BWW Reviews: CURIOUS GEORGE: THE GOLDEN MEATBALL Cooks the Right Recipe

I have to be honest, my first time visiting the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at Notre Dame to see Curious George: The Golden Meatball did not start off smoothly. There was a mix up with my tickets that weren't available and while sorting out the mishap there was a father who was 100% sure that I had cut the line... and was more than willing to confront me about it in front of everyone. Thankfully, the staff at the center were more than kind, friendly, and swift to correct any mistakes about my tickets. Claire, the box office assistant helping me, also stepped in to let the flustered father know that I had not, in fact, cut the line.

I tried to quickly make my way to my seat and was met with friendly ushers at every corner but my last usher, the one who was supposed to tell me where my seat was, simply said "down the stairs". Not realizing where the seats were ordered numerically, I made my way down the wrong aisle several times until finally locating the correct row and sheepishly finding my seat.

All of these small things can be frustrating for any patron but I'll tell you this: once I sat down and saw the sheer excitement shared by both children and parents alike (albeit, the parents were undoubtedly a little overwhelmed!), I was ready to enjoy myself just as much as they were. The ambiance of a theater is just as reliant on the crowd as it is on the actors putting on the production.

Before I describe the show, here is some key background information about what brought this whole production together:

Curious George: The Golden Meatball was put on at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center which is the destination for the region's premier "Visiting Artist Series". It was performed inside the charming Patricia George Decio Theatre. The production was brought to the DeBartolo by Theatreworks USA, a professional theatre company which aims to bring theatre for the young and their families all over the USA. Curious George is also brought to DeBartolo by Universal Stage Productions, which is the live theatre division of the motion picture studio.

The story of Curious George: The Golden Meatball seems like a simple one: George loves meatballs and loves all-you-can-eat-meatball-day even more. At his friend Chef Pisghetti's restaurant, George helps prepare the meatballs for the "big day" but soon George and friends realize that there is no hungry crowd eagerly waiting for his meatballs! Unfortunately, the restaurant is across the street from Phinneas T. Lightspeed's superfast meatball making machine, which simply outcompetes poor Chef Pisghetti. Chef Pisghetti vows never to cook again, but George decides to enter the Chef in the world renowned meatball making competition - "The Golden Meatball Contest" which takes place in Rome, Italy. Zany adventures ensue as George and his friends make their way to the competition. They compete and inevitably win, all the while learning valuable lessons along the way.

As an adult watching a children's musical, I can see the deeper value behind the hijinks, fun background music, or the hilarious way George ships himself in a box overseas to Rome. Kids sometimes need the harder lessons in life sugarcoated, like the physical prop jar of "love" that is the secret ingredient to making the meatballs, and this show packages valuable lessons in such a way as to be relatable to a younger demographic. George is an amazing friend who will do anything to help his friend rekindle his culinary fires. Chef Pisghetti loses track of his dreams due to the disappointment of his failed business, but finds them once again through the power of George's friendship. While it might sound like too much or too cheesy for us, for the children in the audience it was perfect.

For the performers for this show, each one was a superstar. I could tell right off the bat that each person onstage loved their job, their character/s, and truly seemed to be enjoying themselves which was infectious and resonated with the crowd. The dancing was always precise, fervent, and physically challenging. The production made a lot of fun choices such as the sounds of ingredients hitting the pot, using lids and pans as instruments in the background of songs, and initiating audience participation. The costumes were superb, detailed, and beyond cute with very stereotypical and comical costumes that could have come straight out of children's books. George riding across stage on a scooter and wearing a crown made out of meatballs was also a tremendous touch! The cast had an amazingly creative bow where George went missing and snuck up on a ladder to take his bow when no one was looking - a trick that made the children roar with laughter! The professionalism and experience of the cast rang true when an obvious mistake happened on stage - a bowl of vegetables fell on the floor- and everyone dealt with it with the appropriate improvisation. You wouldn't be able to tell it was a mistake except for the fact that the vegetables on the floor seemed to serve no purpose and were never mentioned again.

Andrew Howard played the Man With The Yellow Hat (George's caretaker and the other iconic character from the franchise) and was perfect in his role as George's mentor and while well poised, he was obviously charmed by George just like the rest of us. He also did a wonderful job being an ensemble member who danced and sang when needed in between others' costume changes!

Jillian Soares, who played Netti and other ensemble characters, did an amazing job as a loveable and warm Italian woman. Her accent was impeccable and her character choices and rustic persona could resonate with anyone missing their Italian family. She too served as a mature adult but fun loving leader for George and other's along their adventures. She also has a beautiful voice, to boot.

Zac Gorski, who played Phinneas T. Lightspeed, blew me away with his talent for singing, dancing, and acting. He was the most enthusiastic, on-point actor on stage and his "Special Delivery" character made me laugh every time he entered a scene. I believe he had the most diverse set of characters to play and each one was distinctly different than the last. He is simply talented.

Owen Wingo, who played the famous Curious George, was a delight to see on stage because I saw how well the children responded to him. His monkey voice and movement were consistent and comical and he had impeccable comedic timing. He truly embodied the Curious George spirit. He was perfectly cast and had great charisma with his fellow actors and audience.

Erica Vlahinos played the Doorman and was also another one of George's friends along his adventures. Erica had an amazing New York Accent with clear pronunciation (there is nothing worse than an accent done wrong and even worse when it's wrong and you can't understand it). She has a talent for singing and dancing and did a good job as an ensemble member.

Felipe Bombonato played Chef Pisghetti and was made for the role. He rocked his Italian accent and the Italian caricature and I sympathized with him when he lost his customers to Phinneas and subsequently went on the journey to love cooking again. He was light hearted, funny and a talented actor who knew how to play the character the right way.

The previous praise notwithstanding, there could be a few improvements to keep in mind for future productions. The show's music and mics were on a very low setting and it was consequently sometimes extremely hard to hear, although this could have been done with the younger audience's more sensitive hearing in mind. However, there were also scores of children crying/laughing/talking/playing necessitating a higher volume to hear over that, so it was really a catch-22. While I understand that this was a show brought to the DeBartolo for this specific weekend, the setting/scenery seemed a little sparse with just a simple backdrop for a children's show. However, the wonderful and absolutely creative props certainly made up for it.

Make sure to check out the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center if you've never been. The center is very impressive both in size and resources and there are constant chances to get involved and be engaged.

Overall, this production is a great opportunity for kids to enjoy theatre. It's an incredibly cute story with amazing performers and I know that the children watching around me were blown away and having an absolute blast. Don't miss any other upcoming Theatreworks USA productions or any future showings of Curious George: The Golden Meatball!

Photo Credit: Kirk Richard Smith, DeBartolo Performing Arts Center.

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