Review: Music & Mayhem Delight in THINGS THAT GO DING! at Skylight Music Theatre

"Oh my stars!" exclaimed the lady behind me on more than one occasion. Yes, Michael "Ding" Lorenz boasts crazy talent alongside an outrageous instrument collection that warrants awe-inspired sighs and, as the Skylight Music Theatre proves, a show all its own. Things That Go Ding! played to sold-out audiences in 2012, and now it's back and bigger than ever in the Cabot Theatre.

Before the show starts, audiences can ogle the glorious mess of instruments that lay in wait: Tuned cowbells, bellhop bells, and jingle bells. Things that whiz and womp. Then it's off to the races, as Michael "Ding" Lorenz (let's call him Ding) runs about his veritable playground of percussion like a marvelous madman - more of a Wonka than a Wagner. From the get-go, this high-energy spectacle is a delight.

Ding is joined on stage by two great performers: pianist Jamie Johns and singer, actor, funnyman, and Skylight Artistic Director, Ray Jivoff. Through all the mayhem, Johns and his piano nimbly keep the melody going. His part might feel subtle in comparison, but there's nothing elusive in the way Johns plays with such agility and aplomb. He is both a world-class pianist and a class act.

Jivoff is hilariously unsubtle, bringing consistent energy and humor to the stage - not to mention a vocal quality and range that's supremely easy on the ears. Milwaukee needs more stage time with the brilliant Mr. Jivoff, as well as Ding and his odd, astounding collection.

Now for a taste of the sounds in store at Thing's That Go Ding!

Music by Marimba
A relative to the xylophone, this instrument earns a mention because of its versatility. Ding turns to the marimba during classical music medleys, featuring the likes of Beethoven, Offenbach, and Rossini. The most thrilling, however, is Liszt's ever-accelerating "Hungarian Rhapsody," during which Ding and pianist Jamie Johns keep excellent and impressive pace.

For the Birds
A moaning rubber chicken wearing a kilt. A squawking duck-call kazoo. A whistle that sounds like a pack of twittering cartoon birds. No sooner had these fine-feathered antics made me muse how Things That Go Ding! feels like being inside a Looney Toons soundtrack, when lo and behold: Ding and Johns treated us to something extra-special and, quite literally, cartoonish.

As a projection screen lowers from the ceiling above the Cabot stage, a 1931 cartoon plays silently. Johns leaps into action, accompanying the cartoon with feverish piano mood music, while Ding provides the sound effects: gusting wind and rain, lightning, a train rolling down the tracks, click-clacking footsteps, and the rattle of dancing skeleton bones. It's an ode to silent movies and the live instruments that once lent them their soundtrack. The entire cartoon, though no more than five or ten minutes, is a singular experience. To me, this is the segment that really makes the show.

Celesta
Close on its cartoon heels is a segment powered by the charming, chiming sounds of a celesta. This instrument looks like a miniature upright piano, except inside there are little hammers striking a graduated set of metal plates. It sounds like a music box. As Johns points out, the Jeopardy theme, "Mr. Sandman," and the theme to "Mr. Rogers Neighborhood" all come courtesy of the celesta.

The Mr. Rogers reference is the one that sticks, as Ray Jivoff bursts upon the scene in a bright green cardigan to sing "Won't You Be My Neighbor," "What Do You Do With the Mad That You Feel," and "It's You I Like." It's just the sweetest, most heart-warming thing, and Jivoff carries it off splendidly.

Shiny Tuned Taxi Horns
Can (and should) a row of more than a dozen tuned taxi horns play Carmen's famous aria? For Things That Go Ding!, there's no more fitting way to present the famous "L'Amour est un Oiseau Rebelle." The piece is made even more memorable with a hefty dose of Ding in drag.

Handpan
At one point in the production, Johns and Jivoff leave their pal Ding alone on stage for a very special musical moment. Ding introduces us to a relatively-new addition to his collection: the handpan. The handpan might be confused for a flying saucer or Weber grill, but it's actually a drum that, depending where you strike it, emits a different note.

Backed by his handpan, tuned wind chimes, two gongs, and the crazy-cool waterphone, Ding plays an original composition. (Note: The waterphone is a wild and eerie little instrument featured in suspense and horror films the world over.) This original piece of music is where Michael "Ding" Lorenz truly shines as a master of his craft and collection. His percussive playing is mesmerizing.

Chime Slide
"Oh my God, there's more," gawked the lady behind me as Act Two opens to reveal the full extent of Ding's collection - bigger, louder, and more wacky than before. There's a stairway of drums, a line of (untuned) rubber chickens, a row of dangling pots and pans, giant spiralized cymbals, a traditional drum kit, and - my favorite! - a full-size slide with chimes on either side, so as you zoom down you can stretch out your arms and make sweet music. See? This collection really is a veritable playground. Join in the fun at Things That Go Ding!, now through March 3, 2019!

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