The Tale of Despereaux at the Berkeley Rep

[bear88]

Posted: 12/9/19 at 4:28am

The Tale of Despereaux, based on the popular children's novel, is the latest show from PigPen Theatre Co., a group of guys who met at Carnegie Mellon as freshmen in 2007 and are probably best known for The Old Man and The Old Moon, which I haven't seen. Despereaux premiered at the Old Globe in San Diego last summer and the Berkeley Rep is its latest stop. Based on the cast and the involvement of co-director Mark Bruni (of Beautiful fame), I assume it's headed to New York eventually. 

While our family knows the story (we read it to our daughters when they were young), my memory of it is not as strong as theirs. But it's easy enough to judge on its own terms, and the one-act musical is a charmer that bursts with creativity. The story is about a brave, rebellious mouse who breaks the rules by being curious (and a bit reckless) after their food supply runs dangerously low when the king bans soup due to a tragic accident. Several of the actors play multiple roles - some alternating between human characters and mice or rats. 

The 11-member cast is a mix of actors with Broadway backgrounds and the PigPen troupe, who play several roles while also providing the musical accompaniment. (When not creating musicals, PigPen is also a band.) Everything from the set design to the staging, which incorporates puppets when the mice (or a rat named Roscuro) are interacting with humans, is quite clever - and the staging and movement is a lot of fun to watch unfold. One scene, involving the Mouse Council, is particularly funny and a bit of an homage to Monty Python.

While it certainly works as a kids' show (the well-behaved young girls in front of us seemed enthralled), The Tale of Despereaux is aimed at adults as well. It's probably a little too cute for some people, but it's a very handsome production, involving a lot of effort. It's certainly not a cheap show, even if the effects often are deliberately basic - such as the "chapter titles."

Dorcas Leung, who was in the Miss Saigon revival and was a Schuyler Sister standby in the first national Hamilton tour (saw the tour but not her), does a fine job as Despereaux. John Rapson has an excellent voice as Roscuro, and Betsy Morgan - who was in the Barrow Street Sweeney Todd - is quite good in a variety of roles, as is Ryan Melia as the librarian/narrator. My daughter loved the voice of Yasmeen Sulieman, who plays Princess Pea.

If there's a flaw, it is that the story lacks a bit of dramatic tension. The show is more pleasant than as compelling as it could be, and the jokes don't always land as sharply as they could. The score is fine but probably could use a more memorable song along the way. But there's so much to like, especially the DIY creative approach that gives the show a consistent tone. This is a show that knows what it wants to be and achieves those goals with style. It was easily one of my favorite non-Broadway musicals this year.

Updated On: 12/9/19 at 04:28 AM

[Kitsune]

Posted: 12/9/19 at 12:00pm

Thanks for the report! We're going in early January.

Do you think it helps to be familiar with the book beforehand?

[bear88]

Posted: 12/9/19 at 11:49pm

It's certainly not necessary. I had forgotten some of the details of the book myself, which isn't exactly the same as the musical anyway. (It's a good children's book, though.)

[Kitsune]

Posted: 1/6/20 at 12:54pm

We saw this on Friday, and were so taken that we immediately got tickets for the closing performance yesterday.

IMO Despereaux is one of the best things I've seen recently. The score is catchy, the story is full of heart, and the staging is incredibly, incredibly clever. The second time we sat in the loge, and were really able to observe how much every single actor does, and what it takes to make the performance work. There's not a lot of expensive technology on display, but the stagecraft it took to make some scenes work was impressive.

My partner and I are grown adults, who went both times without kids. It's definitely kid-friendly, but I think adults can get something out of it too.

I'd love to see this show have legs and go somewhere else. I don't think it necessarily has to be Broadway, and I worry some of the enchantment would be lost in a larger theater. But at the least, I'd love a cast recording!

[Ledaero]

Posted: 1/7/20 at 9:50am

Saw this two weeks ago and loved it!! If the show is to have a life beyond Berkeley Rep and TYA, I think the book/score need a bit of cleaning to do. But everything is so charming, the staging is fresh and inventive, and really it's quite inspiring to see a small theatre troupe like Pig Pen creating substantial work on an acclaimed regional stage. I absolutely think this has potential for a longer life, maybe getting a run Off-Broadway or touring to more LORT theatres like South Coast Repertory or American Repertory Theatre. Keep this one on the radar, it's a great show with lots of potential!