Puss in Boots: A (Hopefully) Baltimore Panto Tradition

SHOW INFORMATION: Puss in Boots runs through 1/6 at 2PM at the Theatre Project.  www.theatreproject.org or http://pantolites.com 

2 hours, 20 minutes, including intermission.  Family-friendly.

◊◊◊◊ out of five.

A newly formed group, The Pantolites, is a conglomeration of people from several local theatres and arts institutions.  Their first production, Puss in Boots, a British Pantomime, opened just after Christmas, and, unfortunately, closes this Sunday at the Theatre Project.  If this show is any indication of the future quality of this company, and/or the huge audience and their splendid reactions are any indication of interest, I'd say The Pantolites better get planning next year's "Panto," and quickly! 

This show, the brainchild of writer-director Roger Brunyate, truly follows the British Pantomime style, bringing an authentic feeling old world show to Charm City.  According to the very helpful program notes, "Pantos" are performed traditionally in most cities and larger towns in Britain around the holidays, providing families a "non-holiday themed holiday performance" to bring their children to.  (Pantomimes should not be confused with "pantomiming" - there is talking throughout the show!)  Based on one of about two dozen fairy tales, the Pantos rotate each year, and generally forsake modern theatrical special effects and fancy scenery, relying more on simple, painted drops, set pieces and costumes to support what is mostly aimed at a child's imagination.

Puss in Boots, like all other Pantomimes, has certain stock traits.  There is a good fairy/narrator, who always appears in pink, stage right, and a villain, who always appears in a green light, stage left.  There is a principal boy, always played by a girl, a princess, a "Pantomime Dame," always played by a male, and at least one "skin part," in which someone is dressed as an animal.  There are other stock parts and always a troupe of dancers who do a ballet to move some of the action along.  And there are the slapstick bits - several stock routines, added to each production and familiar to British audiences - tailored to "fit" the particular production.  And finally, perhaps the most daring of all, the Pantomime literally begs for audience participation, ranging from booing the villain, to yelling out warnings when the villain is about, to participating in arguments.  Candy, water, and a variety of things are tossed/squirted into the audience, and often the action moves into the seats.

It is this audience participation element that is both the boon to this production and its shortcoming, at least at the performance I attended.  There is a very clear note about "How to be a good audience" in the program, which lets us know that it is OK to yell and boo and answer back when called upon by the actors.  It is also clear that the rest of the time we all need to be quiet to hear the rest of the story.  And to their credit, the vast majority of small children (and their parents) seemed to understand that.  And the occasional really small child, getting what they are supposed to do a few minutes later than everyone else, is sweetly handled by the game cast, and is probably to be expected.  Shockingly, Theatre Project management makes a pre-curtain speech, and ends it by encouraging children to be "on your WORST behavior."  Needless to say, several children took that to heart, through no fault of their own, and more than a few times threatened to ruin it for everyone else.  Perhaps a more prudent look at that pre-curtain speech is in order before next year.  But, as I said, the very game cast never once lost control of their performance, graciously (though clearly annoyed) incorporating even the most heinous behavior into the show.

My only other quibble with this production and it is a small one, especially given that the little ones stayed interested the entire two hours and twenty minutes, is that perhaps the script is a wee bit over stuffed in an effort to show us Yankees everything a British Pantomime has to offer.  There is a rather long exposition, the scene changes are dangerously close to stopping the show - remarkable given there are three set pieces and an occasional table and chairs to deal with -  and the two slapstick bits in act two, hilarious and expertly presented as they are, might have been more fun being just one.  Even The Three Stooges knew when to let it go.  But, again, the kids, who are the target audience, for sure, lapped every moment up like cream, so who am I to complain?

Technically, the show is aces.  Kali Ciesemier's settings are definitely old world style - three set pieces which either rotate or unfold to reveal various settings, easily identifiable by even the smallest child, and each skillfully drawn and painted in full coloring book style.  And Mary Bova and Carol A. Bartlett's costumes, with Jeanne diBattista Croke's wigs and make up are a visual feast.  They must have cost a fortune; each made of elaborate fabrics and dressed up with all kinds of jewels and sparkles.  It must be great fun to get to wear them, especially the title character's costumes, which manage to look like a cross between Cats and a theme park character, and bringing the best of both to make a realistic, and yet fanciful, Puss in Boots.

