Audra Bocksnick, director of the Young Actors Guild's production of "Curious George: The Golden Meatball," says that the lively musical -- which Broadway World called "delightful and engaging" -- will thrill younger audiences, as well as their parents.
"This is the first one that we've done with this [6-14] age group that was actually written for adults [to perform]," she says. "Usually, they're written for [kids], but this one is written for adults -- which makes it more difficult for our cast, but also makes it very, very good. The first half is big band music, and the second half is sort of 1950s rock and roll."
FAQ
‘Curious George: The Golden Meatball’
WHEN — 7 p.m. Sept. 5-7; 2 p.m. Sept. 7-8
WHERE — King Opera House, 427 Main St., Van Buren
COST — $10
INFO — weareyag.com
Despite the difficulty of the music, however, Bocksnick says her young performers are more than up to the challenge.
"I am really impressed with them!" she enthuses. "I give all the credit to our music director, Gini Law. When you hear them, it is surprising -- when you see these 6-, 7-, 8-year-olds with their wide open mouths, it sounds great. Several parts are written for a six-part harmony. They don't sing that every time, but they do it more than a few times."
Bocksnick says having the young actors tackle challenging material is a great learning experience.
"[For] the younger half of the Young Actors Guild, we do try to approach it more educationally," she shares. "We go into it knowing that some of the kids don't know the vocal parts or the proper terms for stage, like 'blocking' or 'cheating.' It's fun to take them through that, and, by the end, they're saying, 'Sorry, Mom, I have to finish my blocking!'"
The musical translates the quirky, sweet fun of H.A. Rey and Margret Rey's 1940s-era beloved Curious George books -- later made into television and movie series -- to the stage. It's "All You Can Eat Meatball Day," and Curious George is joined onstage by favorite characters like the Man in the Yellow Hat as they rally to help Chef Pisghetti succeed on this most important of days.
The YAG's production has a whopping 31 performers -- for a script with just six parts.
"I usually over cast, but this time I just went wild," says Bocksnick, who has worked as a director with YAG for around five years. "We were not able to cast everybody, but I just really tried, for the kids that were really working hard and selling it, to find a way to put them in."
Since only four of those 31 actors are boys, Bocksnick says she had to shake things up with some non-traditional casting: The Man in the Yellow Hat is now The Lady in the Yellow Hat.
"The kids have absolutely embraced The Lady in the Yellow Hat," says Bocksnick. "I like that -- it's just totally accepted. Nobody complained, and our actor is totally rocking it. It's been probably one of my favorite things about this show: The kids are accepting and working together as a team and [are] happy to be a part of it."
Curious George is being brought to life on stage by an 11-year-old girl.
"It was a little bit of a struggle," Bocksnick reveals. "The actor was a little uncomfortable at first. She 'chitters,' is what the script says, and then it's almost like she's miming out what she's doing. At first, she wanted to chitter and then speak, because she was really concerned that the audience wouldn't understand. But once she got over being shy about making monkey noises, it's gotten really cute."
The result, she says, is a show that will thrill audiences of all ages.
"There are several plot points where they stop, like the television show, and say, 'Oh, we have three options,' so that the little ones can follow the story. But it's also fast-paced enough and the music is complex enough that the adults will have fun, too. I really think [the show's creators] really thought about having everyone entertained."
NAN What's Up on 08/25/2019