BWW Reviews: Childsplay's THE THREE JAVELINAS Blows The House Down and Raises The Spirits

Childsplay, the renowned bastion of theater designed for the very young at heart, is closing its 38th Season with a musical extra-javelina-ganza! It's called The Three Javelinas and is the brain- or should I say soul-child of Jenny Millinger, the Company's Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Ms. Millinger has taken a heroic and successful leap into playwriting and, in collaboration with musical director Todd Hulet, has fashioned an uplifting and charming tale based on characters from the books of Susan Lowell. She reflects the great tradition and values set by Childsplay's highly esteemed founder and artistic director, David Saar, who, it should be noted, is retiring with full confidence that the illustrious beat he set will go on.

Adapt another fabled story about three pigs; stir vigorously with the motifs of the American Southwest; enliven with a mélange of hip Broadway-style songs with a dash of regional flavoring; and energize with as electric an ensemble as you can find ~ and there you have it: The Three Javelinas, a delightful upbeat story about finding one's place in the (desert) sun!

The starting point of the javelinambulations is The Last Chance Saloon, where you kick up your boots, stay awhile, and have a rootin' tootin' good ol' time to the music of the Javelina Band. It sounds inviting but it's not enough to drown out the irresistible siren call of fame elsewhere.

Josefina Javelina (Molly Lajoie) aspires to be a world-famous ballerina. The call of Hoggywood beckons her away from her lackadaisical brothers, Juan (Tommy Strawser), the sketch artist and Jose (D. Scott Withers), the terminal joker, who, in turn, set off on their own journey but get separated. Albeit, the siblings travel their different paths, they share one thing in common. The wily and unscrupulous Coyote (Kyle Sorrell) is on their trail, hungry for prime rib of peccary.

Coyote catches up with each brother and huffs and puffs them out of their makeshift abodes ~ cleverly conceived, one made out of rolls of tumbleweed, the other from cactus bones.

Meanwhile, Josefina has discovered the illusory nature of fame and returned home ~ a solid, very solid, adobe home.

Brothers and sister eventually reunite for one final face-off with the covert predator and the predictable victory dance, Javeli-Na-Na.

Throughout the Javelina odyssey, the ever-delightful and immensely versatile Jon Gentry garnishes the plotline with a series of comic turns as The Boy Who Brings You The News, squirrely talent agents, a mariachi announcer, et al.

The zest of the show is further enhanced by the trio of musicians, positioned in a rustic on-stage bandstand: Alan Ruch (conductor and keyboard), Jason Brown (guitar), and Christopher Rose (bass).

Dwayne Hartford, who will succeed Mr. Saar, has done a remarkable job in directing a seamless production. All the technical elements of the show cohere splendidly to adorn this fun romp with tone and style: Holly Windingstad's chromatic set, capturing the warmth of the desert landscape, accentuated by Tim Monson's lighting; costumes by D. Daniel Hollingshead and Kish Finnegan; and makeup by Katherine Mammana and Mr. Hollingshead.

The show, a joy for all ages, continues its run through May 24th at the Tempe Center for the Arts.

Photo credit to Tim Trumble.

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