The Magician's Elephant at HCT

Last night I saw the U.S. premiere of The Magician's Elephant, a musical originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company based on the book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, and I really enjoyed this fantastical tale about believing in the impossible. The town of Baltese is still suffering the effects of a long war so Peter Duchene (Weston Wright), an orphan whose father died in battle and whose mother died in childbirth, is being trained by his guardian Vilna Lutz (Mark Knowles) to be a soldier. However, Peter is more interested in his recurring dream about a crying baby than in discipline, control, and routine so, when he is sent to the town square to buy stale bread, he gives the coin to a fortune teller (Malia Morris) that only he can see instead. She tells him that the baby in his dream is his long lost sister and that he can find her by following the elephant. Peter is doubtful until a Magician (Bryan Dayley), who only intended to summon lilies, accidentally conjures an elephant during his show at the opera house. At first the Police Chief (Jake Ben Suazo) tries to hide it and a Countess (Michelle Blake) imprisons it in her ballroom for attention but soon the elephant brings hope to Peter and the whole town but in an unexpected way. The story about how a town is brought back to life by magic is really touching and, while the music is a bit underwhelming (the lyrics are very repetitive), I enjoyed the songs "If This Is True," "What If Why Not Could It Be," and "Anything Could Happen" because they express a longing for normalcy after a traumatic event and that is something that I think many people can relate to. I also really enjoyed the comedic elements in "Count Who Doesn't Count." Wright, who appears in almost every scene, is incredibly endearing with a lovely voice and I also liked Keith Evans' performance as the policeman Leo Matienne because he is so earnest in his desire to help Peter and his wife Gloria (Becky Jeanne Knowles), who longs for a child, believe in magic. The elephant puppet, designed and fabricated by Acheson Walsh Studios and brought to life by puppeteers Sam Cooper, Julia Wihongi, Daniel Miskin, and Sarah Neipp, is absolutely astonishing and I was particularly struck by how expressive it is because it really does seem to be sad when it is chained up. The costumes, which look like they are inspired by the folklore of Eastern Europe (I loved the traditional embroidery), are gorgeous with drab colors that are distressed in the first act and vibrant pastels in the second to reflect the mood of the town. Finally, the stage is definitely a highlight because it reminded me of a medieval town in Eastern Europe with cobblestone streets, a city wall, a market square complete with a fountain, and a crenelated castle that rises up. I also loved the dirigible used by the Countess and the fortune teller's tent. In my opinion, the magic of this production overcomes the issues I had with the music and I would definitely recommend getting a ticket (go here) because we could all use a bit of magic. It runs on the Young Living Centre Stage through October 26.

Note:  Don't forget the hilarious production of The Addams Family now playing on the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Stage through November 16 (go here for tickets).