Review: Elephant and Piggie's WE ARE IN A PLAY!'Brings Favorite Children's Book to Life at Orlando Shakes

As a kid I was obsessed with elephants and if you took a look at my desk today, you would think that I still am. I wish that the "Elephant and Piggie" books were around when I was a kid, but alas, author Mo Willems didn't create them until 2007. Since then, these books have been a hit with kids because of their humor and easy to read comic book style writing. Now Elephant and Piggie have left the page for the stage in Orlando Shakespeare's production of ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE "WE ARE IN A PLAY!"

For those without kids, the story revolves around Gerald who is an elephant that wears glasses and his best friend Piggie.The play follows their adventures and their woes of being best friends. They attend a party while wearing silly outfits and Piggie teaches Gerald how to dance. Gerald faces a conundrum of whether or not to share his ice cream. Piggie has a new toy, which Gerald can't wait to play with. The finally there is the breaking of the fourth wall when Gerald and Piggie realize that they're in a play. The play stays true to the Elephant and Piggie stories and even throws in some nods to the style of writing in the books. The play also keeps all audience members engaged with a mix of high energy dance numbers and a healthy dose of audience interaction.

Along with the lighthearted humor, there is a surprisingly catchy musical score that was not watered down skewing towards the younger audience. The costumes are fantastic. The backup singer/dancers a/k/a The Squirrelles were laden with 1950's style sequin pants and dresses. I loved the detail put into the costumes and the set. Every item was bordered with black lines to connect the imagery from the books onto the stage.

Embracing his inner elephant, Gerald was played by Jacob Valleroy. The audience connected quickly with Valleroy's portrayal of Gerald because he is goofy and has a great voice. It was great to watch Valleroy perform "Ice Cream Hero" and "Don't Go" because of his high energy and humor. This elephant does not stop. Valleroy's on-stage chemistry with Piggie, played by Corynne Wagener was very natural. It was very obvious that Gerald and Piggie were best friends, like friends that would do anything for each other.

As Piggie, Wagener was the perfect blend of sincere and completely hyper scatter-brained in a cute way. Wagener demonstrated her singing and dancing chops in all of the songs, but my favorite being: "Toy Breaker," which every kid and adult can relate to. After seeing these two characters, I can see why people love these books so much. I was surprised to see how quickly the young audience acquiesced to seeing human actors portray Gerald and Piggie without too much leading. I think that it speaks to the quality of the production and the actor's portrayal of the characters.

I'm always a huge fan in Orlando Shakes' programming for young audiences. It's probably the best in Orlando. This year is Shakespeare's 452nd birthday and to celebrate Orlando Shakes is throwing a birthday party. There will be games, prizes and singing before the show on April 23rd at 1pm. I can think of no better way to get kids excited for theater than a party.

At every performance there is a pre-show that is entertaining for adults and kids, so be sure to arrive early. The show length is perfect for young ones: coming in at about 55 minutes with no intermission. Following the performance, audience members can greet the cast and get autographs. Directed by Melissa Mason Braillard, ELEPHANT AND PIGGIE'S "WE ARE IN A PLAY!" runs until May 7th. For tickets and more information visit http://www.orlandoshakes.org/.

Photo Credit: Tony Firriolo

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