Review: CATCHING THE MOON at Children's Theatre Of Charlotte

I had the opportunity to see the most delightful musical at Children’s Theatre of Charlotte entitled, “Catching The Moon”, directed by James Webb, based on the book written by Crystal Hubbard, illustrated by Randy DuBurke.  The first thing that caught my eye as I entered the theater (I was the first one there) was the simplicity yet effectiveness of the set.  The illuminating moon glistening in the darkened theater that overlooked an extremely basic baseball mound aroused my curiosity (I have not read the book).  Throughout the various acts, the set remained simple, with a few modifications here and there; yet each component was very essential. 

Within minutes the initial act began, and this gorgeous African-American woman emerged (Janeta Jackson Lynn) impressively dressed like a royal Queen,  with a Broadway-style angelic voice that captivated me.  Incidentally, I met Janeta back in December at a friend’s relocation party.  She revealed to me then in conversation that she was preparing to return to the stage after a brief hiatus due to birthing her precious daughter, whom I had the opportunity to see after the show.  I was simply blown away to actually see Janeta’s glowing presence on stage for the first time.  She portrayed dual roles of Moon and Mama to the lead character.  Welcome back, Janeta...you belong here.

And then the lead character, (Kayla Simone Ferguson) entered the stage as Marcenia Lyle, more affectionately known as Toni Stone, the first female to play as a regular on an American major-level professional baseball team, when she joined the Indianapolis Clowns, of the now defunct Negro leagues.  I was so impressed with Kayla’s acting ability and stage presence.  In every scene, she commanded the stage and as they say in theater, "she left it all on the stage". 

This spectacular musical allowed me to envision Marcenia as an adolescent, accompanied by her two male friends, Harold (Stephan JoQuan Wilson) and Clarence (Griffin Digsby).  The thing I enjoyed the most about this production was the choice to wrap this method of storytelling into a musical, which made it easy for children and adults alike to grasp the historical aspect and held our attention spans.  Previously, I had the opportunity to see the adult version of Toni Stone produced and performed by Three Bone Theatre and directed by my friend, Dr. Corlis Hayes, which I enjoyed equally.  Prior to seeing it at Three Bone, I had never heard of the real life Toni Stone nor did I know  how impactful she was to the African American cultural in the realm of sports – especially as a Black woman. However, this current version gave me a light-hearted perspective and "connected the dots" concerning what this major African-American figure might have possibly resembled as a child and her potential drive and ambition to accomplish her dream.  A dream, which had never been conquered before.  A dream, filled with inherent obstacles (one being a girl in a male-dominated sport and another being her skin color, Black).  A dream, which probably caused her scrutiny, severe peer pressure, controversial public bias and media attention, and undesired microscopic illumination. A dream, which was almost derailed by the refusal of a baseball camp facilitator, Mr. Street (Rob Addison), whose embedded philosophy was that girls should be playing “hopscotch” instead of baseball.  However, Marcenia’s persistence and determination won over his heart.  He even pitched in and bought her her first pair of cleats, which was one of the major requirements in order to attend the camp.  This young girl was prepared to tackle the universe to become what she desired to be and to not settle for what other people thought she should be. 

The musical selections were applicable to the scenes and were well-rendered by the actors – it was perfectly-cast.   Songs like "Is There Anything Better Than Baseball?"  Or, "Play Like A Girl".  And..."Quittin' The Game Blues" hit homeruns for sure.   

As an additional personal treat for me, I had a chance to see one of my former actors, Zach Humphrey, who portrayed Papa Lyle on stage again.  Portraying a father-figure is an easy feat for Zach because I’ve witnessed him fulfill that role in his own personal life.

All-In-All, this was a very delightful way for me to spend the early part of my day…at a matinee.  I absolutely loved it…and that’s not an over exaggeration.  Sending “shoutouts” and “kudos” to all who had a hand in its success.  A standing ovation for you all.

For More Information About Children's Theatre Of Charlotte, Please Visit:  https://ctcharlotte.org/Online/default.asp

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