I had sketched a Sugar Crash Kids and the Forgotten Island rehearsal, so I knew this was going to be a fun show. Blue glowing orbs sat on the stage as the audience entered the theater. I took a seat in what I call the Lincoln booth. Seth Kubersky and Genevieve Bernard joined me. Dancers tumbled and somersault on to the stage, to interact with the glowing orbs. The show opened with an inspiring song in which a young woman (Mary Hannah Butler) yearned to overcome her fears and sour into the world of the imagination. as the song reached its pinnacle, she soared on the wings of an eagle. The story was cut short when young Mei (Kennedy Mason) yelled at her father (Bert Rodriguez) to stop telling the story. She was too old for such fairy tales. She only wanted to hear about what is real and can be touched. It had all been a bedtime story. Her father left, but left the book behind.
When she fell asleep, the bed transformed into a doorway to another world. A child in the audience whispered “Whoah!” And adults in the audience laughed in appreciation for his sense of wonder. Dancers played with Mei making sounds in the dark to startle her. She was finally greeted by a member of the ensemble (Cole Nesmith) who sang a rousing song titled “You are here!” Where is here, you might ask, “Well, here of course.” Mei was in a tropical forest and to find her way back home she had to consult with a robot. It had been inactive for years since the forest sprites didn’t know how to activate him. ” Did you try tuning it on?” Mai asked. She pressed a button and the robot, named Boltz (Gregory Coleman) booted up sounding like an old Apple computer.
The bed transformed into a pirate ship, and it took Mai and Boltz on a magical voyage. The once cynical Mai now imagined magical creatures inhabiting the sea. She was finally swept away in the world of the imagination. On the lawn of fabulousness I was asked if an adult should see this show. I answered yes. If you have an ounce of imaginative shirt left in your soul, then you will love this show. The songs are well written by Joshua Pearson, and Jeremiah Dunlap. I find myself humming them even now. The audience stood and cheered. I whistled since I was still scribbling away.
I bet that this show will become a patrons pick and get an encore performance. If so, don’t miss it!