By JESSICA NEU
As August falls upon us, the chatter of back-to-school not-so-subtlety emerges. Teachers begin to prepare their classrooms and write their lesson plans, but no matter how veteran the teacher is, each new year is surely met with a bit of trepidation. That uncertainty is where Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. begins. Tom (Mars Curry) is anxious about his first day in the classroom and sits down to watch a bit of TV before heading to work. As Tom flips through the channels, he stumbles upon the educational show Schoolhouse Rock, where a group of characters sing about various educational subjects and topics. To prepare Tom for his first day of teaching, the characters of Schoolhouse Rock come alive and give Tom and the audience a refresher on some academia.
This young cast filled the stage in the round with effervescence, talent, and knowledge. Directed by Samantha Hawk and choreographed by Christine Pittman, each performer hit their marks and danced and sang in synchronicity, highlighting all the hard work and practice these kids undoubtedly poured into this show. Vibrant costumes by Sylvia Sims-Linkish brought the show to life as each performer adorned a bright, retro outfit that illuminated the stage.
Music director Amy Kapp does a beautiful job of allowing various cast members to shine with solos. Tom (Mars Curry), Georgia (Violet George), Dori (Rosalia Pavlick), Shulie (Ana Lewis), Joe (Moshe Dale), Dina (Haylie King), Elvis (Jude Glover), and Janet (Beatrice Thurman). Each takes turns having their moment in the spotlight to lead songs such as “Three is a Magic Number” (George), “Elbow Room” (Dori), “Interplanet Janet” (Shulie), and “Interjections” (Dina). These talented young performers move about the stage, stand on props, and engage the audiences with songs about math, grammar, biology, and the solar system. Clever props accentuate each performance and provide visual aids in these academic refreshers. I would be remiss if I did not commend each young star for their bravery in performing in the round. It cannot be easy to stare adult audience members in the face as they are seated close to the stage. These young stars brought their game faces and smiled, danced, and sang heroically for the entire 50-minute performance.
The cast rotates throughout the show’s run, but I do not doubt that the “closing cast” performing DATES will be just as stellar as the opening night’s ensemble. Regardless of which cast is on stage, Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. has some extraordinarily powerful moments that should not be dismissed or overlooked. While learning about conjunctions and planets, three songs discuss civics, government, and American history. Just a Bill (George) talks about the tenuous process of getting laws passed on Capitol Hill. From there, The Preamble (Dori and company) and Great American Melting Pot (Dori and company) talk about our nation’s history.
Perhaps I’m overly sentimental after watching so much Olympic coverage paired with the stressors of the upcoming Presidential election. Still, I grew a bit teary-eyed watching these children recite our nation’s Preamble. Their words of unity, paired with the tenacious hope of youth, were a beautiful reminder that we as a society must do better as engaged citizens.
‘The Great American Melting Pot” reminds us that America is a nation of immigrants and even contains the line, “our heritage is mixed so anyone can be President.” The cast delivers with stoic conviction and includes a sea of international flags to remind us that America is a nation for all.
The performers in Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr. represent our future, and we are fortunate to have access to children’s community theater projects such as Little Lake. These spaces represent the power of the next generation but also remind us that we, as adults, continue to teach the valuable lessons brought forth by the Schoolhouse Rock gang.
TICKETS AND DETAILS:
Little Lake Theatre’s production of Schoolhouse Rock Live! Jr has performances August 1 to 11, 2024. For tickets visit: https://us.patronbase.com/_LittleLakeTheatre/Productions/114/Performances
Categories: Arts and Ideas, Reviews
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