"Are
we there yet?"
That universal question kids love to ask and
parents hate to hear on long car trips is the title of Wayside
Theatre's latest production, which also kicks off the company's
45th season.
But "Are We There Yet?" is not the
story of a cross country vacation. It is a collection of musical
vignettes that celebrate the life journey of the nuclear family.
Each vignette illustrates - both comically and poignantly -
the popular saying, "You can pick your friends but you
can't pick your family." Wayside artistic director Warner
Crocker adds in his notes for the show, "Who better [than
our families] to punch our buttons yet forgive our foibles?"
Every cherished family moment is there - the
young married couple's first sonogram, the birth of the first
child, proud parents rooting at the Little League game, the
coach who devotes his life to helping kids develop good character,
the mommy who does everything for her family, the dad who plays
a hilarious joke on his daughter's prom date, the father reluctant
to give his little girl away on her wedding day, the couple
experiencing love the second time around after the loss of
a first spouse, the greedy relatives waiting for their rich
uncle to die so they can inherit his money, the old man looking
back on the many things he learned from the women in his life.
For me, the two vignettes that were most memorable
were also the most comical and the most poignant, respectively.
"The Baby Rap" is the most comical
and it comes very early in the production, featuring a "baby" (J.T.
Arbogast) in a bassinet singing and dancing a sassy rap song
("I'm a little person/I deserve respect") and warning
grownups to beware if they "diss" him ("I'll
make you wish I'd never been born!")
"Giving Her Away" is the most poignant
segment, as a father (Larry Dahlke) expresses his feelings
about giving away his daughter (Melissa Graves) on her wedding
day ("I was her first hero, her Superman" / "But
she'll always be my little girl").
Rounding out the cast of four is Thomasin
Savaiano, whose roles as a fanatical mom "coaching" from
the bleachers at a Little League game and the "Mommy" whose
fantasies don't involve her family provide comic insights into
the ordinary.
"Are We There Yet?" reminds the
audience that the question can never be answered until the
journey ends. But for two hours, Wayside Theatre offers a side
tour on the journey of life and reminds us to sit back and "Enjoy
the Ride."
"Are We There Yet?" is directed
by Crocker, with music direction by Steve Pryzyblski, and runs
through July 1.
Performances are Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday evenings at 8 p.m., with 2:30 p.m. matinees on
Wednesdays and Saturdays. Ticket prices are $22 to $27 for
adults, $10 for children age 17 and under, with discounts available
for groups, seniors and full-time students. Wayside Theatre
also sells discounted subscriptions for the entire season with
options to fit any budget and any schedule.
|
