Review: ACT 1's Delightfully Entertaining JACK AND THE GIANT

Daring to dream, to allow one's imagination to soar and one's creativity to thrive is at the core of theater and thanks to a clever and engaging retelling of a time-honored fable now onstage at Nashville's Darkhorse Theatre - Jack and the Giant, the latest offering of ACT 1's 2018-19 season - audiences are reminded of the power of live performance to transport them to another world, while inspiring them to feats of greatness.

Directed with his own trademark imagination by Jacob Heinz (with musical direction by Wesley King), Jack and the Giant is the culmination of a collaboration which features music and lyrics by Andrew Barbato and James Larsen (who were in Nashville for the world premiere engagement), with additional music by Douglas Makuta and Jay Mobley. Providing a decidedly contemporary perspective on the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk that we all remember from childhood, Barbato and Larsen craft a retelling of the story that allows Heinz and his terrific cast to embrace the adventure and to interpret it in their own unique way.

Heinz and his cast infuse the show with a palpable sense of whimsy that underscores the tale's relevance for younger audiences, to be certain, yet there isn't a hint of condescension or of talking down to their audience. Instead, Heinz and his actors are steadfastly committed to presenting a show that speaks to everyone, regardless of their age or background. Obviously, the five cast members - Ryan Harrelson (as Jack), Brett Myers (Mr. Pickwick), Caroline Nelson (Amelia), Alaina Smith (Luna) and Dewayne Benn (Moon/Royal Messenger/Giant) - are having the time of their lives as they bring the story to life, ensuring that audiences hang on every word, engaged from the very first moments of the cleverly staged musical.

There's a timeless quality to the music and lyrics by Barbato and Larsen and guitarist Cameron Cleland provides beautiful accompaniment to the quintet of actors performing the score. The gender-bending Harrelson is terrific as Jack, the protagonist of the tale whose journey throughout shows his/her innocence and naivete give way to a more experienced character by final curtain. Nelson is delightful as the bookish, sometimes imperious princess Amelia, whose love of literature helps to inspire the adventure of a lifetime upon which she embarks with Jack and his/her group of compatriots.

Every bit of Myers' onstage versatility is on full display as he sings, he dances, he acts with charming glee. Likewise, Smith is delightful as Luna, who is determined to retrieve the golden harp that is a beloved treasure of her people.

But it's Benn whose insouciance and bravado informs his clutch of characters with a wonderfully droll sense of humor that allows him to stand out among the ensemble. From his very first moment onstage, Benn commands the stage with his tremendous presence and he provides a very emotional gravitas to the play's final moments that ensure audiences leave the theater with a full heart.

Heinz designs the set, which provides the perfect backdrop for the onstage action in the musical, which is lighted beautifully (and as if by magic) by designer Kristen DuBois, to create the world of Jack and his friends.

Jack and the Giant finishes out its three-weekend run at Darkhorse Theatre with a final slate of performances Thursday, April 18, through Saturday, April 20. At 90 minutes, with no intermission, it offers a tantalizingly brief, if thoroughly entertaining, respite from the real world that provides some much-needed creative sustenance and heartfelt lessons for how to deal with what happens in your own life.

Jack and The Giant. Music and lyrics by Andrew Barbato and James Larsen. Additional music by Douglas Makuta and Jay Mobley. Directed by Jacob Heinz. Musical direction by Wesley King. Choreography by Chris Heinz. Presented by ACT 1, at Darkhorse Theatre, 4610 Charlotte Pike, Nashville. Through April 20. For tickets and other details, go to www.ACT1online.com. Running time: 90 minutes (with no intermission).

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