Review: MADDIE & ELEANOR at The Growing Stage Brought History and Friendship to Life

"There's so much to be done and I want to help if I can." Eleanor Roosevelt in Maddie & Eleanor

The Growing Stage (TGS), The Children's Theatre of New Jersey has done it again! They have succeeded in providing area audiences with the finest in youth and family entertainment with the 2022 Laurie Award winning play, Maddie & Eleanor. Written by Martha King DeSilva and expertly directed by the theatre's Executive Director, Stephen L. Fredericks, the play should have many opportunities to be produced in the future. At the weekday matinee we attended, the show's well-crafted story, top-notch staging, and cast that shined bright in their roles captivated the student audience.

Maddie is a fourth grader experiencing many of the issues that kids her age encounter including best friend problems and her indecision about participating in after school activities. When Maddie's I-Phone is accidently breaks, it mysteriously connects to Eleanor Roosevelt's microphone when the First Lady is preparing her radio address. During their regular conversations across time, Maddie learns about Eleanor's fine qualities and history while Eleanor relates well to the trials of a young girl. Other characters that round out the story include Maddie's mother, Karen; Maddie's classmates, Eleanor's daughter, Anna; and the First Lady's assistant.

The cast mastered their roles and several of the actors portrayed multiple characters seamlessly. The company included Brianna Martinez as Maddie, Lisa G. Andreacchi as Eleanor Roosevelt, Belinda Diaz-Perez as Karen, Jeorgi Smith as Anna/Sophia, Donald Danford as Young Man/Others, Davis Cameron Lemley as Josh/Others, Nicole DeLuca as Chloe/Others.

The many well-played scenes included Maddie telling her mom about her difficult day at school; Maddie breaking her I-Phone and being connected to Eleanor; Eleanor's surprise at hearing communication through her radio microphone; the commercials that precede Eleanor's radio addresses; Josh hoping for a snow day; Maddie and Eleanor doing a Tik-Tok dance; Eleanor's assistant telling her that he will be going to war; Karen giving Maddie a new phone; Maddie and Karen at the Apple Store; Anna's pride in her mother; and Maddie making a new friend, Sophia. The authentic projections depicting events surrounding WWII are a fascinating feature of the show.

The Creative Team has done a top job of bringing Maddie & Eleanor to the stage. They include scenic design, set construction, and lighting design by by S.L. Fredericks; costume design by Lori B. Lawrence and Scaramouche LLC; and projections design by David O'Neill. Becky Nitka is the Stage Manager.

The Growing Stage has given Maddie & Eleanor a wonderful world premiere and we hope that the play will be staged at other venues in the future as it is entertaining, clever, and provides a unique learning experience.

The Growing Stage, The Children's Theatre of New Jersey is located in the historic Palace Theatre, 7 Ledgewood Ave, Netcong, NJ 07857. For more information on the theatre's upcoming shows and their education programs, please visit https://growingstage.com/ and call 973.347.4946.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Growing Stage

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