small to ride — he learns Cynthia is
dating a boy old enough to drive.
Distraught, Josh visits the Zoltar Speaks machine and wishes to be "big." The
next morning, Josh wakes up a grown man (Daniel Urdaneto). Not
recognizing her now-grown son, Josh’s mother (Kansas Lynn Battern) kicks him out
of the house. With the help of his neighbor and best friend, Billy (William
Rotsch), Josh travels to New York City to find a Zoltar Speaks machine in an arcade,
but instead finds he must wait weeks for a listing of machine locations.
What else would
a 12-year-old boy do, but make his way to FAO Schwartz (MacMillan Toys), where he meets Mr.
MacMillan (Jack Jordan) who owns a faltering toy manufacturing company.
Impressed with Josh’s knowledge of toys, Mr. MacMillan offers him a vice
president position and an apartment. Josh now has a place to
live, an office with a view of the Statue of Liberty and a job that requires
him to play with toys all day…a perfect life for a young boy. But, Josh has to
contend with his yuppie colleagues Paul (Bill Swezey) and Susan (Sharon
Rueggsegger), who are in a tumultuous relationship and are unable to create a
successful holiday toy for the company.
Chaos ensues as
Susan begins to drift away from the smarmy Paul and develop feelings
for Josh. With Josh, Susan starts to reconnect with her inner-child and enjoy
life, instead of climbing the corporate ladder. When Josh
finally finds the Zoltar Speaks machine, he has to decide if he’ll stay in his
adult form and continue his relationship with Susan or return to his family and
friends.
Making that
choice is Mr. Urdaneto who is brilliant as a man-child. His mannerisms — even
the way he takes off his coat — are exactly what you would expect from a
12-year-old. He has a gorgeous voice that soars throughout the theater. Playing
opposite him is an equally brilliant performer, Mrs. Rueggsegger as Susan. Mrs.
Rueggsegger, who sings most of the show’s ballads, is amazing. She has a
gorgeous voice and I could’ve listened to her sing all night. Ms. Battern as
Josh’s mother and Mr. Rotsch as Billy give rousing performances. The four
actors lead a BIG enthusiastic cast that keeps the show in motion, especially
during the BIG splashy dance numbers choreographed by Brett Anderson.
Set Designer Pete Worth has created BIG sets that delight and actually become characters in the show!
From Josh’s bedroom to the carnival (where the Zoltar Speaks machine is) to
Josh’s whimsical office and apartment, the sets do not disappoint.
Big, the musical runs through December 28, at the
Wilmington Drama League. Visit Wilmingtondramaleague.org or call 302.764.1172 for additional information and
tickets.
The better than something supplementary time you have to learn the rules of then recreation better than somebody opposite else.
ReplyDeleteVin Diesel Fur Coat
Congratulations! I always feel so happy for people when they can do what they really want every day. When you have ambition in your heart and the desire in your soul you will overcome all obstacles. As Essay.expert I can say that you're on the right way.
ReplyDeleteHello. I agree, the film "Big" is wonderful. I also like him very much. Tom Hanks perfectly coped with his role. Not for nothing "Big" won many awards and won the hearts of millions of callers.
ReplyDeleteIn general, in addition to the actors themselves, the success of the film also depends on the script for which it was shot. The script writer should be able to write his paper entertaining, so that the audience was interested in watching it later and empathizing with the characters.
You can learn how to write essays, and writers from research paper service can help in this. This is a very useful skill. Especially when you want to make your own movie or video ...
Music is a big part of civilization. Centuries had passed but music survived and even grew to greater heights every single decade. As a matter of fact, the demand of music has been rising very steadily in the past 10 years and it will continue that way in the foreseeable future. https://spotistar.com/buy-soundcloud-followers
ReplyDeleteI like the style of your writing content chris pratt jacket. It just amazing and excellent. The blog post is very connective and attractive. All the information I found in post is very useful.keep it up,you are doing great.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, some altered audio cues are particularly well known these days, for example, the winged animal singing, waterway chattering and infant's giggling.
ReplyDeletehappy background music mp3 free download
Good work, it’s really useful topic for me, thank you so much for sharing this awesome article.I loved the article, keep updating interesting articles.
ReplyDeleteUnbelievable Blog! I should need to thank for the undertakings you have made in creating this post. I am believing a comparable best work from you later on moreover. I expected to thank you for this destinations! Thankful for sharing. Amazing destinations!Excellent and nice post. It will beneficial for everyone. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful post.It is extremely helpful for me.
Star Trek DiscoveryCaptain Pike Yellow Jacket
Our Cheap Website Design Services make sure that your business grow in dubai at an affordable rate.We bent to provide you Low CostWeb design uae Web Design Dubai that generates traffic
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing informative post on your blog keep it up and share more. https://ppcexpo.com/blog/what-is-roas
ReplyDeletehe lightweight nylon layered permits you to wear the outfit open and soft in a warm climate. During cooler months, Women’s Top Gun MA-1 Rust Bomber Jacket you could zip the outfit shut and be managed adequate safety against the colder season.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with what you have said!!
ReplyDeleteThe information provided by you is really helpful for me.
ReplyDeleteI AM SIMPLY WAITING FOR YOUR NEXT BLOG
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post, I look for such article along time, today i find it finally. this post give me lots of advise it is very useful for me. nice i like it Buy Bluetooth Speakers
ReplyDelete