The text and lyrics by Mr. Brunyate, and music by Mark Hanson Williams, while perhaps a tinge overstuffed, has an authentic feel and is as clear as a bell.  It is easily understood (in combination with Brunyate's sharp direction) and is quite clever, especially in its laughs for the kids/double-entendres for the grown ups department.  There are several very funny, off color jokes which will please moms and dads in attendance, and who will have no explaining to do on the way home, either.  Mr. Williams' music is operetta in style, but catchy enough that not once did the audience mumble through a song, but rather sat quietly enraptured by the casts' stunning voices, and crisp ballet moves.

It is really no surprise that the voices and dancing are so stupendous, given that the vast majority of the company is somehow involved in Peabody and/or any number of nationally recognized opera companies or schools for the arts.  The Pantolites have wisely chosen a top notch professional level cast to execute this decidedly non-American traditional style of performing.  They have clearly been well schooled in all of the pantomime conventions.

Three young dancers (at any given performance their roles might be played by Christine Blackshaw, Hannah Coates, Anna Gailloud, Shreya Rangarajan or Helen Zhao) from Peabody Preparatory play various mice, insects and birds.  They are delightful, dancing to Carol A. Bartlett's relatively complicated and character-driven choreography, with a level of professionalism generally expected from members of large ballet companies.  They are sweet and cute, true, but they are excellent and on par with the rest of the company.

Jennifer Blades as Proverbia, the Good Fairy, plays her role with all of the requisite charm and goody-ness, but with a sly wink to being a modern woman.  She narrates and guides the children in the audience with skill and a light touch.  J. Austin Bitner, as the villain Scratchembitem, is an evil, wicked delight, growling and sneering his way through a stock character like it is a brand new role.  He earns every boo and hiss, as well as the healthy hand he gets at the curtain call.

The traditional inclusion of royalty is played with a tongue-in-cheek delight by Harry B. Turner, as the bumbling, aging King Percival (he is quite the physical comedian as well), and with just the right note of princess behavior by Shaina Virginia Vatz as Princess Pimpernel.  She pouts and flounces with glee, and she sings with a sweet soprano like the best Cinderellas and Snow Whites before her.  Adam Caughey brings an interesting blend of stock buffoon and stand up comic to his role of the colorful court jester, Pippo.  (His costumes are great!)

The central characters - poor common folk with a chance to grow and learn - are also played very well.  Catrin Rowenna Davies does her boyish best with the simple, but morally upright Peter, who wants nothing more than a better life for himself and his widow mother, Widow Wepalot.  The Widow is played to the hilt by James Kinstle, who appears to be having the time of his life in what must be an exhausting role, what with the physical demands of a man playing a woman (think Victor/Victoria, NOT La Cage aux Folles), as well as several sequences of physical comedy that would tire out Lucille Ball.  Mr. Kinstle nearly steals the show, and man is he good with an ad lib and "dirty" joke!

Before Puss gets his boots, he is Puss No Boots, played beautifully by Grace Chang, an agile, graceful young lady who wordlessly conveys huge ideas.  She has mastered (and is only in the 8^th grade!) the fine art of playing to an audience without being obvious. And her moves are mesmerizing, an unusual combination of cat and ballet (and some fun bits, when she later plays a "bad kitty" named Miss Slinkypurr).  Jason Buckwalter plays the title role also like he is having the time of his life.  He clearly relishes a chance to let ego and macho swaggering rule his personality, and he plays Puss with equal parts charm, cockiness, and felinity.  His thug-like accent only makes him funnier, and he is a fine singer.  Like the rest of the adults in the cast, he understands the delicate balance between performing this style and over doing it, and he has an instant rapport with his young co-stars and all of us in the audience.  It is hard to imagine a better Puss in Boots.

My only regret is that I didn't get to this show sooner to let you know about it.  As I mentioned earlier, The Pantolites, it is rumored, are hoping to make this an annual tradition.  Let's all hope so.  If you can't make it to the final performance, at least go to their website (see above).  Let them know you are interested.  You won't regret it.

PHOTOS courtesy of The Pantolites, photography by Peter Lee.  TOP: Catrin Rowenna Davies as Peter and Jason Buckwalter as Puss in Boots.  BOTTOM: James Kinstle as Widow Wepalot and Jason Buckwalter as Puss in Boots. 

 

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