Review: MADAGASCAR A MUSICAL ADVENTURE at Casa Manana Theatre

Join Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, those hilarious, plotting penguins as they bound onto Casa's stage in the musical adventure of a lifetime. Based on the smash DreamWorks animated motion picture, MADAGASCAR - A MUSICAL ADVENTURE follows all of your favorite crack-a-lackin' friends as they escape from their home in New York's Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien's Madagascar.

Opening weekend was a success for Casa's cast of MADAGASCAR. Children and adults alike were buzzing with anticipation to see their favorite movie animals come alive onstage. Upon entering the theatre audiences were welcomed with an overture of animal sounds as they looked onto Alex the Lion's enclosure inside the Central Park Zoo. The set design by Kimberly Powers was simple, effective and a spot on replica of the zoo in the Madagascar film. Throughout the show fluid scene changes were made that kept the audience engaged despite the multitude of scene locations.

Costumes were designed and wonderfully executed by Tammy Spencer. Spencer didn't shy away from animal prints and abstract costume design. Alex the Lion's costume resembled a golden clad king while Marty resembled a monochromatic rockstar. From formal wearing foul to long-tailed lemurs Spencer did a great job in making each animal unique and easily recognizable.

As a performer it can be difficult portraying well-known children's characters but the entire cast did a wonderful job of bringing our zoo friends to life. Winston Daniels' portrayal of Alex the Lion was soulful and confident. Daniels commanded the stage as the King of the Jungle. While Marty the Zebra, played by Kyle Igneczi, was energetic and funky throughout the entire show. Cherish Robinson was downright sweet and lovable as Gloria the Hippo and Joshua Kumler was perfectly cast as the hypochondriacal giraffe, Melman. Rounding out the charismatic cast were Hannah Arguelles, Tristin Thomas, Asia Godfrey and Laura Wetsel portraying our favorite plotting penguins.

The stand out performances of the night were made by Laura Wetsel as Candy, Samantha Whitbeck as Maurice and Zak Reynolds as King Julien. Wetsel's portrayal of Candy the reporter was delightful as she wove in and out of the audience while speculating on the whereabouts of our four-legged friends. The repartee between Whitbeck and Reynolds as Maurice and King Julien had me giggling the entire show. Reynolds had no issue kicking up the showmanship getting the audience riled up during 'Move It'. While Whibeck's doubts on the New York Giants made for a witty and interesting duo.

Overall Madagascar was kid-friendly and entertaining. Head on over to Casa Manana at 3101 W. Lancaster Ave. Fort Worth, TX to catch future performances of MADAGASCAR - A MUSICAL ADVENTURE! Performances continue until April 8 with varying showtimes. Running time is around 2 hours with a brief intermission. Www.casamanana.org

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