Carried away - by verse, not gypsies

Rob Levine

Madeline (Francesca Dawis) bids farewell to Gypsy Mama (Autumn Ness) in the Children's Theatre Company world premiere of "Madeline and the Gypsies."

A talented creative team can't quite overcome rhyme-laden script about children in a circus world in the latest Children's Theatre production.

Star Tribune

Last update: September 23, 2008 - 12:53 PM

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MADELINE AND THE GYPSIES

Who: Adapted by Barry Kornhauser from Ludwig Bemelmans' classic. Directed by Peter Brosius.

When: 7 p.m. today and Thu.; 7:30 p.m. Fri.; 11 a.m. & 2 p.m. Sat.; 2 & 5 p.m. Sun. Ends Oct. 26.

Where: Children's Theatre Company, 2400 3rd Av. S., Mpls.

Tickets: $14-$35. 612-874-0400.

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It is too bad that "Madeline and the Gypsies" is told in rhyme rather than in mime.

Muting the script in Barry Kornhauser's tortured adaptation of Ludwig Bemelmans' classic would have done wonders for the production, which premiered over the weekend at the Children's Theatre.

It would also have been good for Kornhauser's reputation; after all, he has done good work at the Children's Theatre over the years, including the wordless "Reeling."

Neither he, nor we, are so lucky with "Madeline," a story about a little girl (played by Francesca Dawis) and her friend, Pepito (Jack Wyatt Jue), who get caught up at a circus and are carried away by gypsies.

In this adaptation, the playwright aspires to verse but writes lots of hackneyed doggerel instead, talking down to young audiences. And where the rhymes are not direct, he forces them, creating, for example, the word "shirty" to match "dirty."

Oh, dear; please cover your ears.

It's unfortunate that the script is so grating because it is central to the show. The action, staged with effusive physicality by Peter Brosius, is a smorgasbord of fun for opened-mouth tykes. There are performers from Circus Juventas splashing about on the German wheel and on the silks, which two young women use to plunge from the ceiling.

There is an impressive high-wire act. There are big and wee acrobats who tumble and bounce in tandem.

The choreography, by Joe Chvala, is clever, particularly to show traveling parties in a taxi and on a train.

"Madeline" marks the stage return of young Kacie Riddle, whose injury prevented her from being in the run of "The Sound of Music" at the Ordway Center in December. She's cute as a button here.

The production also features the talents of Marvette Knight, Reed Sigmund and Dean Holt alongside Gerald Drake and Autumn Ness. All make merry here, despite being frequently undermined by Kornhauser's end-stopped rhymes.

It could have been a lovely story about exploration and cultural differences in Paris. It could have been a fun, and funny, show. But this "Madeline" turns out to be too bad, which really makes me ...

Rohan Preston • 612-673-4390

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