REVIEW: 'The Adventures of Tom Saywer' at Nashville Children's Theatre

 

Nashville Children's Theatre opens its 2009-2010 season in high style with its production of the Ken Ludwig-Don Schlitz musical, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. With the mischievously appealing Patrick Waller in the title role, backed up by an ensemble of some of Nashvlle's most talented actors, NCT's staging is far more successful than the Broadway version mounted in 2001, thanks in large part to the skillful editing that was necessary to create a more accessible work for younger audiences.

As part of Nashville's year-long tribute to the life and works of Mark Twain (see www.TwainAndTwang.com for further details), The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is presented as a sort of companion piece to Tennessee Repertory Theatre's upcoming production of Big River, sharing some of the same actors and Gary Hoff's exquisitely designed set.

Skillfully and knowingly directed by NCT's producing director Scot Copeland, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer tells Mark Twain's classic tale of young Tom, his best mate Huck Finn, his feisty girlfriend Becky Thatcher and all the other colorful characters to be found in St. Petersburg, Missouri, circa 1840.

With music and lyrics by Don Schlitz, a member of Nashville's very own music royalty, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a tuneful, lyrical work, and Schlitz delivers a largely theatrical score. It may not be as "country" as one might expect, but he succeeds in creating an authentic sound ("Ain't Life Fine," for example) for the time period and the characters, while expertly crafting some wonderfully dramatic musical numbers (particularly "Angels Lost"). Paul Carrol Binkley's musical direction is spot on and his onstage musicians provide an exceptionally gifted musical underpinning to the onstage action.

Ludwig, credited with the concept and the book for the musical, has artfully crafted a script that includes the book's highlights and draws a sharper focus in this production to better entertain and inform younger audiences, who comprise the company's main demographic.

But make no mistake about it: NCT never condescends or plays down to its audience; rather, they present professional theatre that appeals to audiences of all ages. Throughout its rich history (they were ranked as one of the top five children's theatres in the United States by Time magazine), the company has year after year delivered the goods and this production lives up to NCT's stellar reputation. Hoff's set, which looks like a Mississippi riverboat, provides an ideal setting for the play's action, and Patricia Taber's costumes are lovingly designed and well-crafted. Scott Leathers' expert lighting design and Dan Brewer's strong sound design provide their own dramatic elements to the production.

Waller's clear tenor and boyishly charming portrayal of young Tom Sawyer allow him to clearly stand out among the cast members. He sounds especially good on "Here's My Plan" as he relates Tom's efforts to gain the town's sympathy and adoration by running away, and his duet with Becky (winsomely played by the lovely Vanessa Callahan in her NCT debut) on "To Hear You Say My Name" is one of the show's musical highlights.

In this adaptation, the ensemble of eight actors play the 20-plus characters found in the original script, and they each deliver remarkably restrained-and yet somehow larger than life-characterizations. Peter Vann is vividly warm, funny and clever as Huckleberry Finn, playing the perfect foil to Tom (interestingly, he and Waller will swap roles for Tennessee Rep's Big River next spring).

Patricia Taber (yep, the same woman who designed the costumes) plays Tom's loving Aunt Polly, who as envisioned by Ludwig is both younger and sweeter than the book's original character. Taber's very earth-motheriness (if there is such a word) make her the perfect actress for the role; her "Angels Lost" is beautifully sung and is particularly moving. Jeff Boyet (playing Judge Thatcher, among other roles that include Tom's prissy brother Sid) is quite good, and he excels in his part of "Angels Lost," as well.

Rona Carter is sweetly compelling as Widow Douglas and her onstage chemistry with Vann makes their duet of "I Can Read" especially memorable. Ross Brooks is superb as the broodingly scary Injun Joe and Henry Haggard plays a quartet of roles with seasoned aplomb.

It's hard to imagine Copeland-or anyone for that matter-assembling a more skillful cast to bring this musical to life. It's an impressive start to the season and an intelligent choIce To introduce Twain and his uniquely American works to a new audience.

--The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Based on the classic novel by Mark Twain. Conceived and written by Ken Ludwig. Music and lyrics by Don Schlitz. Directed by Scot Copeland. Music direction by Paul Carrol Binkley. Presented by Nashville Children's Theatre. Through October 11. Call (615) 254-9103 for ticket information; for details about the upcoming NCT season, visit the website at www.nashvillechildrenstheatre.org.

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