BWW Reviews: HONUS AND ME is a Charming Crowd-Pleaser

Honus and Me is a charming and quaint crowd-pleaser concerning one pre-teen's struggle with adolescence, family and acceptance issues. The modern comedy portrays a young boy, Joey Stoeshack (brilliantly played by Zachary Little) an avid baseball card collector, who struggles to succeed on his little league baseball team and deal with family drama surrounding his recently divorced parents. After cleaning out his neighbor's attic, he discovers a rare 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card, and must face the ethical decision of keeping the card (and the money it would obtain) or returning it to the rightful owner, his cranky old neighbor, Miss Young (portrayed by Martha Louden). Meanwhile, Joey must deal with baseball card shop owner Birdie (played by Jack Brennan), who will stop at nothing to obtain the valuable card, and the slight of issue of time-traveling. Specifically, Joey can touch the baseball card and either uproot his hero Honus Wagner (played by Robert Allen) from 1909 to the present day or allow them both to travel back in time to 1909.

The show is very entertaining and a clean, family comedy. While the majority of the plot revolves around baseball and baseball references, audience members do not have to be as avid of a baseball fan as Joey Stoeshack to understand the historical or comedic references. The use of lighting was very clever in the show, allowing many seamless transitions from place to place in Joey's every day life and highlighting the element of time travel in the show.

As lead character Joey Stoeshack, Zachary Little delivered an endearing and memorable performance. His comedic timing was spot-on and he had a very impressive stage presence and sense of comedy for such a young actor. Mr. Little truly delivered a stand out performance.

Equally impressive was Robert Allen in his role as the title character Honus Wagner. He impersonated a historical figure very well and brilliantly captured the humble nuances of the character. An excellent moment in the show occurred late in Act II, during the climax of the show at the 1909 World Series game, featuring a dialogue between Honus and Ty Cobb (played by Jeff Marcum). Both gentlemen perfectly embodied the essence and mannerisms of turn-of-the-century athletes and portrayed an All-American, pure red-blooded baseball rivalry.

Adding another layer of depth and charm to the show were Joey's divorced Mom and Dad (played respectively by Jennifer George and Homer Speaker). Their onstage chemistry struck the perfect balance needed to add a level of familial drama to the light-hearted coming of age story. Martha Louden and Jack Brennan deserve special recognition for their hilarious over-the-top comedic character roles, Mrs. Young and Birdie. Louden delivered some of the funniest lines in the show with perfect crankiness and comedic timing and Brennan was hilarious as the tough biker pursuing Joey and his baseball card throughout the show. John-Micheal Rolnick, Ed Conn, Bruce Olsen and Nichole Kay Turner added a wonderful touch in each of their numerous ensemble roles throughout the show, portraying a wide variety characters from the present day and turn of the century. The cast truly embodied the mannerisms and speech styles of characters from 1909.

Honus and Me will run May 3 and 4 at 8:00 PM and May 5 at 2:30 PM at the Old Opera House at 204 N. George Street, Charles Town, West Virginia. Tickets are $19 for adults for Friday and Saturday evening performances, $17 for Sunday matinees and $10 for students for all performances. Do not miss your chance to see this hilarious coming-of-age story, perfect for baseball and theater fans alike.

Photo Credit: Ron Agnir, The Martinsburg Journal

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